The additive construction industry continues to lay its foundation. This time, a home has been 3D printed in Patchogue, N.Y., by a Long Island-based startup looking to drop the cost and danger of construction significantly.
To learn more about the firm, its technology and its plans, we spoke to Kirk Andersen, chief engineer for S-Squared 3D Printers (SQ3D).
From 3D Printing Plastic to 3D Printing Concrete
In 2014, SQ3D began as a manufacturer of desktop filament extrusion 3D printers. The company continues to make and sell its AFP-1728 and AFP-512 desktop systems, which go for between roughly $1,500 and $3,000. While SQ3D still ships about one printer a month, it began investigating the idea of additive construction about two to three years ago.
“We met with one of our current partners who wanted to, as we sometimes describe it, spit out a house. We wanted to scale up [our 3D printing] process and use concrete,” Andersen said. “It was kind of a crazy idea two to three years ago. Now we’re [moving] full force with it.”
According to Andersen, SQ3D’s central team has both the engineering and construction chops to tackle the additive construction space. On the construction side of the equation, Andersen has been a contractor for the past 10years, running a new construction and remodeling company. James Michel has been a residential and commercial general contractor for over 15 years, building more than 1,000 units, including multifamily homes….