13. Custom-Made Printheads Empowering 3d Printed Concrete: Innovations in Digital Design and Fabrication of Complex Prefabricated Elements

Over the past decade, robotic manufacturing has made its way out of the shadow of the automotive industry, giving rise to a growing interest in adopting Additive Manufacturing (AM) techniques for architectural and infrastructure projects. This chapter presents the explored capabilities of 3D concrete printing (3DCP) as developed by Vertico, an innovative startup from the Netherlands that focuses on additive manufacturing with concrete. It explores the role that the symbiosis between robotic technology, material mix and computational design tools is playing within the larger context of the construction industry, in prompting material manufacturers to create mixes better suited for 3d printing, and technology manufacturers to focus on advancing the tools to mix and extrude seamless layer after layer of mortar. What differentiates Vertico’s technology from other concrete printers is their two-component (2 k) technology and perseverance in pushing the limits of concrete printing. Vertico does not focus on printing entire buildings, and certainly not on-site. It creates building blocks for a revolution taking place at the intersection between architecture and robotics. This revolution, for the designer as well as for the user, means an unprecedented freeing from building conventions, which are generally guided by strategies such as cost cutting, production limitations and increasing standardization.