Cadalyst - ZCorp - June 2008 - (Page 5) 3D Printing in AEC into thousands of horizontal layers. The printer then makes thousands of passes across the powder and prints each cross section by depositing a liquid binder onto the powder. Where the binder hits, the powder quickly solidifies. Printing at an approximate rate of one vertical inch an hour, the machine deposits layer upon layer of material to create a model embedded in the composite powder. Unique to Z Corp’s 3D printers is the option to produce models in full color. No other 3D modeling technology offers this capability. In addition, graphics or photographic images can be applied directly to the model to better convey materiality. Z Corp’s software also allows designers to create models larger than the build compartment. Buildings in a complex can be broken up into component pieces. When the design needs to be segmented into various components, ZEdit Pro software automatically applies holes and pegs to the pieces so they line up perfectly during assembly. Cost Savings While the cost for a single architectural model can easily cost thousands, the average cost of a Z Corp 3D model is $2 to $3 per cubic inch. company was able to faithfully depict special V-shaped abutments that consume less space and material than traditional vertical pillars. The model conveyed the concepts behind the innovation and helped Ramboll win the job. “That’s one example of how full-color 3D printing helps us win new jobs,” said Gita Monshizadeh, CAD development manager for Ramboll’s transport and infrastructure division. “We have more examples of similar success. 3D printing gives our prospective clients a good idea of our unique capabilities. We can create compelling presentations that give tangible substance to the superior Ramboll vision in full detail and vibrant color. The colors, the detail and the textures – down to the seams on a model of a masonry wall – establish our credibility immediately with the client and are quite convincing.” In addition to securing new business, 3D printing saves Ramboll money. For example, the company recently needed a model of a 12-story apartment building and discovered that it required just one-third of the expense to print the model in full color than to commission a model by hand. “It takes little or no effort to turn a design into a full-color physical model if you have a proper print scale,” Monshizadeh said. “If your design is in 3D, you have what you need to make a 3D model. Sometimes you have to optimize the model so that the scaling factor allows printable elements, but in many instances that’s not a big effort. It’s quite the opposite case to fabricate a handmade model, where essential fine detail can consume great amounts of production time. In other words, 3D printing lets us think more creatively and spatially when we work on a project. We can easily print different technical phase-models for important comparison.”
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