Waste-Free Production of Ultra-thin Concrete Panels via Robotic 3D Printing and CNC Dynamic Bed Device

The production of freeform building panels in concrete is often limited by the fabrication capacity of custom formworks. Creating such formworks is time and labor-intensive as well as wasteful as the formworks are commonly discarded after use. This research develops a novel approach for the production of freeform panels through coupling robotic 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) and a CNC Dynamic Bed Device (DBD). This enables the production of waste-free, freeform, and highly detailed concrete panels without requiring individualized formwork. The DBD features a composite printing surface made of silicone and a TPU grid, achieving two paradoxical aspects: maximum geometric flexibility while maintaining structural integrity and preventing buckling under the material’s weight in the span between actuating pins. The geometric fidelity of the DBD is verified through a series of laser scans of the bed in convex, concave, complex saddle, and single-curved geometries. The production of complex freeform panels with textures through 3DCP and DBD involved nonplanar print path strategies. This is key in achieving consistent filament deposition and avoiding under/over-extrusion. The results included 5 unique 3DCP freeform panels. Each panel measured 50×50 cm.