In 2019, the University of Maine set three Guinness World Records for 3D printing. They had the world's largest 3D printer, the largest solid 3D printed object, and the largest 3D printed boat. The 5000-pound boat was printed in 72 hours. In 2022, they printed a 600-square-foot 3D-printed house made using all bio-based materials. Cleary not content to rest on its laurels, the university has just unveiled its new 3D printer, which is four times larger than the previous version.
From the University of Maine:
The thermoplastic polymer printer is designed to print objects as large as 96 feet long by 32 feet wide by 18 feet high, and can print up to 500 pounds per hour. It offers new opportunities for eco-friendly and cost-effective manufacturing for numerous industries, including national security, affordable housing, bridge construction, ocean and wind energy technologies and maritime vessel fabrication. The design and fabrication of this world-first printer and hybrid manufacturing system was made possible with support from the Office of the Secretary of Defense through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
They will continue to prioritize using bio-based materials, like residual wood, which Maine's forestry industry produces at a rate of about a million tons a year. Sadly, it appears that the university's 3D Printing Club does not have access to the world's largest 3D printer—either of them—which is completely understandable, but must be a real bummer.
Previously: The first permitted 3D-printed house is now for sale in New York state
