XYZ gantry robot for mobile 3D printer in XXL format

About the XXL printer:

More and more buildings are constructed with the help of the modern 3D printing method for XXL components. The façade of the Dutch "Europe Building" in the Amsterdam Marine Quarter was partly built in this way. Constructed by the architecture firm "DUS". The method offers many advantages for the construction of buildings. Load-bearing structures of the buildings can be manufactured from sustainable plastic recyclate. This also ensures high flexibility during construction and a simplification of logistics. This is due to the fact that the elements are printed on site, placed on the spot and filled with concrete. Furthermore, this enables significant freedom of design.
To realise the designed ideas, DUS founded the company, Actual, for 3D printing. Together with igus, a mobile 3D printer was designed, which can reliably print the XXL parts with high precision and speed.

The mobile printer in XXL format is located in a shipping container and can print components of up to five metres.

The problem:

The aim of Actual is to enable the owner to design or adapt building components to customer requirements on a digital platform, which are then manufactured on site using XXL 3D printers. This procedure is very popular in the Dutch media under the term "KamerMaker 2.0".
igus had already partnered with Actual to help optimise the construction of a mobile 3D printer. The first generation of the printer had a separate room for the control and could therefore produce "only" parts up to a size of 2.00 x 2.00 x 3.00 metres. There was need for improvement, both in precision and in the printing speed.
 

The solution:

From past experience with their own 3D printer and co-operation with various manufacturers of conventional 3D printers, igus was able to support the construction of the printer. Many of igus' 3D printing customers often use igus linear axes, as they are particularly durable, maintenance-free and do not require lubrication.
The engineers developed new axes on which the print head moves. The axes form a XYZ gantry robot, in which the x and y-axis have been implemented with drylin toothed belt units and the z-axis with drylin lead screw/nut systems. This way, the print head can move on the xyz gantry robot with high loads, even at high speed.