Contour Crafting Prepares for Series Production of Construction 3D Printers

Two years ago in an interview, Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis predicted that 3D printed homes would be widespread within five years, and 3D printed high-rises within ten years. He also said that his Contour Crafting machines would be commercially available within a couple of years, and it looks as if they're right on schedule, as the Contour Crafting Corporation is now gearing up for series production of the robotic 3D printers. The production is happening with help from an investment from Doka Ventures, which is taking a 30 percent state in the company. Read more at 3DPrint.com: http://3dprint.com/178100/contour-cr...es-production/

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A lot of hype surrounds the 3D printing of buildings. But I'm having difficulty imagining them really being used to print actual First-World homes, as the hype seems to promise (let alone ones ready to occupy within a week after starting) . Any tall concrete structure will need vertical rebars as well as horizontal ones; I don't see how the extruder could work around them. And any home needs electricity, plumbing and HVAC, none of which seem compatible with the process or susceptible to printing on site. Even if these hurdles could be surmounted, getting the regulatory authorities to approve them as consonant with the Uniform Building Code will take decades, if not centuries...