Have you ever wanted to 3D print in stone? It’s quite possible to do so.
That’s the goal of Concr3de, a Dutch company that specializes in binder jet 3D printing of stone and similar materials. They’ve been around for about five years and offer stone 3D print services to the world.
They’ve developed a proprietary binder jet 3D printing process, along with a series of stone materials that together can be used to print architectural elements, outdoor furniture, and much more.
The source of their materials is actually recycled stone, which normally would go to waste. The material is created by grinding up stones into dust and using it in their 3D printing process. Binders hold the parts together while printing, and a post-processing step fuses the stone particles together.
Which materials are available? They offer quite a range of stone materials, including marble, limestone, granite, refractory cement, concrete, slate, geopolymer, and even salt.
The company doesn’t seem to sell 3D printers, likely because of the nature of the proprietary process. Instead, they offer 3D print services, which can accept a 3D model and produce the item in their own factories.
Currently, they have three production locations: the Netherlands, Dubai, and Portugal, and it seems they are looking for more regional partners. This is understandable, as the prints produced by their stone process will be quite heavy, so long-distance shipping can be expensive.
Representatives told us their customers are primarily architectural, although there are plenty of other potential applications for their technology.
Via Concr3de
