[CASE] 3D printing in architecture on the example of Setl City

Gone are the days when the 3D printer was exclusively a toy of geeks and a prototyping tool; now professionals in dozens of industries use such equipment.



Among our clients are many companies engaged in a wide variety of activities - from dentistry and jewelry, to theater and exhibitions. In this material we will consider the use of 3D printing from the point of view of a construction company.









One of the company's projects



We asked a few questions to an employee of Setl City , the leading developer of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. The company has acquired a Form 2 stereolithographic 3D printer from us.

• Technology: SLA
• Working chamber: 145 x 145 x 175 mm
• Layer thickness from: 25 microns
• Price: 332 900 rub.

The results of the conversation are shared with readers. This is what we managed to find out.









One of the company's projects

Goals

A 3D printer in a construction company can be used for several purposes: to print elements of large-scale building models and to create models of buildings, taking into account the distribution of internal space. Those and others are used in construction planning and presentation purposes.

The main purpose of buying a 3D printer was to understand whether it is worthwhile to apply this technology in the company's activities on a large scale, on an ongoing basis.

One of the company's projects

As it was before

Without the use of 3D printing, this problem was solved in the old manner - the architects themselves made models of buildings. It was not always justified financially, because the working time of an architect is not cheap, and the creation of a layout is a painstaking and slow process. Long-term manipulations with paper, foam, plastic are not the best incentive in such creative work. When attracting students and other outsiders, quality could suffer.



Now there are model offices, but their services are not cheap, and it is not always possible to make any changes to the order made.









Printed model

Why Form 2

Stereolithography basically gives better quality of printed objects than FDM. Formlabs Form 2 3D printer was proposed because it provides the required print quality and is able to work without interruption. This is a run-in and proven model of a reputable manufacturer.

How the printer was used and how it showed itself

The printer was used to print models of buildings with an internal structure - ceilings, stairs. The models turned out accurate and high-quality; it would take a lot of time and money to create such a layout manually.

Pleasantly surprised by the quality of the surfaces and the accuracy of the transfer of proportions. The printouts were very good.

Printed model



Setl City is not yet ready to make a photopolymer 3D printer part of the process - stereolithographic printing takes a lot of time and is demanding on the quality of digital models, a separate specialist should be involved in their preparation.

I would like to print in several colors at the same time, but stereolithography cannot. I did not like the process of post-processing - it takes extra time, in our case - significant. There is a lack of a smart stop system with unsuccessful printing - it would be good if the printer recognized the defect and stopped the process.

Printed model

Total

The use of a 3D printer has borne fruit, has shown the client the possibilities of new technologies and has given food for thought.

Of course, the operation of the 3D printer has brought benefits: it has shaped our understanding of how and in what tasks we can use this technology, and also helped to give a budget estimate of the costs and labor costs for preparation and printing. It is useful to know for the future.

Printed model



We thank Setl City for cooperation, and we remind readers that you can get advice on choosing and using a 3D printer for any purpose any day by contacting the Top 3D Shop employees by calling 8 (499) 322-23-19, or writing to mail sales@top3dshop.ru



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