Behold the World's Largest 3D Printer

They're calling it 'the world's largest 3D printer,' but also 'the factory of the future' — not just a 3D printer, but a manufacturing system.

It's the succcessor to a 3D printer that could create an entire house, cutting construction time and labor, according to the Associated Press. And this one 'may one day create entire neighborhoods.'

It has a voracious appetite, consuming as much as 500 pounds (227 kilograms) of material per hour... The university wants to show how homes can be constructed nearly entirely by a printer with a lower carbon footprint. The buildings and construction sector accounts for roughly 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions, largely due to the production and use of materials such as cement, steel and aluminum that have a significant carbon footprint, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Such printed buildings can be recycled, which is unique compared to current construction. 'You can basically deconstruct it, you can grind it up if you wish, the 3D printed parts, and reprint with them, do it again,' Dagher said before the event...

But it can be used for a variety of other creations and already has been used for a range of things, from boats to defense department structures.
The project is partly funded by the U.S. military, according to the BBC. 'Maine University says it hopes the printer can be used to make affordable housing, as well as bridges, boats and wind turbines.'

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