​D1.6: Demonstrator of 3D printing with on-site robotics

Summary

P2Endure is funded under the EU programme H2020-EE-2016-PPP (supporting accelerated and cost-effective deep renovation of buildings through Public-Private Partnerships (EEB PPP). The project aims to improve the availability and performance of energy saving solutions for deep renovation and transformation of vacant, obsolete or sub-optimal public buildings into dwellings promoting evidence-based innovative solutions for deep renovation based on prefabricated Plug and- Play systems in combination with on-site robotic 3D-printing and BIM demonstrated and monitored at 11 real projects, 2 virtual demonstrators in 4 geo-clusters with EU-wide replication potentials. 

Through several tests and on-site performances with different kinds of robots, tasks/materials, integrated programming and onsite processes a new scalable robot-platform has come to life contributing within the P2Endure project mainly in the time and cost reduction when using robotics on-site. This report targets everyone with interest in robotics within the building sector – how to integrate, work with and benefit from robots performing on-site tasks. 

First case: 

Reggio Emilia case - here a robotic 3D milling has helped in manufacturing the zig zag heating/cooling floor in the renovation of Reggio Emilia case study. This was the sole possible manufacturing allowed by the landscape and architecture Superintendence, being the building under very strict constraints. 

Second case: 

Here the report describes the on-site tests in Korsløkken, Denmark. The tests were based on too different kinds of robots. The first test using a traditional industrial 6-axis robot, and the second using an new developed scalable robot fully integrated in the existing data-structure for on-site building processes. Through the tests it was found that the 6-axis robots were not suitable for on-site construction work on large surfaces which lead to the development and testing of the new scalable 3-5-axis robot solution. With the new robot it was possible to perform many different tasks without the need of: scaffolding, a robot-programmer and further advanced education. Overall, it was discovered that the existing materials used by craftsmen often performed poorly due to the precise and fast execution using the robots. The new scalable robot solution is due to the tests and results performed in the P2Endure project already being integrated into several commercial projects in the prefab and on-site tasks in the building sector.

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