Dutch technology company MX3D just officially unveiled the world’s first 3D-printed stainless steel bridge . It took four robots , nearly 10,000 pounds of stainless steel , about 684 miles of wire, and six months of printing to build the sinuous, undulating structure, which looks like it’s straight out of a science-fiction movie. The MX3D Bridge, designed by Joris Laarman Lab , is around 41 feet by 20 feet, and it’s made from a new kind of steel. 3D-printing created a ribbed surface as robots added layers upon layers; Gizmodo said it could be buffed out, but MX3D plans to keep the unique, rough look. Related: World’s first 3D-printed bridge opens in the Netherlands Laarman told Gizmodo it’s strange to glimpse the bridge in their workshop: “It’s a little bit like being in a science fiction story because it looks so different than everything else around. We work in a highly industrial shipyard where everything is geometric in shape, but this bridge doesn’t have a single straight line.” MX3D’s goal for the bridge project is “to showcase the potential applications of our multi-axis 3D-printing technology,” according to their website. They say they serve architecture , maritime and offshore, and heavy duty industry markets. There’s that spark of sci-fi on their About page too: their ultimate vision is robots creating lightweight constructions — not just bridges, or buildings, but Mars colonies as well. The company credits Arup for structural engineering, Heijmans as their construction expert, and AcelorMittal for metallurgical expertise, to name a few; several other companies and universities have been involved in the bridge project. MX3D’s bridge is to be installed over the Oudezijds Achterburgwal canal in Amsterdam , possibly in 2019. Before that, the bridge will undergo load tests. Co-founder Gijs van der Velden told Gizmodo they recently tested it with 30 people, and it behaved as it should. He told Gizmodo, “[Amsterdam city officials] have collaborated with us, Arup, and Imperial College London to define a method for evaluating the safety of the bridge as, of course for a novel production like this, there is no standard code. Their open attitude towards such a new and unconventional project was essential to make this project a success.” + MX3D + MX3D Bridge + Joris Laarman Lab Via Gizmodo Images courtesy of MX3D, Joris Laarman Lab, Adriaan de Groot, Thijs Wolzak, and Olivier de Gruijter
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The world’s first 3D-printed steel bridge looks like it came from another planet
