COBOD celebrates global premiere of multifunctional construction robot
Braunschweig (GERMANY), 2 hours, 49 minutes ago
COBOD International, in collaboration with the Technische Universität Braunschweig, has introduced the first commercially available multifunctional construction robot.
Built on COBOD’s 3D construction printing technology, the jointly developed system by COBOD and Institute for Structural Design (ITE) integrates a telescopic vertical extension unit with a robotic arm that enables the Shotcrete 3D Printing Process (SC3DP).
Shotcrete is used to construct complex concrete structures like tunnels, swimming pools, retaining walls, and to reinforce concrete structures.
However, the telescopic tool is not limited to shotcrete applications, multiple other tools can also be mounted onto the vertical telescopic unit. The vertical telescopic unit is mounted between two X-axes on a COBOD BOD2 3D construction printer.
Multifunctional Construction Robot
The multifunctional construction robot integrates a vertical telescopic unit and a robotic arm designed for shotcreting.
The technology was demonstrated at the Grand opening of the Digital Construction Site at TU Braunschweig this week.
Helga Kühnhenrich, Head of the Research and Innovation in Construction Department at the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR), attended the launch event, underlining the national support for automating and digitalizing construction to meet future construction and housing needs.
Automated fabrication of double curved walls
TU Braunschweig intends to use the system delivered to SC3DP digitally fabricated reinforced concrete structures with high surface quality and geometric freedom.
Hereby the reinforcement is seen as an integral part of the SC3DP process: Either the concrete is built up first and then the reinforcement is inserted, or the reinforcement has a pre-fabricated shape and the mesh is shotcreted from both sides. Additionally, the robotic arm can be equipped with sanding equipment to finish the surfaces.
TU Braunschweig intends to use COBOD’s multifunctional construction system to fabricate reinforced double curved walls.
Professor Harald Kloft for Structural Design at ITE said: "Our partnership with COBOD is a decisive step towards the digital construction site of the future. 3D printing enables automated, digitally controlled processes of simple as well as very complex tasks, like the fabrication of reinforced double curved walls."
"The ability to make complex, individualised, material efficient and low waste construction solutions makes 3D printing ideal for the construction industry, as it brings together economic, environmental and social aspects, such as the reduction of physical stress," he noted.
Printing of concrete walls
With a dynamic vertical range of 3m of the telescopic unit, the robotic arm can fully reach and manipulate an already printed wall 3m below the X-axis.
COBOD emphasizes that a variety of tools can be mounted on the new COBOD robotic arm, such as a paint spray gun, insulation tool, sanding equipment etc., hereby turning the 3D construction printer into a multifunctional construction robot capable of much more than just the printing of the walls.
The telescope unit has been developed in collaboration with ITE and is intended to expand the COBOD system for use with the Shotcrete 3D Printing (SC3DP) process, said the company.
Its increased focus is on automation within the construction industry to reduce costs and manpower requirements, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
