Is that a single room structure? Could it be scaled into an underground bunker?
Yes, this is a one -room structure. But we are already working with the army on underground and multi-room designs. In fact, we printed a medical facility of 1,800 square meters in Jhansi Cantonment. It is a multi -room structure.
This technology is scalable. The actual strength of the 3D printing lies in its ability to quickly use the infrastructure without a large workforce. This is of crucial or high level of crucial importance in which the workforce is limited and time is critical.
Since this is in a sensitive zone infrastructure in military quality, were there any special security or logistical protocols?
Absolutely. The army was incredibly supportive and worked closely with us. This was an NCNC process (No Cost No Engagement), ie the army supported operational support without financial participation.
This experience gave us a deeper appreciation for the conditions with which the army was exposed. Some of her foundations are even higher than ours. The aim is to finally transfer this technology so that you can operate it independently – just like any other devices.
We also examine applications on the western front – hot, dry desert zones. There we want to print structures and offer thermal comfort. A concept is the use of multi-wall constructions to keep the interior cool, even if it is 50 ° C.
If India scale a network of 3D printed structures in remote and high zones, what would be the biggest challenges?
The biggest bottlenecks are:
Workers: acclimatization delays and fatigue.
Machines: Need for modular, robust printers that work under extreme conditions.
Materials: Use local resources and at the same time performance and quality.
Ideally, we would like to assemble the printer on an all-terrain vehicle that is similar to a tank so that it can be driven to any place and printed on site. This is the vision: autonomous, mobile building systems.