Exploring Extreme 3D Printed Clay Overhangs with Integrated Active Hot Air Drying System on Robotic Arm

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

7-29-2025

Abstract

3D printing has gained significant popularity in construction in recent years, along with a growing focus on earth-based materials. These materials must adhere to certain principles to ensure printability and extrudability, allowing for good consistency during the printing process. This would need extra water, resulting in a wet mixture that could decrease the production printing rate per day and limit overhang structures due to the wet materials. One challenge facing these materials is their slow drying process, especially in low temperatures and humid climates. However, the strength and stiffness of these materials are gained by time when water evaporates. Given the limited studies on the drying process during 3D printing, this research aims to explore the structural stability of maximum support-free overhangs using a custom-designed heating system based on Active Hot Air Drying System (HADS) that mimics sun drying. This system accelerates and aids the drying process of the layers, ensuring greater structural stability without deformation. According to the results, the contentious heating system increased layer stability by reaching more layers at once. The maximum overhang reached was an angle of 50 degrees before failure at 60 degrees. In conclusion, the research highlighted and promoted the use of earth-based materials and offered some solutions to ensure that printed buildings could be dried fast. This is a solution to establish earth as a reliable material in structures in a contemporary way with the use of 3D printing.

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