AP19178044 — Design and development of the print head of a construction 3D printer for the construction of military construction projects

Goal of the project: The purpose of the work is the adaptation of construction machinery to work as a construction 3D printer and the design and development of a print head installed on it for the construction of military construction facilities.

Relevance of the project: Additive manufacturing is making its way into many industries. Including in the field of military development. In particular, the U.S. Marine Corps has successfully tested this technology by building military barracks and hangars using a construction 3D printer. As a result, additive manufacturing has been shown to reduce the amount of manpower, time, and finances required for construction. Icon, the company that implemented this, uses a gantry robot as a construction 3D printer and the Contour Crafting method as a 3D printing method. Today's commercialized projects, including Icon, use gantry, delta, polar and serial robots as the basis for 3D printers, but none of them are suitable for use in the field, which is considered a corrosive environment, and require a specially prepared construction site and building foundation. Hence, it is not very suitable for military use. According to the concept presented in the project, construction equipment designed to work in an aggressive environment, in particular, the excavator is adapted to work as a construction 3D printer and a special print head is designed, which is printed using an improved monolithic method. The excavator digs a pit with its buckets, levels the construction site, then changes the bucket to a print head, first pours the foundation, then presses the walls. Concrete and rebar are transported along the boom of the excavator and delivered to the print head. By pressing the ceiling on a flat surface on a construction site, a hook is installed instead of a print head, the ceiling is raised and installed above the walls. Thus, it is possible to build a military facility with the help of one technique.

Academic Supervisor: Doctor of Ph.D., Mukhagali Sagyntay

Results: Within the project, an automated reinforcement mechanism for the printhead was designed, its prototype was developed, and tested. Samples made from standard ribbed steel reinforcing bars were produced and their mechanical properties were evaluated in accordance with construction standards. A special nozzle was designed and manufactured, which enabled the 3D printing of reinforced concrete specimens. The specimens were examined using X-ray scanning and visual analysis to assess the bonding quality between reinforcement and concrete. In addition, the feasibility of adapting construction equipment (an excavator) into a 3D printer was studied, and kinematic analysis confirmed its applicability. All planned project tasks were fully completed, and the obtained results demonstrated the effectiveness of the developed solutions.

List of publications with links to them

1. Сагынтай М., Мустафа А., Нұғман Е. 3D баспаланған бетонды арматуралауға арналған аутоматты арматуралаушы механизм // Вестник Евразийского национального университета имени Л.Н. Гумилева. Серия: Технические науки и технологии. – 2023. – Т. 145, № 4. – С. 236–249. – URL: https://bultech.enu.kz/index.php/main/article/view/543
2. Сағынтай М., Мустафа А., Акшулаков К.Ж. Әскери мақсаттағы құрылыс объектілерін салуға арналған құрылыс 3D принтері мен оның баспа бастиегінің тұжырымдамасы // Хабаршы Ұлттық қорғаныс университетінің ғылыми-білім беру журналы. – 2024. – № 1 (100). – С. 224–228.
3. Сагынтай М., Мустафа А. Аддитивті технологияда қолданылатын арматуралық сырықтардың дәнекерлеу кезіндегі қызуын зерттеу // Қазақстан ғылымы мен техникасы. – 2024. – № 3. – С. 88–95. – URL: https://stk.tou.edu.kz/archive/view-pdf/654
4. Сагынтай М.Қ., Адиева А.А., Ташмуханбетова И.Б., Уксикбаева Д.А., Макулбай Л.Б., Мустафа А.Қ., Нұғман Е.З. 3D баспалық бетонды арматуралау әдістеріне шолу // Механика және технологиялар. – 2025. – № 3 (89). – С. 284–294. – URL: https://mit.dulaty.kz/MechanicsTechnologies/article/view/516