3D Concrete Printing: XtreeE

XtreeE

XtreeE is a French company specialising in large-scale 3D concrete printing (3DCP), designing and assembling printers for the construction industry. Supplying systems to USA, Canada, France, Switzerland, UAE, China and Japan, XtreeE is a leading provider of this new construction technology.

Their innovative printers are used to create various products, including:

• 3D printed concrete formworks for construction elements: columns, walls.
• Custom technical construction modules including reservation boxes, stormwater regulators, beam nodes, inspection chambers, and tunnel boring machine starting bells.
• Marine works, such as biomimetic reefs

Additionally, the company assists architects, designers and engineering teams with collaborative design for manufacturing (DfMa) services, optimising parts and ensuring their validity before production.

A new process: 3D Concrete Printing

3D concrete printing has the potential to revolutionise the construction industry by enabling large-scale, complex structures with meachnical efficiency and reduced waste.

• Material waste reduction: Unlike traditional concrete construction, 3D-printed concrete does not require formwork, or can be used to create 3D-printed concrete formworks filled with structural concrete.
• A variety of materials: XtreeE printers can be used with any cementitious material including low-carbon concretes, with or without fibre reinforcement. Other inks can also be used such as geopolymers, plaster, and earth-based materials.
• Beyond traditional masonry structures: 3D concrete printing can be used to manufacture structurally and thermally optimised masonry structures using robotic precision and speed, thereby minimising carbon emissions.

The HAL Robotics Framework for 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP)

Since its inception in 2015, XtreeE has been using the HAL Robotics Framework to:

• Create digital twins of their 3D concrete printing robot cell, involving large-scale ABB robots such as the ABB IRB 8700 and ABB IRB 6650S.
• Validate printing toolpaths, including the identification of kinematic singularities and out-of-reach positions.
• Generate ABB RAPID code.

Thanks to the seemless integration of the HAL Robotics Framework with Rhino/Grasshopper, XtreeE was able to develop industrial demonstrators within months, thus becoming one of the first companies in the world to commercialise concrete 3D printers. This early progress helped them enter the market and secure capital, launching their industrial startup journey.

To learn more about our software modules for 3D Concrete Printing and other additive manufacturing processes, please feel free to contact us.