Affordable housing?

Bantex_2

BobQ wrote: »

True, but in some parts of the world people live in structures like this. Its only a concept at present. But a computer controlled printer could in theory create quite complicated and attractive designs.

If you can print the walls, you can print double walls and print the insulation inside the walls along with the electrical cables, water pipes etc.

Why would this be cheaper than mass producing using more conventional methods though?

BobQ

Bantex wrote: »

Why would this be cheaper than mass producing using more conventional methods though?

Reduced labour costs is the claim.

Bantex_2

BobQ wrote: »

Reduced labour costs is the claim.

Would be interesting to see how they justify that claim. Also think the term 3d printing may be stretching things a bit.

CLAPTON

will it slash the price of already loved houses in westminster?

BobQ

CLAPTON wrote: »

will it slash the price of already loved houses in westminster?

Who knows! As Bantex suggests the costs estimates of such technology needs justification. But if they are right that it will be possible to build new houses less expensively I guess it will have an effect on existing houses.

It may make some house maintenance or extension more cost-effective. For example, you want a brick wall, could 3D printing produce a structure that looks like a brick wall?

CLAPTON

BobQ wrote: »

Who knows! As Bantex suggests the costs estimates of such technology needs justification. But if they are right that it will be possible to build new houses less expensively I guess it will have an effect on existing houses.

It may make some house maintenance or extension more cost-effective. For example, you want a brick wall, could 3D printing produce a structure that looks like a brick wall?

the answer is NO
the price of houses in Westminster is unrelated to 3D printing costs

I seem to have read many many articles about mirage new building techniques that will slash the costs of housing; unless the 3D printer produced new land then I suspect houses prices will continue to rise.

PasturesNew

As has been said ... it's not the house itself that's the problem. There are 1000s of ways to live cheaply: cabins, mobile homes, shipping containers, flatpack houses from Ikea..... 1000s of solutions.

The problem is where is the land to put it on?

wotsthat

Building cheap houses isn't a problem - it's where they go that's the problem.

In the 1790's Derby Town Council would only give permission for the Derby Canal to be built on the proviso that 5,000 tons of coal were made available toll free for the town's poor. i.e. they increased the cost of coal for everyone else.

Same's happening 220 odd years later. They were adamant that a new Tesco wasn't needed......until the bribe increased.

cells

3D printing is largely a fad

the idea is that the human labour input into the making of whatever 3D product will be reduced to zero. or perhaps you can define 3D printing as a manufacturing process as close to zero human labor input as possible.

well guess what? normal manufacturing is just that

a factory that builds light bulbs is for all intents a large 3D printer

a bakery is a large 3D food printer

a slaughter house is a large 3D meat printer

samsungs factories are large 3D phone printers


with regards to homes, you can already 3D print them in a factory and slot them together on site.

see for instance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2Tz86YBLOM

cells

cells wrote: »

3D printing is largely a fad

the idea is that the human labour input into the making of whatever 3D product will be reduced to zero. or perhaps you can define 3D printing as a manufacturing process as close to zero human labor input as possible.

well guess what? normal manufacturing is just that

a factory that builds light bulbs is for all intents a large 3D printer

a bakery is a large 3D food printer

a slaughter house is a large 3D meat printer

samsungs factories are large 3D phone printers


with regards to homes, you can already 3D print them in a factory and slot them together on site.

see for instance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2Tz86YBLOM

having said that i know that the real excitement or purpose of 3D printing is to supposidly bring a factory into your living room but even then it is likely to fail at most things.

the large 3D printers (ie conventional factories) will always be able to make at a lower cost vs the small 3D printers on your desk simply becuase they can buy their materials in bulk and get a far better price.

technically the 3D printers dont stand a chance vs dedicated plants but you dont even need to worry about that when you simply can conclude that the factories can sell a finished product at a price you probably couldnt buy the print material for