Plans to build a 3D printed bridge were revealed recently by a Dutch research and development company. MX3D, owned by designer Joris Laarman, held a ceremony in Amsterdam announcing that the project will begin next summer.
The pedestrian bridge will be over 26 feet long and 13 feet wide, and will be located in the city’s center on a canal in the red light district. It will be printed at a former shipbuilding hangar by industrial six-axis robots with programmable “arms” to control the welding machines. The robots will build the structure, which will be in one piece, from molten steel.
This is one of the largest and most complex 3D printing projects of the many that have been implemented lately. Today’s 3D printers are able to print objects, household items, food, medicines and mechanical parts, but architecture such as this is still fairly new.
“Everyone is talking about 3D printing but not so much is actually possible yet,” said Laarman in an interview. “We are trying to lift the world of digital fabrication to a higher level.”
Using robots in 3D printing allows designers to build larger structures because they are not limited to the boundaries of the printer.
MX3D created a multiple axis printing tool called MX3D Metal that combines an industrial robot with a welding machine backed by software that runs the combination. It can print metals on any surface without the need for the usual support structures. They developed the software that runs the robots, plus the software for the actual 3D printing technique, but they also work with Autodesk and their design platform, Dreamcatcher.
The software allows users to create experimental designs based on algorithms and alternative solutions that satisfy high level goals and constraints. They compare it to the way nature designs things, which can give the final product an organic form.
Autodesk is allowing them to use their open source visual programming platform, Dynamo, so that they are able to have access to various design, fabrication and collaboration tools, and advanced robot simulation.
David Thomasson, principal research engineer at Autodesk, said, “This project is heralding a new age for construction, where machine intelligence and robotic actuation will enable the creation of more human-centric designs with more freedom of form, faster build times, reduced waste, reduced energy usage, and increased safety.”
MX3d is unsure how long it will take to complete the project, but it is not expected to be done before 2017. Now that the location of the bridge has been established they are going to work on finalizing the design which Laarman says will take some time. They plan to start construction next summer.
“We thought that a 3D-printed bridge over a canal in Amsterdam would show all the facets of the technology,” Laarman said of the project. “I think it’s a really beautiful metaphor to connect 3D printing with the historic center of Amsterdam. The design will take into account its location and will show the best of both worlds, old and new.”
April 21, 2025
