Florida-based construction 3D printer manufacturer AMTG has reported that three of its G2 gantry systems were used together to produce the printed wall system for the Mella shopping center. The project was developed by an AMTG customer, and the commercial build used the three machines in a coordinated workflow rather than depending on a single printer.
According to AMTG, long wall sections, openings and architectural transitions were formed directly during printing. Distributing the work across three systems let the project team spread production over the building footprint.
Coordinating three gantry systems
AMTG describes the G2 as a high-reach gantry construction 3D printer designed for large building projects. Its modular Cartesian structure can be configured to match a building's geometry and site requirements, and for Mella the three systems produced long wall sections, openings and architectural transitions as part of the printing process.
The company has not disclosed how the three printers were synchronized, including whether they ran simultaneously under centralized control or followed coordinated production schedules. Even so, the project illustrates one route to scaling construction 3D printing: deploying multiple gantry systems instead of a single machine.
AMTG's involvement was limited to supplying the printing systems, operator training and equipment-operation certification. Structural design, materials and construction remained the responsibility of the customer's qualified professionals.
Beyond the G2, AMTG offers three construction 3D printer families. The R-Series covers road-mobile and tracked robotic systems for rapid deployment, the G-Series covers gantry printers for on-site construction, and the F-Series focuses on factory-controlled production of prefabricated components.
Bringing 3D printing into conventional construction
Construction companies are increasingly integrating 3D printing into commercial building projects. In the United States, Alquist announced an expansion of its construction 3D printing operations through a partnership involving Walmart, construction firm FMGI and equipment supplier Hugg & Hall. The initiative covers more than a dozen commercial projects and includes equipment deployment, operator training and technical support, reflecting a model in which contractors incorporate 3D printing into their existing construction operations.
A similar approach has emerged in Germany, where construction group Matthäi established a dedicated 3D printing division after completing a two-storey office building. Using a COBOD BOD2 printer, the company produced the building's walls in approximately 105 hours, while foundations, floors and roofing were completed with conventional methods.
Expanding the reach of construction printers
Other construction 3D printing projects are exploring ways to raise production capacity and extend the area covered by automated equipment. In France, the ViliaSprint² development used a COBOD BOD2 printer to construct a three-storey, 12-apartment residential building, printing its walls and load-bearing structure in 34 days against an initial estimate of 50 days. The project partners are planning a larger development involving two printers operating simultaneously.
Meanwhile, Australian construction technology company Luyten 3D introduced its ASCEND A27, a tower crane-mounted concrete 3D printer with a working radius of up to 45 meters. Unlike conventional gantry systems, the ASCEND is designed to cover larger construction footprints from a single installation point.