A Review of the Extruder System Design for Large-Scale Extrusion-Based 3D Concrete Printing

Area of Science:

• Construction Engineering
• Materials Science
• Robotics

Background:

• Extrusion-based 3D concrete printing (E3DCP) is a promising technology for future construction.
• Current research primarily focuses on material design for fresh concrete extrudability.
• A gap exists in comprehensive reviews of E3DCP mechanical system design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of the mechanical design of E3DCP extruder systems.
• To analyze the influence of mechanical components on concrete extrudability.
• To propose a classification framework for systematic E3DCP system design.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of E3DCP mechanical design aspects.
• Analysis of extruder and positioning systems.
• Discussion of extrusion forces (driving and resistive) and their impact.
• Development of an extended classification framework for E3DCP systems.

Main Results:

• Identified key mechanical components: extruder, positioning, and advanced fittings.
• Detailed the interplay between mechanical design and extrusion forces (e.g., shear, shaping, pressing).
• Proposed a novel classification framework for E3DCP systems, extending the DFC framework.

Conclusions:

• Mechanical design is critical for E3DCP extrudability, alongside material properties.
• The proposed classification framework can guide systematic E3DCP system development.
• Further research into mechanical design optimization is essential for advancing E3DCP technology.