Project Specifications
- Industry: Aerospace / Space Structures
- Material / Alloy: 308L
- Dimensions: 4500 x 500 x 4500
- Weight: 395 KG
- Production time: 256 hours
- Manufacturing Strategy: Single wall
The overall floor design is made out of six separate segments that were printed vertically before being welded together. The 3D printed structure is supported by three columns and hosts a series of floor panels.
“The innovative floor design is supported from columns in the habitat walls, cantilevering towards the perimeter and centre,” comments Daniel Inocente, SOM Senior Designer for the study.
“We looked at the manufacturing constraints and used our analysis to interpolate a web pattern that followed the angular limits of the 3D printing machines. The cross section and thickness was also analysed and differentiated to reduce the overall mass – with reduced thickness at the exterior/interior boundaries.”
“This was a great opportunity to show the potential of our technology for the fabrication of lightweight metal structures together with ESA and SOM,” explains Gijs van der Velden, CEO of MX3D. “It was a perfect project for MX3D to leverage its experience in printing topology optimised metal structures. Achieving an optimal use of material is a company goal at MX3D because – just as when designing space applications – every reduced kilo in a MX3D design is a direct win for a project’s feasibility.”
“This technique could also be considered for in-situ construction of infrastructure during sustainable exploration missions, for instance by using metallic feedstock derived from the locally available regolith.”
Thomas Rohr, Head of the Materials and Processes team at ESA adds: “The capabilities of MX3D demonstrate inspiring concurrence of engineering and art, and are another great example to what extent additive manufacturing has already entered our society. For space applications, such technologies not only provide improvements in performance but can lead to unprecedented and enabling design solutions.”
This prototype was not able to be exhibited at SOM’s Biennale show, entitled ‘Life Beyond Earth’, but shows the scale of the four-storey semi-inflated habitat the company has devised for their design study of future lunar settlement.
Read more about the Moon habitat blueprint at Venice Biennale 2021.
Still, this work is a testament to the innovation at MX3D ArtLab, the Art & Design arm of the renowned technology firm MX3D. Operating at the intersection of heavy industry and high end aesthetics, ArtLab utilizes proprietary robotic arc technology to bring complex metal geometries to life. As an integral part of MX3D, the ArtLab team benefits from the same industrial grade software and engineering expertise used in global infrastructure projects, ensuring every artistic creation is as structurally sound as it is visually striking.
If you want to see exactly how our robotic metal 3D printing applies to your daily engineering challenges, head over to our dedicated Architecture & Construction industry page.
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