Project Details
[Return to Previous Page]3D Concrete Printer Assembly Factory Development
Company: X-Hab 3D, Inc.
Major(s):
Primary: IE
Secondary: ME
Non-Disclosure Agreement: NO
Intellectual Property: NO
X-Hab is a startup company that produces 3D printers that use concrete as their construction material. The critical need is to develop the factory of the present with capability to adapt capacity for the future. X-Hab currently leases a 10,000 square foot facility near State College, PA, where it plans to develop and maintain its headquarters and operations near Penn State. There is space available to expand. Key elements of the project include: Evaluating the current space and capturing dimensions to inform plant layout design development, including scanning Obtaining 3DCP equipment component information from X-Hab 3D team members to inform demand for space as it flows into the facility, through assembly to testing, and prepares for shipping Integrating 5S (components, tools, supplies), visual manufacturing, FIFO flow racking, vertical space optimization, equipment mobility, and related concepts into design options Evaluating and including in designs the facility systems (electrical, lifting, safety, security, lighting, heating, ventilation / dust, water supply, waste, and environmental systems). Incorporating space for a materials laboratory and QC, future R&D, offices and meeting space, computer network equipment, and other needs identified during the project Developing a comprehensive capital requirements list and working with X-Hab to obtain estimates Considering design options that can grow, supporting capacity to initially produce 3-4 systems per month on one shift to 2-3 systems weekly within 3 years. Multiple teams will work across multiple semesters to accomplish the full scope of this project. This semester, the goal is to produce a recommended design (or multiple design options with tradeoffs) for the production line and manufacturing facility. Constraints on space, size, and configuration will need to be considered. X-Hab will work with the team to quickly develop viable concepts for further refinement and optimization. The team should focus on items 1-5 in the list above, with items 6 and 7 as stretch goals or scope for future projects. Deliverables should include a detailed conceptual study (including accurate CAD layouts, simulations, and modeling) and a set of recommendations. X-Hab provides an integrated 3D concrete printing (3DCP) system comprised of 1) rugged, expeditionary, mobile printing hardware, 2) locally sourced materials capability, and 3) design and printing software. Target markets include construction (residential, commercial, infrastructure), government (DoD, FEMA, Homeland Security, Energy, State and Local) and institutional (academia and research). X-Hab is past the prototype stage, and has finished design of its beta production unit. Major subsystems include: crawler tracks, diesel power plant, electric to hydraulic system, lift mast, system computer and electrical controls, robotic arm, and major steel fabrications (framing, outriggers, cowling). Integrating the components into a world-class assembly process is vital to quality, cost, delivery, and customer satisfaction. This will be a unique opportunity to engage multiple engineering disciplines and gain exposure to manufacturing flow technologies, lean methodology, financial modeling, and plant modeling, simulation, and build-out in a critical industry with a local company that can have a significant local and global impact.
