Plurial Novilia
XtreeE
XtreeE construction 3D printing technology.
French start-up XtreeE has announced the deployment of its connected construction 3D printers has commenced.
The company is working to set up production units around the world with the aim to have a network of more than 50 connected printers established by 2025. Having already set up a pilot production plant in Paris, XtreeE is now building one in Dubai, UAE, which will be operated by Concreative, and is already exploring the possibility of two more production units in Asia. Next year, the ‘XtreeE Printing as a Service’ digital platform will launch and connect customers to a community of architects, product designers, engineers and the XtreeE 3D printing technology.
XtreeE’s printing technology is powered by a large robotic arm and has been developed after collaborations with various academic and industrial partners over three years. The company was founded in December 2015, itself spinning out of a research project with the Paris-Malaquais School of Architecture and the Engineering School Arts et Metiers ParisTech.
With financial support coming from two funding rounds and investment from Vinci Construction and Shibumi International, XtreeE is now hoping to provide the construction sector with a ‘better-performing’ system that will enable ‘individualised solutions’, improve safety, and reduce the impact on the environment. By harnessing the ability of 3D printing technology to build structurally optimised parts and use concrete only when and where it is needed, XtreeE is targeting concrete consumption reductions of up to 70%. Three tonnes of concrete are used per year per person, with the production of cement, the main component of concrete, generating 8% of global CO2 emissions.
“XTreeE’s ambition is, above all, environmental,” said Alban Mallet, CEO of XTreeE. “Through these innovations, it is possible to build better and design new products meeting the major challenges today and tomorrow. While 3D printing makes it possible to reduce both the costs and the overall impact of construction processes, it also makes it possible to manufacture rather unexpected objects to restore biodiversity.”
XtreeE is hoping to demonstrate the CO2 emission-reducing capabilities of its printing systems in a project with Plurial Novilia, Coste Architectures firm, and the Vicat, a French cement manufacturer. The plan is to build five social houses close to Reims, combining 3D concrete printing with off-site construction, and reduce the volume of concrete used by 40 to 70%. Construction will begin early next year.
