World's Biggest 3D Printer Unveiled at the University of Maine

The new printer is also designed to work collaboratively with the old record-breaker, Masterprint, as the two machines are capable of working together on the same building components. The ASCC engineers and researchers plan to utilize the printers to help build some of the estimated 80,000 new homes needed in Maine over the next six years.

“It’s not about building a cheap house or a biohome,” ASCC director Habib Dagher said at this week’s event. “We wanted to build a house that people would say, ‘Wow, I really want to live there.’”

According to Dagher, the new machine combines new sensors, high-performance computing, and artificial intelligence. Masterprint is already experienced in this area, having built a sustainable 600-square-foot BioHome3D prototype a few years ago.

The new project’s unveiling event was attended by representatives of the departments of defense, energy, and housing. According to AP, Heidi Shyu, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, said the printer “stands as a beacon of innovation.”

In addition to printing affordable housing, the University of Maine says it hopes the printer could be used to make boats, bridges, and wind turbines. As the project continues to develop, the team of researchers hopes to experiment with additional bio-based polymer sources, such as residual wood from sawmills in Maine.