Jan 14, 2019 | By Thomas

Last month we covered Shanghai Machinery Construction Group’s gigantic 3D printer printing the world’s largest plastic 3D print in the form of a pedestrian bridge. After 35 days of printing, the bridge is finally complete. The 15-metre-long S-shaped pedestrian bridge opens to the public in Taopu Smart City Central Park in Shanghai last Friday.

The 3D printed bridge, measuring 15.25 meters long, 3.8 meters wide, 1.2 meters high, passed all pressure tests and loading tests. On its website the Shanghai government described the new bridge as an “innovative way to promote 3D printing technology and popularise it in urban construction”.

The 3D printer was built by Shenyang Machine Group and the extruder system was manufactured by Coin Robotic (who also built the bed), together totaling some $2.8 million in investment. "The footbridge could be used for up to 30 years", said Chen Xiaoming, deputy chief engineer at Shanghai Construction Engineering Machinery Group.

By using glass fiber-infused ASA (acrylonitrile styrene acrylate) to print the bridge, the bridge is strong enough to support a load of 250kg per square meter, which is about the weight of four adults. And at 5,300kg, it’s also the heaviest plastic object to be 3D printed.

A pedestrian bridge over a lake is a great way to showcase the largest 3D printed plastic object as it’s both an everyday, practical application and an interactive one that involves people touching and even relying upon (to keep them from getting wet) a 3D printed thing. Many people have never touched a 3D printed object and they still think of it as part fantasy and part future tech, so projects like this do a lot of good in terms of exposing the public to the reality and the possibilities of 3D printing.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Nah wrote at 1/15/2019 5:54:18 PM:That's all well and good but its hardly much of a bridge. You could have used a handsaw and built a bigger one from trees in 35 days.Just you wrote at 1/15/2019 2:22:52 PM:If your feet don't get wet, it's a bridge. LolJust Me wrote at 1/15/2019 12:02:44 PM:Its it still technically a bridge when its so close to the water?



