Putzmeister, SCHWENK & Rupp Complete Their 1st Mobile 3D-Printed House

Putzmeister, SCHWENK, and Rupp complete their first joint building project - a house from a mobile 3D printer, a significant step forward for the construction industry and a powerful signal toward digitalization and sustainability.

An innovative joint construction project in Remmeltshofen by companies Putzmeister, SCHWENK, and Rupp, has caused quite a stir. The building’s walls were not built using conventional methods but were printed using the mobile 3D printer KARLOS.

In just 29 printing hours, the building with a floor area of 95 square meters (10 x 9.5 m) was precisely printed. With this, the cooperation partners Putzmeister, SCHWENK and the Rupp Group have not only demonstrated the potential of 3D printing but also elevated the construction process to a new level. No lengthy set-up or formwork was needed – the mobile 3D printer KARLOS from Putzmeister was ready to go in less than an hour and began, layer by layer, to build the structure, which serves as a local community center. The company developed the fully electric construction machine specifically for such projects.

The building marks a milestone in the future of construction: faster, more efficient, and more sustainable. SCHWENK’s concrete mix, with minimal CO2 emissions during production and optimal resource utilization, makes a significant contribution. This saves not only time but also protects the environment – a win-win situation for project leaders, builders, and our planet.

"This project is a crucial step towards further industrializing construction with additive manufacturing," says a spokesperson from construction company Rupp. "Here, digital planning and calculations merge with the use of advanced materials and innovative printing technology to create a completely new approach to building."

The next step? A multi-family home, printed using the same technology – proof that 3D printing is scalable for larger projects as well.

This first-time collaboration between Putzmeister, SCHWENK, and Rupp is a prime example of transformation: combining efforts to achieve a high level of automation; it will fundamentally change the construction industry. The companies are confident of this and are providing projects like this as living proof: The future of construction has arrived.

How does KARLOS work?

With KARLOS robot technology, concrete 3D printing is becoming an economical and sustainable standard. As a spin-off of the renowned Putzmeister Group, the company benefit as a young and dynamic start-up from the partnership with an established industry leader.

With the 3D printer KARLOS, a house is almost created by itself! The machine prints solid concrete walls directly on-site, without the need for formwork. Thanks to a smart combination of a mobile concrete pump and robotic technology, the walls are built quickly and precisely.

But KARLOS not only scores points for speed and cost-effectiveness: it operates fully electrically and with low emissions, using standard concrete with an 8 mm aggregate size. The entire construction process is based on digital models. The building plans are translated into printing layers and converted into machine code. Then, KARLOS prints the building layer by layer. The result: less manual labor, more safety, and a faster, automated construction process.

Realization of our vision

“Our vision at KARLOS is clear: we want to revolutionize the construction process in order to meet the growing demand for housing efficiently and sustainably. The increasing housing shortage in many urban areas requires innovative solutions. With our 3D printing technology, we cannot only build faster, but also optimize material consumption and minimize waste. This helps us to work in a more environmentally friendly and resource-efficient way, which is crucial in today's world.”

Meeting social needs with innovative solutions

“The pressure on the housing market is constantly growing. New, innovative approaches are needed to meet this demand. Our 3D printing technology offers just that: a fast, cost-effective and sustainable solution for creating living space. Thanks to the automation and precision of 3D printing, we can realize individual designs and complex structures that would be difficult to implement using traditional construction methods.”

KARLOS 3D concrete printer for standard concrete is changing the world of construction for good. The principle behind it is simple. Just like a 3D printer, it creates three-dimensional concrete structures layer by layer. This method allows one to realize a planned building model more precisely and efficiently than would be possible with conventional methods. Using state-of-the-art BIM planning software, the contour to be printed is digitized and printed by the machine with millimeter precision. At the same time, the carbon footprint is improved and safety is increased.

A look into the future

“3D printing in the construction industry is just the beginning. We see enormous potential in this technology, not only for residential construction, but also for industrial construction. The automation of construction processes will permanently change the industry and set new standards in efficiency and sustainability.

With every printed building, we get closer to our goal of revolutionizing the construction industry and establishing a more sustainable, efficient way of building. And as we complete this project, we are already working on the next exciting projects to continue shaping the future of construction.”

About the partners

Putzmeister is a global leader in concrete pumping and develops innovative construction machinery that revolutionizes building processes. With the spin-off KARLOS-3D, Putzmeister is driving the industrialization of 3D concrete printing.

SCHWENK is one of Germany's leading manufacturers of cement and concrete and is committed to sustainable building materials.

The Rupp Group stands for advanced construction projects and innovative technologies in the construction sector.