A construction hall on the outskirts of Delft was the scene of a special presentation, last November. A crowd gathered around a large box that was hidden from view by a curtain. It gave the visitors the idea that some exotic beast was ready to put on show. And in a way it was, because behind the curtain stood one of the biggest 3D printers in the world.
The company CEAD from Delft constructed the machine with the name CFAM 3D printer. What makes this printer special, next to its size, is the fact that it can print two materials simultaneously. It combines ‘ordinary’ 3D printing materials with long, continuous fibres of glass or carbon. The fibre runs precisely through the middle of the plastic in every print round. This makes the prints produced much stronger, making it useful for heavy industries such as shipping.