BigRep and NOWLAB Show Off Green Thumb with 3D Printed Green Wall Prototype

IMTS

Share this Article

NOWLAB, the innovation department of large-format 3D printing leader BigRep, has built walls before, but not like the one it just introduced. The BigRep Innovation Consultancy recently premiered its new BANYAN ECO WALL prototype, which is the first 3D printed, irrigated green wall in the world that includes its own embedded water supply and drainage system.

“Our BANYAN ECO WALL is adopting nature’s principle with a complex, smart, and elegant design only achievable with AM,” said BigRep CEO Stephan Beyer, PhD. “Traditional technologies such as milling or injection molding cannot deliver this level of complexity and dual functionality. For the first time, thanks to AM and advanced CAD software, it is now possible to create complex functional designs within a fully digitized process chain.”

Mirek Claßen, Tobias Storz, and Lindsay Lawson were the lead designers for the prototype wall, which features a bionic design and multipurpose, embedded AM functionalities. The idea behind the BANYAN ECO WALL – created using BigRep’s serial production, large-scale FFF 3D printers – was inspired by the properties of plant systems, like the leaves, roots, and stem. Measuring 2000 x 2000 x 600 mm, the wall is a support structure for plants, while at the same time acting as a water supply system.

The BANYAN ECO WALL is made up of four 3D printed segments, and is a game-changer in terms of vertical farm technology with its size, functionality, and design. The overall structure was printed out of BigRep’s PETG material, with the 3D printed planters were made with the company’s Black PRO HT.

“Generative design software was crucial in the creation of the BANYAN ECO WALL to optimize the structure for printability and stability while allowing a rapid iterative design process,” explained Daniel Büning, the CIO for BigRep and the Managing Director of NOWLAB. “This prototype will push the boundaries of AM not only in irrigated plant systems, such as in vertical farming and green facades, but for any application requiring embedded functionalities.”

The bionic design for the BANYAN ECO WALL isn’t meant to just look nice – it’s actually structurally optimized, with plant carriers that organically snap right into place. Other irrigation systems in the world offer plants a controlled supply of water at various intervals, to make sure that humans don’t need to intervene in order to keep crops and plants alive and healthy. NOWLAB’s 3D printed wall follows this example by providing miniature internal channels, which offer optimal water flow using an integrated “micro shower” mechanism that keeps the plants irrigated exactly where they need to be.

Drainage systems are necessary for a fully-functioning integrated irrigation system as a way to remove excess water. Typically, 3D printed green walls use either metal drainage systems that are integrated into the wall at a later time, or are based on complex, confusing systems with multiple parts. But, the BANYAN ECO WALL’s embedded drainage system was actually created during the 3D printing process, which is a first for the industry and makes this project even more exciting.

Discuss this story and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.

[Images: BigRep]

Share this Article


Recent News

Liquid Metal 3D Printing Sector Emerges with Fluent Metal’s $5.5M Investment

3DPOD Episode 191: Amy Alexander, 3D Printing at the Mayo Clinic



Categories

3D Design

3D Printed Art

3D Printed Food

3D Printed Guns


You May Also Like

3DPOD Episode 190: Generative Design for 3D Printing with Novineer CEO Ali Tamijani

Ali Tamijani, a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, has an extensive background in composites, tool pathing, and the development of functional 3D printed parts,...

Featured

3DPOD Episode 189: AMUG President Shannon VanDeren

Shannon VanDeren is a consultant in the 3D printing industry, focusing on implementation and integration for her company, Layered Manufacturing and Consulting. For nearly ten years, she has been involved...

3DPOD Episode 188: Clare Difazio of E3D – Growing the Industry, and Growing With the Industry

Clare DiFazio’s journey into the 3D printing industry was serendipitous, yet her involvement at critical moments has significantly influenced the sector. Her position as Head of Marketing & Product Strategy...

Featured

Printing Money Episode 15: 3D Printing Markets & Deals, with AM Research and AMPOWER

Printing Money returns with Episode 15! This month, NewCap Partners‘ Danny Piper is joined by Scott Dunham, Executive Vice President of Research at Additive Manufacturing (AM) Research, and Matthias Schmidt-Lehr,...