Located at Brooklyn’s old Domino Sugar refinery site, the building recalls its sugary heritage through unique window panels made through a partnership between Gate Precast and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Credit: Gate Precast
Gate Precast, in collaboration with the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, used 3D-printed carbon-fiber reinforced molds in the construction of the façade for the One South First building, located on the site of Brooklyn’s old Domino Sugar refinery. The molds shaped a unique concrete façade inspired by sugar’s crystalline structure, a technical achievement in big area additive manufacturing (BAAM). This large-scale 3D printing process developed at ORNL saved time and money while creating a durable and aesthetically-pleasing product.
Why it matters:
Complex mold designs are costly, wasteful and time-consuming to build. Integrating advanced 3D-printing technology with molding techniques can shorten production timelines, enhance mold durability and offer new design solutions.
Real-world impact:
During construction of One South First, a 42-story residential and office tower, 3D-printed molds of different shapes and sizes were used to rapidly manufacture approximately 1,600 window panels. Inspired by the crystalline structure of sugar, super white sand and glitter were used in the concrete mix to sparkle in the sun. When cast in the 3D-printed molds, the concrete formed deep-set window panels with sharp details and angles designed to catch the light outside while reducing solar radiation indoors.
Windows were installed in the precast panels at Gate Precast's plants prior to shipping to the jobsite, streamlining installation and saving more than eight months on the project schedule.
The benefits:
- Cost reduction: For the molds printed at ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, the speed of production and increased durability resulted in overall costs of $45 for each window frame made from concrete, compared to $150 each for traditional molds. Overall cost savings will vary greatly depending on the specific building project. The 3D-printed molds have a higher upfront cost, so they are best suited for projects that need many duplicate castings.
- Increased durability: The 3D-printed molds could be used for more than 200 pours with minimal degradation, compared to traditional wooden molds, which last for about 20 pours before needing to be refinished.
- Time savings: Because 3D-printed molds could be re-used 10 times more often than traditional molds, far less time was needed to maintain or rebuild molds.
- Design excellence: 3D printing molds allows for sharp details and unique complex designs to create visually striking effects in the final products.
The innovation:
ORNL and Gate Precast developed the 3D-printed molds from the common thermoplastic acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) reinforced with a 20% mixture of chopped carbon fibers (CF). The CF-ABS combination gives the molds strength, flexibility and durability, making them more capable of withstanding the force of repeated de-moldings.
Subsequent ORNL research has shown that printed structures, such as these molds, can be ground up and used to print new items, providing additional cost savings. Use of such reused materials could reduce the costs of new prints by 75% and provide up to 73% in energy savings.
When making molds or tooling, companies often hold onto those items for possible follow-on orders. By grinding up and reusing the material for the next job, storage capacity becomes less of a problem. If needed again, those molds and tools can be re-printed.
Backed by science:
Supported by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office and the Building Technologies Office, this project highlights the latest in materials science and manufacturing while showcasing ORNL's commitment to innovation.
Deep dive:
- Read more about Gate Precast.
- Since the One First South project, the BAAM technology has been transferred to industry partner Additive Engineering Solutions, which has since supplied the molds for dozens of construction projects around the U.S.
- Learn about the MDF Technical Collaboration program and how the MDF is accelerating manufacturing innovation.
- Learn more about the Building Technologies Integration Center and the Building Technologies Program.
The big picture:
This innovation in 3D printing molds could transform construction methods by improving mold durability, streamlining production processes and broadening design possibilities with lower overall costs.
Read more stories about ORNL's science with impact.