In the last decade, 3D printing technology has gained a lot of traction amongst builders, designers, and architects. The technology allows them to build literally about anything with the help of using different materials and a 3D printer. According to the latest news, Tvasta, an Indian startup has now built the country’s first 3D printed house.
Back in 2016, Tvasta was founded by three IIT Madras Alumni: Adithya, Parivarthan, and Vidyashankar. The three friends have led a diverse team of engineers and researchers working on machine design, software development, electrical engineering, and material science. In order to build the 600 sq. feet, one-story building, Tvasta partnered with Humanity’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter.
A couple of days ago, from its official Twitter handle, the company posted: “Are you excited for the Inauguration of ‘India’s FIRST 3D Printed House’? The countdown has begun and we have only 4 hours left to go for the event”.
3D printing can’t be done with traditional building materials like cement so Tvasta developed a special material mix in partnership with IIT Madras. The new material mix is based on ordinary Portland cement but with a low water-cement ratio. Tvasta used this mix to build the 3D printed house. It was recently virtually inaugurated by India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
During the inauguration, the Financial Minister said, “Conventional housing requires timing, material, logistics, transporting of material, and so on. But if this technology can produce houses in different locales in five days, it would not be a big challenge to build 100 million houses by 2022.”
The company said it is aiming to continue its research on various materials that can be used for sustainable 3D printed houses. Tvasta believes the “mix design plays a crucial role in determining the structure’s quality.”
Apart from this, the company is also putting its effort into optimizing the weight of the structure and completing construction.