What do you fancy printing then? How about a home? Not the plans for one...or a model...no,
a full-size house. A construction firm in China has developed a home that can be mass
produced with the help of a giant 3D printer. The WinSun New Materials Company uses a mixture
of cement and construction waste to build its houses, which cost just around $5,000.
And in a country, where a standard 100-square-metre apartment could cost hundreds of thousands
of dollars in big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, this could be a much cheaper alternative.
The walls, structure and base are produced entirely by 3D printing. The windows, furniture,
roof, and other add-ons are obviously not, at least yet. They've produced a video showing
how it all works, but are much cagier about letting reporters into their factory to see
it for themselves, saying they don't want to give their trade secrets away. Bosses claim they
can build up to ten complete houses in just one day. The company's been printing homes
since February and says customers can also order custom-made homes. Parents about to
send their children off to university might want to pay close attention.