Page 36 - Demo

36 CPI %u2013 Concrete Plant International | India Edition %u2013 5 | 2025 www.cpi-worldwide.comFor many decades, Wasa has emphasised close contact with universities, institutes and other research facilities, not only to further develop its own products, but also to gain new impulses and ideas for future trends. A research project is currently underway between the Wasa Group, the Steinbeis Innovation Centre FiberCrete and Chemnitz University of Technology for the production of high-precision formwork elements using parametrically programmed concrete extrusion and processing. This report summarises the current state of research.IntroductionThe worsening shortage of skilled workers in the building industry and the associated need for digitalisation are present and future tasks in research and development. In addition, the construction and building industry continues to emit record amounts of greenhouse gases and is therefore still failing to meet the targets of the Paris Climate Agreement. The sector is now responsible for 37 per cent of global CO2emissions [1]. In order to reduce emissions, sustainability in the construction industry must be increased. On the one hand, this can be achieved by substituting CEM I cement with more climate-friendly cement. On the other hand, the efficient use of materials, a force flow-orientated construction method and the reuse of recycled waste materials are also enormous options for reducing the industry's CO2emissions. On this basis, additive manufacturing processes can potentially become the key technology of the future building industry. The 3D printing of concrete is characterised by a high degree of design freedom, which in turn benefits the saving of unique and complex formwork as well as the design of components according to force flow and thus material savings. The high degree of automation possible with this type of production will counteract the shortage of skilled labour in the future. In many applications, however, the layered surface structuring that occurs when the concrete is printed is undesirable. In the current state of research, the printed concrete is milled in the hardened state, which in turn results in high tool wear, low milling speeds and relatively low material removal [2]. In order to avoid these disadvantages, the processing of the printed concrete in the fresh state has largely come to the fore. High-quality and geometrically complex precast concrete elements represent a major area of current trend in the building industry [3]. Another current trend that will expand enormously in the future is the functionalisation of concrete elements. This includes, for example, the integration of a heating function, the integration of LEDs for direct or indirect lighting or other electrified functions [4].The focus of this research is the production of a new type of flexible formwork element which, in combination with conventional formwork elements, enables the production of complex-shaped precast concrete elements without demoulding bevels or with local undercuts. To produce the flexible elements, a mineral-bonded material is printed close to the final contour. It is then processed in the fresh state and finally milled to the final contour after hardening. The model is moulded with a casting resin. The resulting flexible formwork element produces the concrete part with undercuts. The printed and milled model can then be recycled and returned to the material circulation. Resource efficiency and sustainability take centre stage, which is why the technology is to be used primarily in prototyping and small series production to replace established conventional state-of-the-art processes such as environmentally harmful milling from solid polystyrene material. There is great potential for saving resources in mould construction due to the individuality of the components.Production of precise formwork elements using parametrically programmed concrete extrusion and processingWasa AG, 64293 Darmstadt, Germanyn Dr Arno Schimpf, Wasa AG, GermanyMarvin Absto%u00df, M.Sc., Dipl.-Ing. Henrik Funke Steinbeis Innovation Centre FiberCrete, GermanyProf. Dr.-Ing. habil. Sandra Gelbrich, TU Chemnitz, Germany