3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) Coding & Design Hands-On Course

This hands-on 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) class bridges the gap between digital design and robotic execution, providing participants with essential skills in 2D sketching, robotic manipulation, and G-code generation for 3D printing. Through a mix of guided instruction, hands-on exercises, and practical demonstrations, students will gain a solid foundation in 3DCP workflows, from initial design to robotic execution.

Course Highlights & Learning Activities

Digital Design & Rhino 8 Training

• Classroom instruction with follow-along exercises to gain familiarity with Rhino 8.

• Setting up design environments, including unit specifications and file management.

• Command-line navigation to select and implement various design tools.

• Sketching fundamentals, generating and manipulating points, lines, and arcs to create a closed 2D sketch.

• Design exercises, including student-created sketches and structured tasks from printed handouts.

• Multi-stage print planning, designing door and window openings for a 3DCP build.

 Hands-On Robot Control & Manipulation

• Lecture on robotic fundamentals, including A1-A6 axis control, external axis use, and Kuka Smartpad functions.

• Axis Mode Practice: Manually maneuvering a 6-axis 3D concrete printer, knocking over three bottles of varying heights and locations.

• World Mode Practice: Navigating a predefined maze or path using a laser pointer attachment.

• TCP Calibration: Precise end-effector calibration using multiple manipulations to ensure accuracy in the printing process.

 Code Generation & Simulation with Grasshopper

• Grasshopper Interface Overview:

  • Instructor-led walkthrough of A3D slicing software and parametric control locations.

  • Students follow along to define sketches, adjust parameters, and generate code.

  • Experimenting with different variables to understand their impact on code output and structural analysis.

Simulation & Execution

• Performing dry runs of student-generated code to verify accuracy before live printing.

• Manipulating the digital environment to match real-world conditions before execution.

• Sampling and adjusting design elements for improved precision.

• Re-positioning sketches to align with physical setup constraints.

• Final dry run execution, ensuring all parameters are optimized for a successful 3D concrete print.