Luyten 3DCP could build quarantine accommodation in 18 hours

Luyten, large-scale three-dimensional concrete printing (3DCP) manufacturer, has integrated new technology which could enable quarantine accommodation to be built in a matter of days.

The Melbourne-based company’s Platypus mobile 3D concrete printer can print a complete, fully functional set of units in 18 hours at a fraction of the cost of traditional construction.

“Using this technology, the cost of a quarantine project could be lowered by 80 per cent in comparison to traditional construction and 55 per cent compared to prefabricated solutions,” Luyten co-founder and CEO Ahmed Mahil said.

“Ready to be fitted with utilities and plumbing, these accommodation facilities would be aesthetically pleasing and liveable within just a couple of days. The months, and even years, some projects can take to be constructed is now redundant – the new age of construction is upon us.”

The construction industry is at a tipping point after a century of stagnation. Luyten’s technology, beginning as a passion project between university friends, has the capacity to change the industry, according to Mahil.

“Just as Ford changed the game with the Model T, Luyten has changed the game with the Platypus mobile 3D concrete printer,” he said.

“The affordability of the Platypus will make it an essential part of the equipment tool kit that small and large construction companies use.”

Founded in 2020, Luyten’s mission is to bridge the technological gap in large-scale construction and manufacturing industries through the introduction of robust automation technologies, such as cutting-edge 3D printing.

Alongside Mahil, the entrepreneurs behind Luyten are chief scientific officer Dr Godfrey Keung, chief technology officer Michael Stanley and chief information officer Shaun Heap. They formed a friendship at Monash University in the mid-2010s.

“Godfrey, Ahmed, Michael and I developed greater interest through our casual discussions about the global housing crisis, climate change and the lack of automation in the construction industry,” Heap said.

“We started researching together and meeting on our weekends to dive deeper into these issues. Over the last four years these meetings became more and more regular, which is when we all committed to identifying the issues within the construction industry and attempting to automate it.

“The four of us then concocted our own unique solution, which has manifested into our company,” he said.

“Luyten transforms construction projects that traditionally take months or years to complete and finishes them within a number of days. The 3DCP technology reduces 60 per cent of construction waste, 70 per cent of production time and 80 per cent of labour costs when comparing hands-on construction projects.”

The technology increases construction site efficiency with 60 per cent guaranteed costs savings, 300 to 500 times shorter execution times and an 80 per cent total reduction in monetary expenses, without formwork in concrete construction.

“We are the first start-up of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Luyten has a number of unique selling points, such as its capacity to incorporate acoustic and optical based artificial intelligence for data-driven concrete printing,” Heap said.

“Our invention also has a patented anti-clogging printer head, which means the technology can produce state-of-the-art results time after time.”

Additionally, 3DCP technology was presented at the recent climate summit called by US president Joe Biden as one of the approaches to address climate change and propagate green technology.

“When forming Luyten, we were cognisant of the construction industry’s carbon footprint and determined to create construction solutions for generations to come that reduce emissions,” Mahil said.

“Our unmatched technology employs up to 40 per cent less carbon dioxide emissions through propriety mixes that reduce use of cement, and the robotic systems reduce construction site and logistics carbon dioxide footprints by 50 to 70 per cent.”

Luyten caters for all project needs on-site, from conceptual design through to the final product. It offers 3DCP solutions for the incorporation of three-dimensional membranes on traditional construction sites, as well as on-site concrete printing consultations, operational assistance and rental service offerings.

​

For more information about Luyten’s 3DCP technology, visit www.luyten3d.com.

​