Dutch Start­Up to 3­D Print a Metal Bridge in Amsterdam

A Dutch start­up plans to show what 3­D–printing technology is capable of when it builds a metal bridge in Amsterdam. The company, MX3D, is collaborating on the project with partners that include design software firm Autodesk and construction and civil engineering company Heijmans.

Here’s how it works: Multi­axis industrial robots equipped with 3­D–printing tools and software print metals, plastics, and more in mid­air. The technique is more cost­effective and scalable than current 3­D–printing methods, according to a Heijmans release.

“This bridge will show how 3­D printing finally enters the world of large­scale, functional objects and sustainable materials while allowing unprecedented freedom of form,” designer Joris

Laarman said in a statement. “The symbolism of the bridge is a beautiful metaphor to connect the technology of the future with the old city, in a way that brings out the best of both worlds.”

A visitor center will open in September that will allow the public to track the project’s progress. MX3D and the city of Amsterdam are expected to announce the exact location of the bridge soon.

For more information, visit mx3dom .