MX3D's 12.5 m stainless bridge was welded into being, layer by layer.
In July 2021 Queen Máxima of the Netherlands opened the MX3D Bridge, a 12.5 m stainless-steel footbridge over the Oudezijds Achterburgwal canal in Amsterdam. Robots printed it.
Wire arc additive manufacturing
MX3D used wire arc additive manufacturing, or WAAM. Industrial robots with welding torches deposited molten metal layer by layer until the bridge took shape.
A bridge that reports back
The bridge carried a sensor network and a digital twin, built with partners including Imperial College London and The Alan Turing Institute, to watch how it behaved under real foot traffic.
What came next
The bridge had a two-year permit. VoxelMatters reported it was removed in October 2023 and relocated for continued research.
Sources
Source: imperial.ac.uk
Source: turing.ac.uk
Source: voxelmatters.com
MX3D