Project description
Groundbreaking technology reduces construction materials usage by 30 %
In the next 30 years, it is estimated that the world’s population could rise by 2.1 billion people. To provide for these people, a new city such as New York will need to be built each month, over the next 40 years. As such, significant research into accelerating decarbonisation of the construction industry is taking place across the globe. The EU-funded SVELTE project, aims to improve building structural efficiency by using complex shapes that provide extra strength. SVELTE is developing an innovative machine-system that generates all types of surfaces 40 times faster than CNC milling or 3D printing. These complex shapes are used to create buildings that use up to 30 % less concrete, while having the same strength as a regular building. Presently, SVELTE is testing the technology to produce freeform architectural panels together with Frener-Rifer Gmbh and the Austrian Institute of Architecture.
Objective
The free-form architectural style is now at the stage of experimentation and conceptual review, providing architects with the opportunity for to expand the scope of their creativity. However, the technical limitations in producing a free-form building cause time and cost problems.
Techniques applied to most free-form buildings have been three-dimensional (3D) design and computerized numeric control (CNC) shaping technology, gradually milling blocks of foam material to obtain the moulds in which to later cast the desired fluid surfaces. This process is slow and adds to exorbitant costs. Most free-form buildings have construction cost at least 10 times their budgets.
Svelte is a patented, unique, innovative machine system which generates all types of surfaces, including double-curved and freeform geometries, at a fraction of the cost and time of current methods, without using CNCs. Svelte works on a patented advanced wire cutting technology that has the ability to change its shape while cutting through foam or wax-based material to generate the desired surfaces. With an estimated price of €150/m2, a Svelte produced mould is at least 50% cheaper than a regular milled mould and has the ability to be mass produced in a minutes. A CNC machine reaches breakeven after 3000-4000 hours. In the same amount of time a 1.5m width Svelte machine the total equivalent output of approx. 48 CNC machines.
No other solution exists that generates complex surfaces in one straightforward operation. This leads the path to fully automated and modular production lines under a ‘factories in a box’ business model that will make mass customized panels affordable and change architecture as we know it. Svelte aims to become the leading manufacturer of complex architectural panels in a €214.4 Bn market, and to scale the business to €20 million by 2024.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
500068 Brasov
Romania
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.