In Miami, Oak Ridge National Laboratory has broken its own record for the world’s largest 3-D printed object. ORNL unveiled two pavilions, which, among other materials, include biobased polylactic acid reinforced with bamboo fibers, at the Design Miami event. The pavilions measure a combined 16,720 square feet.
The record, which is recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records, comes just three months after ORNL unveiled its prior record for largest 3-D printed object—a 17.5-foot long, 5.5 foot-wide trim and drill tool for the Boeing 777C passenger jet.
While the pavilions’ canopies utilized 3-D printed carbon-reinforced acrylonitrile butadiene styrene composites, their seating and counter space used PLA produced by Techmer. The PLA was reinforced with bamboo fibers printed at DOE’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility using Cinncinnati Incorporated’s Big Area Additive Manufacturing machine.