Lotte Construction Conducts Research Applying 3D Printer-Produced Physical Models to Construction Sites

Wonyoro Station Area Youth Housing BIM Modeling Screen

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] Lotte Construction announced on the 27th that it has conducted research applying 'digital mockups (physical models)' to construction sites using 3D printers. This technology enables constructability review through digital visualization by outputting BIM (Building Information Modeling) data as three-dimensional physical models, facilitating shorter production times and cost savings.

3D printing technology, recognized as a core of the 4th Industrial Revolution, uses materials such as plastic, nylon, and metal instead of ink to produce highly precise, irregular models. Lotte Construction applies 3D printing technology to BIM models to enhance usability in construction projects and utilizes digital mockups for complex construction areas.

Digital mockups refer to models created at actual or scaled sizes before producing the final product. In product manufacturing sites, modeling is done using CAD and CAM, followed by three-dimensional analysis through computer output devices, reducing prototype production and evaluation processes to minimize product development time and costs.

Through this, Lotte Construction conducted multifaceted and intuitive reviews on constructability, quality, and safety. As a result, the model production time, which previously took more than four weeks, was reduced by over 50%, and model production costs were cut by 80%.

A representative from Lotte Construction’s Technology Research Institute stated, “We have introduced 3D printers to efficiently review constructability in advance at sites and are applying them to various studies including digital mockups. We will strive to elevate Lotte Construction’s capabilities by applying digital visualization to sites with high construction difficulty for effective constructability reviews.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.