A first in the world, a railway station in Japan has been constructed using 3D-printed parts in less than six hours. The Hatsushima railway station was constructed by construction company Serendix to replace an ageing wooden one between the last train of the night and the first of the morning, reported a New York Times article.
A Small but Essential Station in a Coastal Town
The station, serving about 530 passengers who travel on a single line with trains operating one to three times an hour, is located in a peaceful coastal town, within Arida, a 25,000-population city in Wakayama Prefecture.
The new building takes up just over 100 square feet and is much smaller than the former wooden station. According to the West Japan Railway Company (JR West), construction of the station traditionally would have taken more than two months and cost double.
3D Printing and Pre-Fab Efficiency in Japan
To accelerate the project, JR West engaged the services of Serendix where the station parts were printed within a factory located in Kumamoto prefecture, roughly 500 miles southwest of Hatsushima. The printing and reinforcement of the concrete took seven days. The parts were road-hauled and arrived at the station site during the morning of March 24.
“Normally, construction takes place over several months while the trains are not running every night,” said Kunihiro Handa, a co-founder of Serendix.
Fewer Workers, Faster Results in Japan
After the last train left the station at 11:57 pm, workers began assembling the 3-D printed pieces. A crane was used to lift each 3D block and place it into position near the old station. The new structure was ready before the first train arrived at 5:45 am.
“We believe that the significance of this project lies in the fact that the total number of people required will be reduced greatly,” said Ryo Kawamoto, president of JR West Innovations.
While the building has been put in place, it still needs interior work as well as equipment such as ticket machines and transportation card readers. As per JR West, the new railway station building is expected to be opened to the public in July.
