Research Seed Money Sanctioned for 3D Concrete Printing with LC₃ at MITS

The Department of Civil Engineering, Muthoot Institute of Technology and Science, is pleased to announce that Dr Sandeep M. S. (PI) has received Research Seed Money of ₹5,35,000 under the MITS Research Seed Money Scheme (File No. RSM/25/6) for the project titled:

“Pilot Development of a Desktop Scale 3D Concrete Printer and LC₃ Based Printable Mix.”

The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration with Mr Harish Abubaker (Co-PI, Department of Mechanical Engineering) and Mr Rajesh Kumar T (Co-PI, CIDRIE).

Project highlights:

·       Design and fabrication of an open, low-cost desktop-scale 3D concrete printer using locally available components and LinuxCNC-based control.

·       Development of a printable LC₃ (Limestone Calcined Clay Cement) mix with suitable rheology, buildability, and early-age strength for 3D printing applications.

·       Printing and testing of 1 m scale structural/architectural elements to study geometry control, strength, and interlayer bond performance.

·       Creation of an open-access repository containing CAD models, bill of materials, control files, test data, and SOPs to support teaching, student projects, MSME engagement, and future funded proposals.

This initiative strengthens the department’s activities in digital construction, sustainable materials and industrial collaboration, and provides a practical research and learning platform for our students.