Tech in the construction industry is literally lifting the heavy workload

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SAM and MULE are two construction workers helping to build a new military barracks in Illinois. SAM lays a brick every 10 seconds, and MULE handles tools, stones and concrete panels up to 135 pounds. It’s the first time these two robots have been used in tandem. With them, New York based company Construction Robotics is redefining the construction industry.

SAM and MULE

Both robots were designed with a combination of conventional manufacturing principals and innovative technology. They’re specifically engineered to fit seamlessly into a worksite, collaborate with workers and other machines, and increase productivity. SAM (Semi-automated Mason) is solving the tedious task of bricklaying. Its claw-like metal arm extends from a cage, coordinating the ‘buttering’ and laying of bricks. SAMs use customized coding for each project, to lay bricks in complex pattern if needed. The moveable robot can lay bricks six times faster than conventional methods, and can lay up to 3,000 per day. MULE (Material Unit Lift Enhancer) is a lift assist device: a 12 foot arm designed to lift and maneuver heavy objects. It allows one person to move materials quickly and easily. When workers are fatigued, their productivity drops and their risk of injury increases – MULE solves both these problems.

More than 130 MULEs and 11 SAMs are used in worksites across the country, with many more in production. They have better speed and precision, taking away the ‘human error’ factor. And, they reduce waste: easier lifting means less dropping, chipping and damaging of materials.

Safety Concerns

Both machines provide construction companies with immense benefits – one major benefit being safety. In 2017, 20% of private industry deaths were in construction, from falls, electrocution, being struck by, or caught in between objects. These four issues correlated to almost 60% of industry fatalities; eliminating them would save 582 lives.

While the robots may not eliminate all deaths, they definitely help reduce the risk. With machines lifting and laying, there’s less need for workers to be balancing on tall structures or maneuvering themselves to fit pieces together, and less chance of them dropping blocks. And, the robots both have safety features built in. MULE is effectively hand-held, so when a person stops so does it. Although SAM is more autonomous, it has motion sensors that make the machine stop automatically when it detects contact with a person.

Technology in the Future of Construction

The construction industry isn’t known for its high-tech gadgets, instead it’s known for – excuse the pun – strong foundations which have continued through the years. However, it’s common these days to see 3D printed prototypes or visual design software used before the build has started. So, robotic technology on worksites is the next logical step.

Understandably, companies are cautious and construction workers are worried for their jobs. But, with the U.S. facing a major shortage of construction workers, innovative technology like robots is the only way forward.

Are you developing or working with robots? Did you know your R&D work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’s largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation & audit compliance to claim disputes. 

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

ICON’s Vulcan 3-D printer packs a punch against homelessness

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With 1.2 billion people worldwide without access to adequate shelter, one Texas start-up hopes to change that. On Monday, March 12, Austin-based ICON unveiled the world’s first permitted 3-D printed home. ICON’s Vulcan 3-D printer built the home in just under 48 hours and for less than $4,000, a fraction of average construction costs.

The 350 sq foot building will serve as ICON’s office, allowing the company to witness firsthand any issues with the home and make necessary modifications before going into full scale production. The home is complete with a living room, bathroom, and office space. Unlike other companies that have built 3-D printed homes that “look like Yoda huts”, ICON was intent on constructing a home that was functional and modern. Jason Ballard, one of ICON’s three founders, asserted, “For this venture to succeed, they have to be the best houses.”

The Vulcan 3-D printer used durable yet cheap materials and produced little waste in the making of the Austin house. According to ICON’s other co-founder Evan Loomis, the concrete mixture used in the Vulcan is three times stronger than traditional concrete. The Vulcan can produce single-story, 600 to 800 sq ft homes in under 24 hours. Andrew Logan at Logan Architecture, the head designer for the project, added that the Vulcan 3-D printer allowed for more creativity compared to conventional construction. “When you’re talking about standard methods of construction, the guys in the field have a really hard time building that [unique] geometry,” Logan explained. “It’s difficult getting it all lined up properly. But if you have a machine doing it, it’s going straight from the computer to the field. You have infinite design ability to get crazy with your angles and curves and forms.”

Because the Vulcan 3-D printer can build homes faster, more affordably, and sustainably, ICON has high hopes for the tool to be used in humanitarian applications, especially in the developing world. The company is teaming up with the non-profit New Story to address homelessness and global housing shortages. Together, they will construct a community of 100 houses in El Salvador next year using the Vulcan 3-D printer technology.

Loomis said, “We just think homes are not obtainable and affordable and they certainly aren’t sustainable. So we thought that the convergence of robotics, material science, and software would have a novel way for people to afford a basic human need: shelter.”

Working on technological solutions to address some of the globe’s most pressing problems? Did you know your experiments could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

 

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes. 

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative

Atlantic Core Building Products Announce New Facility in Virginia

Atlantic Core Building Products will build a steel manufacturing plant in Chesapeake. While the exact location and construction timeline have not been mentioned, the center is expected to cost $3 million and will create 50 jobs. The new center will produce industry-leading stud and track systems as well as weather resistant vinyl beads and trims for buildings across the Eastern US, Caribbean and Latin America.

Virginia went up against North and South Carolina before successfully securing the project. Ryan Smith, President of Atlantic Core Building Products remarked that, “After considering several ports on the eastern seaboard, we found that Virginia has an excellent workforce, world-class port facilities, strong incentives and an easily accessible strategic location. From our plant, we can service 40 percent of the U.S. construction market and our export customers in Latin America.”

John F. Reinhart, CEO and Executive Director of the Port of Virginia stated, “The Port of Virginia is pleased to welcome Atlantic Core Building Products to Virginia… Atlantic Core is going to bring investment, jobs and new revenue to the Commonwealth and the region. Our port offers very diverse cargo handling capabilities and Newport News Marine Terminal is a good fit for handling the coiled steel Atlantic Core will import.”

The project will be supported by the Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP), which enhances job opportunities by providing services and funding to companies creating new jobs or undergoing technological change. Atlantic Core Building Products will also receive incentives from the Port of Virginia Economic and Infrastructure Development Zone Grant Program and will qualify for tax exemptions on manufacturing equipment.

Atlantic Core Building Products will join almost 6,000 manufacturers operating in Virginia. Combined, these companies generate over $113 billion per annum. Over two-thirds of private sector R&D in the US is undertaken by the manufacturing industry, with the majority of new patents coming from the sector.  This results in productivity gains, better quality goods and ultimately economic growth. To see whether your company can take advantage of the R&D tax credit, speak to one of our expert advisors at Swanson Reed.