Apis Cor (Frank/Gary/Mary system)

Arm-mounted 3D concrete printer that prints structural walls up to two stories on site

7
Deployments: 4
Companies that ran it

How it works on your site

The Apis Cor system is an arm-mounted 3D concrete printer that deposits structural walls on site using a three-unit setup: Frank (printer), Gary (mixer), and Mary (material feeder). It prints walls up to two stories using layer-by-layer cementitious deposition; foundations, roofing, MEP, and finishes remain conventional construction. The system has been shipping since 2017.

Layer Deposition (Printing)

Frank prints structural walls up to two stories by depositing cementitious material layer by layer. Walls use standard CMU reinforcement and connection details. For buildings larger than the single-setup footprint, Frank repositions between sections on continuous tracks and recalibrates at each new position. Remote operation across time zones has been demonstrated, with an operator controlling a print from a different state.

Material Mixing and Feed

The Mary subsystem handles material intake and eliminates manual mixing and heavy lifting from the crew's scope. Gary adapts material flow and mix quality to real-time conditions during printing. Material composition varies by region: cement-based in U.S. projects, gypsum-based for work in the Gulf region.

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Field outcomes

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Macedonia Community Development Corp and Space Coast Habitat for Humanity were having two affordable homes printed in Melbourne, Florida, with the Apis Cor (Frank/Gary/Mary system), its Frank printer layering concrete walls while a small team monitored.

Brevard Affordable 3D-Printed Homes, USA

Apis Cor (Frank/Gary/Mary system)
Image: Apis Cor

Apis Cor printed the walls of a two-storey, 9.5-metre-high office with 640 square metres of floor area for the Dubai Municipality, using one Apis Cor (Frank/Gary/Mary system) printer moved around the site by crane and a gypsum-based material.

World's Largest 3D-Printed Building (Dubai Municipality / Warsan Building), UAE

Apis Cor (Frank/Gary/Mary system)
Image: Apis Cor

In 2019, SEArch+ and Apis Cor won first place in the virtual construction level of NASA's 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge with MARS X HOUSE, a design for a 3D-printed habitat on Mars built with autonomous robotics.

NASA 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge: MARS X HOUSE, USA

Apis Cor (Frank/Gary/Mary system)
Image: Apis Cor

Dream Co. Construction, partnering with Apis Cor, finished printing its first home on site in Branson, Missouri, with the Apis Cor (Frank/Gary/Mary system) by July 2021, while the rest of the home was still being completed.

Branson Missouri Permitted Home, USA

Apis Cor (Frank/Gary/Mary system)Dream Co. Construction
Image: Apis Cor

D.R. Horton made a strategic investment in Apis Cor and planned a multi-unit construction project in South Florida with the company, using the Apis Cor (Frank/Gary/Mary system) once its new 3D-printed wall system was finalized.

D.R. Horton Multi-Unit South Florida Project, USA

Apis Cor (Frank/Gary/Mary system)D.R. Horton

Who has run it

7 deployments · 4 companies · 2 countries

Will it work on your site

Working height: 3.2 m (10.5 ft) print height per setup; extendable with riser to two stories. Horizontal working span up to 8.5 m.
Site preparation: Conventional foundations first; pickup truck transport; vendor-proprietary file preparation required (details not independently documented)
Power: Electric, tethered (generator or site power). Printer: 4 kW (AC 120-220V). Mixing pump: 8 kW (DC 96V or 3-phase AC). Total system: 12 kW minimum.
BIM/CAD: Digital design-to-print workflow exists (Autodesk/Thornton Tomasetti collaboration documented). Vendor-specific toolpath format details not independently published.
Environment: Hardware: -35 C min. Material: 5 C min (heated tent below 5 C). Operated in Dubai summer conditions (extreme heat, no climate control). Rain tolerance not stated.
Footprint and transport: Printer (Frank): 4.5 x 1.2 x 1.7 m folded, 1,450 kg. Mixer (Gary): 1.5 x 0.6 x 1.3 m, 600 kg. Fits standard flatbed trailer towed by pickup truck.Dubai project used crane for repositioning between print sections; smaller projects do not require crane.

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Operators required: 2 people for setup and operation. Training courses offered through Apis Cor University (availability and duration not independently documented).Dubai project used 3 workers plus crane operator for repositioning.
Working area per setup: 132 sq m (1,420 sq ft) per printer position. Repositioning required for larger structures.Dubai project (640 sq m total) required multiple repositions with crane assistance.

As the maker states it.

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