United Utilities
United Utilities says 3D printing "will play an important role in driving efficiency in construction and daily operations" as it concludes its two-year ‘Water Industry Printfrastructure’ additive manufacturing project.
The UK water company is said to be scaling up its use of polymer and concrete printing across its AMP8 delivery and daily activities following a successful project funded through Ofwat’s Innovation Fund in partnership with ChangeMaker3D, Manchester Metropolitan University’s PrintCity and Scottish Water.
The project, which launched in 2023 and was recently named a finalist at this year’s TCT Awards, is said to have generated a number of industry firsts including a wastewater jet nozzle and a trough for water monitoring instruments, which are now being used by United Utilities.
Chief Engineer (Innovation and Carbon) Lisa Mansell explained, “We’ve all learned so much through this project and it is no exaggeration to say it is transformative.
“We’ve seen tangible results using both techniques and it’s clear that 3D printing will play an important role in driving efficiency in construction and daily operations.
“As well as being able to print assets in a matter of hours rather than days or weeks, the techniques have proven to be financially and environmentally efficient with carbon savings of up to 50% possible. We’ve already seen a lot of interest from other water companies, and it is encouraging to see that some are already adopting these techniques.”
PrintCity has been supporting the project by creating replacement parts through 3D scanning, computer aided design and 3D polymer printing.
Alan Dempsey, Project Manager for PrintCity, said, “This project enabled us to address a range of challenges faced by water companies around the availability of replacement parts when managing their infrastructure, as well as lead times and excessive costs.
“Alongside ChangeMaker3D, MMU has empowered United Utilities to 3D print concrete and polymer parts when they are required. This is helping them to reduce the reliance on the delivery of new equipment, improve the turnaround times for project delivery and take major steps forward in reducing costs, resources and impact on the environment.”
The project also saw the opening of a temporary 3D concrete printing hub at United Utilities’ Wigan Wastewater Treatment Works in June 2024, which was used to print concrete infrastructure including combined sewer overflow chambers and Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) containment walls, making United Utilities the first water company to install IED walls into an operational environment. This was also used to prove the technology’s potential to extend the winter construction period by successfully testing the printing of distribution chambers and manhole rings in cold, damp, and icy conditions.
Natalie Wadley, CEO and Co-Founder of ChangeMaker3D added, “This project has been game changing for our business. We are a self-funded UK start up with an unwavering belief in our vision to print like our planet depends on it. The time is now. AMP8 won’t wait, our climate crisis won’t wait. Printfrastructure has a vital role to play in creating a water legacy that everyone is proud of, and we are ready to scale, integrate and deliver impact.”
Marc Hannis, Principal, Ofwat Innovation Fund, said, “3D printing provides enormous opportunities for the water sector to build and upgrade infrastructure rapidly, with a lower cost to both bill payers and the environment. In just two years, WIP has demonstrated its effectiveness and value; we want technology like this to be used at scale in the coming years across England and Wales”.
