New Delhi, Aug. 18: Union minister of India Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated India's first “3D-printed post office” in Karnataka's Bengaluru on Friday. The building is located in Cambridge Layout near Ulsoor Bazaar and spans an area of 1100 square feet.

This new approach to construction involves 3D-printing technology, which requires minimal manual intervention and utilises computer-controlled processes to create three-dimensional shapes during building construction.

Addressing the event, Vaishnaw, who holds the portfolios of railways, and electronics and information technology, said, “It is a proud moment,” in India's achievement with 3D-printed technology. “A new picture of India that we saw in terms of this 3D-printed technology,” he said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X to share the pictures of the newly inaugurated 3D-printed post office and said it is “a testament to our nation's innovation and progress.”

Last year, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati had constructed a 3D-printed sentry post for the Indian Army as part of an indigenous research and development initiative.

In April 2021, Union minister Nirmala Sitaraman inaugurated India's first 3D-printed home in Chennai, created by the tech startup Tvasta and located within the IIT-Madras campus.

Moreover, the world's first 3D-printed Hindu temple is currently under construction in Telangana. The temple located near Siddipet will cover an area of 3,800 square feet. Apsuja Infratech, Hyderabad-based company, is working on the temple in collaboration with Simpliforge Creations, a 3D-printed construction firm.

- 3D printing in construction employs robotic systems to place construction materials in layers, forming walls, floors, and roofs.

-Unlike the traditional methods of slow bricklaying and rebar reinforcement, 3D printing is significantly faster in creating structures. For instance, a 2,000-square-foot house that would take around four months to build using conventional techniques can be erected in as little as 7 to 10 days with 3D printing.

-In construction 3D printing, materials are layered sequentially through computer-controlled processes to craft three-dimensional shapes.

-To create a structure, the 3D printer follows dimensions from a software program and constructs the design on a platform. Various materials, such as cement, plastic, or liquid metals, can be used to build the structure.-Agencies