Hello again! Today was certainly interesting. Out start time was a little later today at noon so I got my chance to catch up on some of my sleep. We headed straight to the Red Light District on the metro to take a look at MX3D’s 3D-printed bridge that stretches over one of the canals. She was a very cute bridge. I think the architectural design is very cool with how the ends curl back towards the canal and there are slits on the side of the bridge.

After seeing the bridge in person we took the metro again to go talk with the company about their 3D printing process. Of course, yet again, I enjoy the public transportation. We arrived at the company’s building and got a presentation from a member of the company, Pierre.

He gave us a run down of the company and how they built their bridge. I thought it was really interesting to see how they originally started this because of various art projects but they started delving into potential uses in architecture and industry.

What I found interesting about the 3D printed bridge is how there were originally concerns over whether the canals would be able to support a walking bridge. I automatically wondered if that meant they had to fortify the canal in some way of if they had to make certain design choices regarding where the majority of the weight would be distributed. However, apparently after looking into the canal for several years, the city of Amsterdam determined that it would be entirely possible to put in a bridge.

Originally, the company aspired to create machines that could build a bridge on location. However, they had to take a step back and instead build the bridge in smaller parts and then weld those smaller parts together. They also included many sensors on the bottom of the bridge to help sense the weight distribution and other forces involved as people walk across it.

It is also really fascinating to see how their 3D printing process is very similar to normal 3D printers where the metal wire is the filament and a commercial welder is what they use to melt the filament.

An important thing to mention is that this is a very new idea. This company has only 31 employees and has only been active for a few years. Much of their work is for the purpose of proving how their new method can be used to replace conventional methods that we have been using. One of the most appealing aspects of their process is how they can save more material because it is considered to be additive manufacturing versus other processes like cnc machining which is subtractive manufacturing. Because subtractive manufacturing removes material there is much more waste compared to additive methods. However, there are a lot of questions over whether their method provides the same strength and stability but it seems that their testing proves that their products meet and even surpass conventional methods in those categories. Ultimately, they are developing a very cool, new technology, and I am excited to see where it goes in the future.

Afterwards, we heading over to a nearby park to walk around until our dinner reservation at 5. We were feeling rather starved so we headed towards the nearby city area and found a small snackbar. I got some fresh fries and a cute orange ice dessert to hold me over until dinner. We then walked back.

At this restaurant, it feels very farm-to-table and eco friendly. Most of their ingredients come from the small farms nearby and the restaurant is run by volunteers. Personally, the bartender who we ordered various sodas and juices from reminded me specifically of Neil Patrick Harris in the role of Count Olaf in a Series of Unfortunate Events. For the first course, we got some sort of a peanut soup. The texture was a little too thick for me and was very reminiscent of peanut sauce. However, the next course was a wonderful rice dish that I was absolutely in loveeee with. And, of course, they ended the night with a lovely rose flavored ice cream with fresh strawberries.

We made our way home on the last form of public transportation: a bus. Quite similar to the Port Authority but I very much do prefer these buses.

Tomorrow is an early departure for our day trip in Rotterdam so I’m gonna get my packing done and try to get plenty of rest. Till tomorrow <3