Dutch 3D concrete printing company Vertico has completed its largest installation to date, deploying a full two-component (2K) printing system at the facility of Portuguese precast manufacturer Sirolis – Prefabricados de Betão, S.A. The system pairs a 3.2-meter extended ABB robot arm with a 6.7-meter track and raised carriage, mounted directly on top of a concrete slab at the site.
Dual-Sided Printing With Integrated Silo Feed
The installation is configured to print on both sides, with Vertico’s integrated and automated silo solution. Vertico said the setup will allow Sirolis to produce “very impressive prints.”
Vertico credited Sirolis’s team for being able to operate the machine from the outset, describing the facility as “world-class.” The company singled out Marco Sutil Saraiva for his support throughout the installation process.
The Portugal installation adds to Vertico’s expanding international presence. The company, founded by CEO Volker Ruitinga with a background in digital fabrication and entrepreneurship, has now supplied more than 50 3D concrete printers across 24 countries and six continents. Vertico’s systems combine robotic arms, track-based movement, and proprietary software, including its HMI interface and slicer, to serve architecture, construction, and education-focused applications.
Vertico’s Recent Work Spans Landmark Installations and Modular Research
The Portugal install adds to a string of high-profile projects Vertico has completed over the past year. In April 2025, Vertico partnered with Zaha Hadid Architects to unveil Aevum, a Milan installation pairing a marble-carved arch with a 5.6-meter, 5.5-tonne 3D printed concrete counterpart made of 21 unique elements, printed in six days. “This project is a real milestone,” said Ruitinga. “It establishes the legitimacy of 3D printed concrete by juxtaposing it with established marble craftsmanship.”
More recently, Vertico contributed to Duality of Skin and Core, a modular concrete structure shown at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, developed with Eindhoven University of Technology and LANXESS. The installation used nine cylindrical drums and four wing-shaped elements, each under 30 kilograms and light enough for manual handling, transport and assembly, a departure from the large-scale, robot-dependent builds Vertico is typically known for.
Together, the projects point to a company working at both ends of the spectrum: large-format industrial installs like the one in Portugal, and lighter, more experimental architectural work testing where 3D concrete printing can go next.
Precast Manufacturers Are Bringing 3D Printing Onto the Factory Floor
Vertico’s Portugal installation points to a broader strategy: precast concrete manufacturers are starting to integrate robotic 3D printing directly into their existing production facilities, rather than treating it as a separate, specialist service. Sirolis is an established precast producer, founded in 1980 and operating two manufacturing units in Pombal. The company has now added 3D concrete printing capability to its facility under its SIR3D brand, initially focused on architectural and decorative applications.
Other precast and construction manufacturers are making similar moves. Hyperion Robotics is opening a UK facility, Forge I, where robotic and automated systems will produce precast concrete foundation units as part of standard, ongoing manufacturing rather than individual custom jobs. Progress Group has taken the comparable approach with its Selective Paste Intrusion process, running it as permanent factory infrastructure in South Tyrol that removes formwork while keeping output consistent.
The pattern across these examples is consistent: 3D concrete printing is moving out of showcase projects and into everyday use on precast production lines.
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Featured image shows 3D Concrete Printing System. Photo via Vertico.
Facts Only
* Vertico installed a full two-component (2K) printing system at Sirolis – Prefabricados de Betão, S.A. in Portugal.
* The system features a 3.2-meter extended ABB robot arm and a 6.7-meter track and raised carriage mounted on a concrete slab.
* The setup allows for dual-sided printing using Vertico’s integrated and automated silo solution.
* Sirolis’s team operated the machine during the installation.
* Vertico has supplied over 50 3D concrete printers across 24 countries and six continents.
* Vertico’s systems combine robotic arms, track-based movement, and proprietary software.
* Vertico partnered with Zaha Hadid Architects for the Aevum installation in Milan (April 2025).
* Vertico contributed to the Duality of Skin and Core modular concrete structure at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale.
* Sirolis added 3D concrete printing capability to its facility under the SIR3D brand.
* Hyperion Robotics is opening a UK facility, Forge I, for robotic production of precast concrete foundation units.
Executive Summary
Vertico, a Dutch 3D concrete printing company, installed a full two-component (2K) printing system at Sirolis – Prefabricados de Betão, S.A. in Portugal. This setup involves an extended ABB robot arm and a track mounted on a concrete slab, designed for dual-sided printing using Vertico's integrated silo feed. The installation was operated by Sirolis’s team, who credited Marco Sutil Saraiva for support. Vertico has expanded its international presence, supplying over 50 3D concrete printers across 24 countries and six continents, focusing on applications in architecture, construction, and education.
The company has completed other notable projects, such as the Aevum installation with Zaha Hadid Architects, which paired 3D printed concrete with marble craftsmanship. Vertico also contributed to the Duality of Skin and Core modular structure shown at the Venice Architecture Biennale. This work spans large-format industrial installations alongside lighter, experimental architectural research.
A broader trend is emerging where precast concrete manufacturers are integrating robotic 3D printing directly into factory production lines, rather than treating it as a separate service. Companies like Sirolis are adding this capability under their SIR3D brand, while others, such as Hyperion Robotics and Progress Group, are implementing similar automation in foundation unit manufacturing. This indicates a shift toward embedding additive manufacturing processes into established industrial workflows.
Full Take
The narrative presents a dual reality: high-profile, large-scale showcase projects demonstrating the aesthetic and material potential of 3D concrete juxtaposed with a more pragmatic, industrial trajectory where printing moves from special service to integrated factory infrastructure. The juxtaposition between the massive Aevum installation—legitimizing 3D printed concrete by referencing marble craftsmanship—and the modular Duality of Skin and Core piece highlights a tension between artistic ambition and scalable production feasibility.
The underlying pattern suggests that the industry is attempting to bridge the gap between high-end, experimental application (showcase work) and mass-production integration (factory floor deployment). The movement toward integrating robotics into precast manufacturing signals a shift in focus from novelty demonstrations to operationalizing additive manufacturing within established supply chains. This transition implies that future acceptance will depend less on singular impressive artifacts and more on reliable, repeatable industrial processes.
The contrast between Vertico’s high-profile external work and the trend seen in other manufacturers adopting automated systems suggests that validation of 3D concrete printing may require proving its utility within existing infrastructure rather than solely relying on artistic milestones. The central question becomes: how does the industry balance the need for cutting-edge experimentation with the demands of industrial standardization?
Bridge Questions: What specific metrics define the successful integration of additive manufacturing into standard precast production lines? How does the validation strategy differ between architectural showcases and mass-production deployments? What are the systemic barriers preventing a unified approach across both artistic and industrial applications of 3D concrete technology?
Sentinel — Human
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