Luyten 3d is an Australian, Melbourne based, robotics and 3D printers manufacturing company, that designs and manufactures AI mobile 3D printers and 3D printing mix for the building and construction industry.[1][2][3]
Ahmed Mahil, CEO and Global president of Luyten 3D
Luyten 3D was founded in 2020, by Ahmed Mahil, Godfrey Keung, Michael Stanley, and Shaun Heap.[4][5][6]
In 2021 Luyten 3D developed the first mobile robotic gantry style 3D Concrete Printer in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere, named the PLATYPUS.[2]
Projects
UNSW Collaborations
In 2021, Luyten 3D, collaborated with the University of New South Wales (UNSW) designed and built the ‘Heptapod’, a 3D-printed house in Melbourne, Australia.[7][2] This marked the first building code-compliant, 3D-printed home in the Southern Hemisphere (AS/NZS 1170).[8][9] The structure required two days for printing and one additional day for assembly of the printed elements.[10] The printed elements gained sufficient strength after 5 hours, resulting in significant reductions in production time and up to 80% savings in labor costs.[11]
In 2022, Luyten 3D collaborated with UNSW to adapt its terrestrial construction technology for lunar applications.[12] It developed a 3D printer and 3D printing mix to print lunar accommodations on the moon as part of Project Meeka.[13][14] Academic analysis has noted that while Luyten's approach proposes using platforms and printers similar to terrestrial ones, this is one of several proposed methods for lunar construction.[15] The project sought to address two critical challenges in lunar construction: materials and lightweight building tools. Led by architectural designer and 3D printing specialist Brandon Nelson, the project proposed high-strength cylindrical structures specifically engineered to withstand the harsh lunar environment through extensive simulation testing.[12] The project represented part of a broader trend of startup companies entering the space exploration sector.[12]
In 2023, in collaboration with UNSW, Luyten 3D received $2.9 million (AUD) from Australian Federal Government as part of a Cooperative Research Centres Project (CRC-P) grant. This grant was awarded to develop affordable and sustainable 3D printed housing.[16][17][18][19]
The project involves transporting Luyten's 3D printers to construction sites across Australia, using cost-effective, sustainable, and carbon-neutral local materials for construction. Luyten 3D’s printers are designed to withstand extreme temperatures, function off-road, and remain lightweight to minimize transport costs. The collaboration, alongside Giraffe Technology, Ark Built, and Hanson Construction Materials, focused on developing 3D printed houses that are best suited to remote mining and Indigenous communities across Australia.[11][9] Focusing on environmental requirements produced housing that was more cost-effective and sustainable than existing prefabrication alternatives.
North American Projects
In 2023, Luyten 3D partnered with US based company Alquist 3D, to provide them with its proprietary 3D concrete mix Ultimatecrete, for the printing of houses in the United States and Canada.[20][21]
Aboriginal Projects
In 2023, Luyten 3D Printed the first 3D printed Indigenous Housing Home in the world, in partnership with Aboriginal Housing Corporation Ilpye Ilpye in 2023.[22] The project, located in the Northern Territory, was designed to withstand extreme climate conditions using Luyten's 3D proprietary Ultimatecrete material. The company has set a goal to construct 30% of housing in Australia's regional areas, using 3D printing technology by 2030.[11][8]
3D Printed Two-Story House
In 2024, Luyten 3D demonstrated construction of a fully functional two storey house in 32 hours, using its Platypus X12 3D printer.[23][24]
Wyndham Vale Project
The Wyndham Vale Project is the site of the first multi-story 3D-printed house constructed in the Southern Hemisphere. The project was undertaken by Luyten 3D in early 2025 in Wyndham Vale, Victoria, Australia.[9][25]
The structure, measuring 350 m², was produced using the PLATYPUS X12, an AI-powered crane printer developed by Luyten 3D.[9] The printer employs reinforcement learning algorithms to monitor and optimize the quality of each printed layer. The walls of the house were designed with acoustic properties intended to reduce noise transmission.
Ultimatecrete
In 2022, Luyten 3D released a proprietary concrete mix called Ultimatecrete, which was independently tested by the National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA). It achieved a compressive strength of 82.5 MPa after 28 days, placing it among the higher-strength printable concretes reported internationally.[26]Ahmed Mahil’s research has noted that achieving suitable fresh and rheological properties, such as flowability, buildability, and pumpability, is a critical challenge for 3D printable cementitious composites.[27] In 2024, the company introduced Ultimatecrete Ultra-Eco, a formulation incorporating recycled materials intended to reduce environmental impact.
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