From Concept to Reality: Harnessing 3D Printing at Clark's Mid-Atlantic Yard

Clark Construction's Mid-Atlantic Yard in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, is a powerhouse of specialized services, from fleet oversight to custom fabrication. This diverse facility is also part of a transformative initiative: the integration of 3D printing for prototyping innovative custom solutions to solve complex challenges.

The method came to life when faced with a challenge: designing a custom cleaning piece for a drill rig auger. While the traditional route would involve costly and time-consuming steel fabrication for a prototype, Charles Harman III, a craft and machine shop supervisor, and his team explored a new solution for this type of fabrication and successfully used a 3D printer to create a scaled model. The successful prototype demonstrated the efficacy of the system, and once the 3D printed model was approved, the team began assembling the steel-fabricated version.

innovation — The Yard utilized 3D printing to create a prototype of an auger cleaner, leading to the successful creation of a highly custom cleaning piece.

This success was a pivotal moment, demonstrating the potential of 3D printing for efficient, low-cost prototyping. Since then, there have been several opportunities where 3D printing has proven valuable, including models of grinder adaptors for faster removal of dust and custom stair gauges for standardizing quality assurance of stair builds.

At the size of a truck bed, these massive augers need custom cleaning solutions to ensure continued effective operation.

The Mid-Atlantic Yard's Machine Shop is always ready to collaborate and bring ideas to life. Whether it’s designing unique measuring devices, tackling project-specific requirements, or 3D printing augers, our team's outside-the-box thinking significantly enhances our ability to adapt with custom quality solutions.