HP SitePrint Layout Robot Prints Construction Blueprint on the Floor

At CISS in Belgium, a robot prints out the construction drawings with an average accuracy of ±2 mm. The company is the first Belgian user of the HP SitePrint, which is also available in the Netherlands through AllTerra Belux.

On many construction sites, layout work is still done by hand. This involves measuring points, staking out lines, and double-checking everything whenever the drawing changes. On large floors, this can easily take days, and at every step, something can go wrong between the drawing and the floor.

Directly from the CAD file

The Belgian company CISS is the first in Belgium to use the HP SitePrint. The compact robot receives the digital design via a tablet and prints the layout at actual size on the subfloor: walls, grid lines, cutouts, drill holes, and even text. A robotic total station continuously tracks the robot and corrects its position. The average accuracy is ±2 mm at distances ranging from 5 to 30 meters.

A depth camera detects obstacles, after which the robot automatically selects a different route. The floor must be clear, but it doesn’t have to be swept clean. Curves and free-form paths are cleaned just as quickly as straight lines. The robot works with robotic total stations from Trimble, Leica, and Topcon, allowing companies to continue using their existing surveying equipment. Through the HP SitePrint cloud, teams share up-to-date drawings and track progress.

Fewer errors, shorter turnaround time

What’s on the floor comes directly from the design. This means there are no transcription errors, and there’s less discussion afterward. Structural work, finishing work, and contractors can get started sooner. HP reports that international users experience up to ten times higher productivity in layout work.

In a video, Katleen Lanckpaep of CISS and Bart Kinat of MB Groupe explain how they use the robot on the construction site. Francis Demeurechy of AllTerra Belux demonstrates how the HP SitePrint fits into a digital construction workflow.

In the Netherlands as well

AllTerra Belux, based in Ghent, is the distributor of the HP SitePrint in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, and assisted CISS with the system’s commissioning. Dutch contractors, quantity surveyors, and installers can request a demonstration at their own project site.