When software is used directly on construction sites, design decisions prove their real value – between dust, concrete, vibration and wearing gloves, digital control has to work reliably.
User Interface for Additive Manufacturing
3D concrete printing is deployed directly on construction sites where software systems must operate under conditions such as dust, vibration, and the use of construction glove.
In collaboration with INSTATIQ, a spin-off of the Putzmeister Group, we developed the tablet-based user interface for a 3D concrete printer designed to work reliably under real on-site conditions.
The application runs on a tablet mounted directly to the printer’s control unit and enables real-time monitoring and control of the printing process. Usability in harsh environments was a core design requirement from the very beginning.
Designed for On-Site Use
The interface is operated with construction gloves and limited touch precision.
This directly shaped the UI design: large interaction areas, high contrast, clear visual hierarchy, and a deliberate reduction of interaction complexity.
Gestures and fine-grained touch interactions were avoided in favor of robust, explicit controls suitable for dirty and time-critical environments.
The interface is implemented as an Angular-based tablet application, optimized for stability and predictable behavior.
Communication with the printer and surrounding systems is handled via MQTT, enabling reliable, low-latency, event-driven communication for real-time machine control.
Scope of Work
Our responsibilities covered:
UX and UI design
Frontend architecture and implementation
Integration with MQTT-based backend services
Testing
Participation in the release process
We worked closely with Putzmeister to ensure seamless integration between software, hardware, and operational workflows.
