Wow, printed wall panels !!

[Nifty]

This is kinda cool!

100 inkjet printheads to print realistic wood grain, stone, etc. directly onto boards for RV interiors, etc.

The current line handles panels up to 4 x 10 feet. Their planned upgrade? A 1,200-foot production line designed for sheets up to 9 x 40 feet.

I wonder how durable this will actually be in the real world and how it compares to other competitive products in price and durability.

Check out the video:

 

[Epatcola]

Interesting, but, why especially RVs?

Because RV owners are happy with cheap fake stuff? I vaguely recall some 'van life' articles/videos complaining about abysmal build quality of new RVs in the US.

 

[The Hat]

I wonder how durable this will actually be in the real world and how it compares to other competitive products in price and durability.

I’ll let you know when I get my next RV..

 

[Redbrickman]

Nice process however IMO most RV's these days are built from cheap junk parts and materials and are not sealed properly from water ingress. Then they are sold for ridiculous prices.

I wonder what they do when the factory is closed for holidays. How do they prevent head clogs with over 100 heads to manage?

RV's AKA Motorhomes have a nickname here. They are called "wobbly boxes"

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

Next: 3D printed RVs, and for the poor folks, extruded RVs.

 

[davidparker]

On durability, the real test is how printed panels handle road vibration and repeated wet-dry cycles, not just the initial bond. Price comparison matters too, but the bigger gap is likely sealing at joints, which is where conventional RVs already fail. The point about idle periods is fair, especially purge and nozzle upkeep on a large head count between production runs. Until someone runs a printed shell through a few seasons of real use, wobbly boxes may stay wobbly.