At this time last year, a new company called Rize came onto the market with a unique form of plastic extrusion 3D printing that promised to do away with elaborate post-processing procedures, while maintaining part integrity. Having showcased its Augmented Polymer Deposition (APD) technology at numerous industry events since then, Rize is shipping its flagship Rize One 3D printer.
APD combines fused filament fabrication with inkjetting for some interesting results. As the company’s proprietary engineering- and medical-grade thermoplastic Rizium One is extruded out of a hot end, an inkjet head is able to deposit a range of unique inks to print for a variety of applications.
One of the features that makes the Rize One so potentially valuable is the minimal amount of post-processing required for the parts it makes. To achieve this, a repelling ink called Release One is deposited between the print and the support structures, preventing a solid bond from forming. Therefore, once the print is complete, these support structures can be easily removed by hand, cutting total 3D printing turnaround time by 50 percent.
The use of an inkjet head also opens up the possibility of voxel-level control, similar to what has been promised with HP’s Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) technology. By depositing inks as an object is being printed, it may be possible to incorporate those materials at specific desired locations throughout the object. So far, this has been demonstrated with traditional printer ink, but given the functionality showcased with MJF, it’s not difficult to imagine full-color printing, conductive inks and invisible dyes.
“We are seeing increasing worldwide demand for our Rize One 3D printer, particularly among global manufacturers and healthcare facilities, and we are excited to have begun shipping,” said Eugene Giller, Rize founder and president. “Our passionate and deeply experienced team has accomplished an enormous amount in a very short timeframe. We are working to expand our go-to-market initiatives quickly, while continuing to develop innovative new products.”
When the Rize One was first unveiled, Rize had one high-profile customer in Reebok. Since then, the company has won numerous awards. Now that it is shipping the new printer, it will be exciting to see just how the technology can be used in a production environment.
To learn more about the company, read our interview with former President and CEO Frank Marangell or visit the Rize website.