Most large-format printers ask an operator to juggle several separate tools: one for slicing, another for machine control, and often a third just to check on a job remotely. That fragmentation adds friction that most teams just learn to live with. Rapid Fusion built Epicurus UI to bring slicing, machine control and monitoring together into a single interface for operating its systems, sitting at the centre of how a robotic 3D printing system is run day to day.
This blog looks at what the software does, how it fits into a wider production setup, and why combining slicing and control in one place matters more than it might seem at first glance.
What Epicurus Actually Is
At its core, Epicurus UI is the software interface used to operate, monitor and manage an individual Rapid Fusion additive manufacturing system, bringing the controls needed to run the machine together in one place.
A single interface for machine control
Rather than switching between a slicer, a separate control panel and a monitoring dashboard, everything sits inside one platform. That includes reducing setup time and letting a machine be accessed remotely rather than only from the shop floor, which changes how a team can actually plan its day around production instead of being tied to a single physical location.
Where it fits in a Robotic 3D Printing System setup
On a Robotic 3D Printing System, the software sits between the design file and the physical machine, translating slicing decisions into instructions the robot can actually follow in real time, without needing a separate step to bridge the two together manually.
Core Functions of the Platform
A few functions sit at the heart of what the platform actually does on a daily basis, and most of them tie directly back to the print quality an operator ends up with.
Slicing and temperature zone management
Temperature zones get managed directly within the slicing software, so heating profiles for extruders and beds are set as part of the same workflow as the print itself, rather than in a separate tool afterwards where settings can easily drift out of sync.
Real-time servo and robot control
Good robot control software matters just as much as slicing quality once a robot is doing the actual deposition work rather than a fixed gantry system.
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Direct servo drive control: real-time control over the robot's servo drive during a print, rather than a delayed or approximate response
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Streaming instructions to the robot: manufacturing instructions sent straight to the robot or CNC machine as the build progresses, layer by layer
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Part cooling control: managed alongside temperature settings rather than as a separate system requiring its own configuration
Remote Access and Monitoring
Being able to check on a machine without standing in front of it changes how a team can actually manage production across a site or between several sites.
Managing machines from anywhere
Access isn't limited to the shop floor alone. A machine can be checked on, adjusted or monitored remotely, which matters particularly for teams running equipment across more than one site, or for anyone who needs to check progress outside normal working hours.
Reducing setup time on the shop floor
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Pre-set heating zone profiles: ready-made temperature setups rather than manual entry every single time a job changes
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A touchscreen interface: designed for quick navigation without hunting through nested menus to find a basic setting
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Consistent settings across jobs: reducing variation introduced by different operators setting things up slightly differently from one shift to the next
Quality Features
Epicurus UI is focused on operating and managing individual Rapid Fusion systems, bringing the controls needed to run a print into one interface.
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System operation and monitoring
Operators can manage machine settings, monitor the print process and respond to changes from the Epicurus UI, keeping the key controls for the system in one place. -
Automated quality checks and reporting
Automated quality control can help identify errors during production, while production data can be captured for reporting and record-keeping. This provides a clearer production history for parts where traceability and documented processes are important. -
Rapid Fusion Fleet for multiple systems
Fleet is separate from Epicurus UI. While Epicurus UI provides the software interface used to operate individual Rapid Fusion systems, Rapid Fusion Fleet allows operators and production teams to access and manage multiple systems from a central view.
This becomes particularly useful for facilities running several machines or equipment across different locations.
Why Slicing and Robot Control Live in One Interface
Keeping slicing and machine control separate creates friction that most operators end up working around rather than solving properly. When temperature zone management sits inside the same slicing software that also handles print settings, changes made in one place don't need repeating somewhere else, and there's less risk of the two falling out of sync partway through a job.
That same logic applies to robot control software: coordinating a robot's movement with the print itself is far more reliable when both are managed from the same platform rather than synced between two separate systems that were never designed to talk to each other in the first place. Epicurus UI brings these operating functions together for the individual Rapid Fusion system, while Rapid Fusion Fleet provides a separate way to access multiple systems from one central view.
Safety Features Built Into the Software
Running a robot alongside a large-format printer raises safety considerations that the software addresses directly:
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Integrated safety features tied to the robot cell and the printer working together as a single, coordinated system
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A maintenance key system allowing temperature override specifically for maintenance purposes, without opening that access up more broadly
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Controlled access so only authorised changes can be made to critical settings, reducing the chance of an accidental adjustment mid-run
Epicurus in Large Format Additive Manufacturing
For LFAM operations specifically, having slicing, robot control, and monitoring in one place matters more than it would on a small desktop machine, simply because there's more happening at once and more that can go wrong if systems aren't talking to each other properly. A build that runs for hours gives small inconsistencies far more time to compound into a real, costly problem by the time the part comes off the bed.
It's part of why industrial 3D printing solutions built around large-format, robotic systems tend to need software that goes well beyond a standard slicer, and why treating control software as an afterthought rarely works out well at scale.
Software That Runs the Whole Machine, Not Just the Print
Slicing and machine control used to live in separate tools, handled by separate people, on separate screens, with settings quietly drifting out of sync between them. Bringing them together into one interface is what makes a modern robotic 3D printing system genuinely manageable at scale, rather than a collection of parts an operator has to hold together manually through habit and memory.
At Rapid Fusion, Epicurus UI provides the software interface used to operate our systems in practice, from the first slice through to the finished part coming off the robot. By bringing slicing, machine control and monitoring together, it gives operators a connected view of the individual system they are running.
For teams operating multiple systems, Rapid Fusion Fleet provides a separate central platform for accessing and managing those machines.
FAQs
What machines does Epicurus work with?
It's built to work across Rapid Fusion's product range, connecting slicing, control and monitoring into one interface regardless of which specific machine or robot combination is running.
Can the software be accessed away from the shop floor?
Yes. Machines can be checked and adjusted remotely, which is particularly useful for teams managing equipment across more than one site or checking progress outside normal hours.
Does Epicurus UI support multiple machines at once?
Epicurus UI is designed to operate individual Rapid Fusion systems. For teams managing multiple systems, Rapid Fusion Fleet provides a separate platform that allows several machines to be accessed from a central view.
How does the software help with safety around robotic systems?
Integrated safety features, including a maintenance key for controlled temperature override, help manage the added complexity of running a robot alongside a printer in the same working space.
Is Epicurus only relevant to large-format printing?
It's particularly suited to large-format and robotic setups, where coordinating slicing and machine control matters more, though the underlying approach applies more broadly across other production setups too.
