Bringing together the power of additive manufacturing and CNC post-processing in one machine has helped Rapid Fusion secure a prestigious award – for the second year running.
The ‘AM’ specialist beat off strong industrial competition to win the Hardware – Polymer Systems title at The TCT Awards in Birmingham recently, impressing judges with the exceptional power-to-weight ratio of its new hybrid robotic cell.
Named ‘Zeus’, this model gives clients the opportunity to enjoy the sped of 3D printing with the precision of subtractive machining – all in one 6-metre x 6-metre cell.
The innovative electro spindle is integrated into the robot and is ideal for producing high-quality moulds across a range of industries, such as automotive, aerospace, construction and marine.
Martin Jewell, Chief Technical Officer at Rapid Fusion, commented: “To win this award once is some achievement, to retain it a year later is off the chart for everyone connected with the business.
“We’re seen as a major disruptor in our space and recognition from industry peers at TCT is a massive honour and gives us the confidence to continue pushing the boundaries when it comes to the next innovations.
“By adding the CNC milling tool, we have a system that is a real game changer for manufacturers and has been designed with feedback from several end users to ensure we deliver exactly what they need.
“We are expecting to generate over £3m of revenue from this technology in the first eighteen months and this will help us create a further three jobs at our engineering and advanced demonstration centre in Exeter.”
Rapid Fusion, a sister business of 3D printing hardware specialist EVO 3D, is committed to becoming a major player in additive manufacturing platforms - all designed, built and assembled in the UK.
Zeus, which was supported in its build by partners Xtrution B.V, Ai Build, Adaxis and KUKA Robotics, supports high-temperature materials up to 400°C, enabling the production of robust, high-performance components, whilst achieving 17.2 kg/hour throughput.
It also includes the plug and play capabilities of the PE 320 pellet extruder that delivers peak stall torque of 10.2Nm and 8000 rpm speed thanks to the power of a robust Schneider motor.
Already a market leader, Rapid Fusion is now looking at exploring the integration of artificial intelligence to Zeus to optimise toolpaths, material flow, and part cooling in real-time.
Jack Hand, Managing Director, concluded: “The last twelve months have been extremely exciting for our business and has proven the UK can be at the cutting-edge of 3D printing technology.
“Apollo and Zeus are making waves and the unveil of Medusa - the first domestic-built large format hybrid 3D printer – earlier this year is another step forward in our journey. There’s still lots more to come.
For further information, please visit www.rapidfusion.co.uk or follow the company across its social media channels.
