
Rapid Fusion
Rapid Fusion Demonstration Centre
Rapid Fusion is set to unveil its new 3D printing robot demonstration centre as the company sets its sights on building on its 25% revenue increase. The large format AM solutions provider has completed a £750,000 investment drive that led to the development of two new additive manufacturing (AM) platforms as well as the construction of a facility to showcase the company’s solutions. Additionally, the company's team is also growing with a LFAM robotic print engineer having joined before Christmas.
Located on Skypark, the 5,000-square-foot facility will house Rapid Fusion’s Apollo cell. Also, the latest ZEUS solution that combines a 3D printing robot and a CNC milling capability, will be located at the facility.
“2024 was a very good year for us, with revenue surpassing £1.7m on our additive manufacturing platforms…that was way above expectation,” said Jake Hand, Founder of Rapid Fusion. “There is a definite move in the market towards larger printing and more complex geometries and we’re not just seeing that from automotive and aerospace, but maritime and even construction where we’ve signed an exciting deal with Italian business Nanoo.”
Hand continued, “With interest in our technology growing rapidly, we wanted to create a demonstration centre that people could visit and see the cells in action. We can even do a few ‘prototype’ trials to prove the speed, accuracy and reliability of our solutions.”
Apollo and ZEUS solutions
The Apollo solution aims to provide faster speeds compared to existing FDM printers, as it claims to be almost 200 times quicker. While ZEUS, which will be released soon, will feature a CNC milling tool that provides users with a hybrid solution allowing for printing and milling in one turnkey solution.
“We are always trying to push the boundaries of what is possible and that is reflected in the introduction of Apollo and ZEUS. Our brilliant engineers and designers have also been working on an algorithm for retraction when printing with a Rapid Fusion extruder,” continued Hand. “What does that mean? Well, it will give us the capability to print more than one object on the same tool path with no stringing between parts. This is another first for the industry and, as you would expect, initial feedback has been overwhelming.”