Automotive manufacturerBMW’s战略投资部门BMW i Ventureshas provided seed funding to elastomer 3D printing start-upRapid Liquid Print(RLP).
Licensed exclusively fromMIT’s Self-Assembly Lab据说，该公司的凝胶分配技术可以使用泡沫，橡胶和硅胶等行业标准材料生产柔软的产品。也支持大众through its MM Catalyst Fund (MMCF), RLP’s funding round is now expected to allow for both the expansion and wider marketing of its product portfolio.
“RLP’s breakthrough technology is disrupting the 3D printing space by enabling the rapid printing of elastomeric structures of any size and complexity,” said Marcus Behrendt, CEO of BMW i Ventures. “With BMW i Ventures’ support, the RLP team can continue demonstrating its commitment to creating high quality, low-cost elastomer products.”
What is Rapid Liquid Printing?
Debuted at Design Miami直到2017年，RLP本质上是一个打印过程，在该过程中，可以在凝胶悬架中“绘制”液体对象。鉴于此类印刷品在生产过程中得到了治愈，因此它们不需要使用支撑物，并且在使用前需要最少的后处理，而技术的可扩展性则可以允许在极高的吞吐量下创建大型零件。
According to the RLP, its approach is superior to conventional elastomeric 3D printing technologies, as it’s not restricted by the speed, build volume or material deficiencies that make them “unreliable as mainstream manufacturing processes,” thus the firm sees it as a “game-changer” when it comes to rapidly printing “airtight, high-quality products.”
After its initial development, the technology was用于室内设计applications, but RLP now says it has begun working with “industry-leading companies around the world” to identify new opportunities for it. In doing so, the company aims to enter the medical, footwear, aviation and automotive sectors with its unique process, and its fresh funding could help bring these plans to fruition.
“We’ve spent years perfecting our technology and building a product that solves the pain points the 3D printing industry has faced,” said RLP CEO, Schendy Kernizan. “With this funding from BMW i Ventures and the MM Catalyst Fund, we will accelerate our ability to offer a wide variety of solutions to a broader market.”
“ RLP可以消除设计的限制，可以一次打印大规模和多个物体，并且比目前市场上的任何其他解决方案都要快。”
RLP: now geared for success?
While the amount of funding invested in Rapid Liquid Print hasn’t been publicized, Mass Mutual says that its $50 million CCMF fund will be used to make investments of $250,000-$2 million, so its contribution is unlikely to exceed this value.
Likewise, BMW i Ventures hasn’t revealed the value of its investment either, but the firm did announce the creation of a new $300 million pot earlier this year, and it has a long history of backing 3D printing’s innovators. Back in 2017, for example, the venture capitalist provided funding toDesktop Metal, a business that has since gone on toconduct a $2.5 billion merger和buy its biggest rival ExOne。
When it comes to its RLP backing, BMW i Ventures says it is impressed with the potential of gel-dispensing technology to replace injection molding in “the manufacture of identical parts in large volumes.” In fact, using Rapid Liquid Printing, the firm anticipates it being possible to slash the lead times of complex molds from 8 weeks down to a matter of minutes, while lifting molding’s “design restrictions.”
宝马I Ventures还认为，RLP的技术可以在一次跑步中互锁的零件制造的零件生产，从而大大降低了设置模具的成本。结果，该公司将其投资视为“破坏弹性3D打印”和“破坏行业中创新限制”的方式。
“MMCF was drawn to Rapid Liquid Print’s unique technology, highly adaptable production process and impressive leadership team,” said Liz Roberts, Head of Impact Investing at MassMutual. “We’re excited to support RLP alongside BMW i Ventures as RLP revolutionizes the 3D printing process and continues to grow and bring its innovative capabilities to new customers.”
Encouraging elastomeric innovation
Thanks to their unique marriage of strength and a high elongation at break, elastomers continue to represent a promising avenue for 3D printing robust-yet-flexible parts. Just last month, material developerChromatic 3D Materials筹集了超过500万美元为开发一种新型的工业级弹性体制造技术。
On the post-processing front,Additive Manufacturing Technologies(AMT) also received anInnovate UKgrant earlier this year to develop a neworganic solvent for treating elastomers。At the time, the firm committed to use this funding to fast-track the R&D of next-gen chemistries that improve 3D printing post-processing’s sustainability.
在其他地方，在更多的实验研究中，一个团队University of California at Santa Barbarahas developed a human tissue-like3D可打印的“瓶洗”弹性体。研究人员为另一个项目创建了具有形状持久性能的超柔软材料，因此他们可以将其3D打印到墨水中，然后通过紫外线的应用将弹性体返回其实体形式。
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Featured image shows a material being dispensed into a gel bath during Rapid Liquid Printing. Image via BMW i Ventures.
