The first UK-built large-format hybrid 3D printer is due to be unveiled later this month. Its developer, Rapid Fusion, will showcase the printer, dubbed Medusa, at a special open day on 26 February at its Skypark R&D centre in Exeter.
The company has tapped into a £1.2million grant from Innovate UK to develop, test, design and build the industrial 3D printer, which is three times faster than conventional machines, twice as accurate and promises to reduce training and maintenance costs by 30 per cent.
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Backed by project partners Rolls-Royce, AI Build and the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), the gantry-style machine combines pallet extruder, filament and CNC machining tool to provide a single-source solution for large moulds and tooling that is typically used by aerospace, automotive, marine and construction companies.
The latest AI technology has been integrated into the design, with Medusa boasting a 1.2-cubic-metre volume build and able to move at speeds of up to 1,200 millimetres per second.
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‘After 18 months in the making, this will be a real landmark moment for additive manufacturing in the UK,’ said Martin Jewell, chief technical officer at Rapid Fusion. ‘A factory-ready industrial 3D printer that is built in the UK and is faster than any international rival is a tremendous achievement and has only been made possible by our engineering expertise and the strong collaboration with Rolls-Royce, AI Build and the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland.
‘The funding from Innovate UK made the extensive R&D possible, and we now have a machine that, thanks to features such as a built-in tool changer, can produce large moulds faster, more efficiently and more accurately than anything currently out there,’ he continued. ‘This could be the catalyst for many domestic companies to bring production back [to the UK].’
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More than 150 delegates are expected to attend the official launch of Medusa at Rapid Fusion’s facility in Exeter, with keynote speeches expected from industry leaders and project partners. The AM platform, which includes predictive maintenance, thermal modelling and the latest computer vision system, will be put through a live demonstration, including the creation of a large mould that can be used to produce components for the aerospace sector.
‘The UK has traditionally been behind other major economies when it comes to large-format additive manufacturing,’ said Jake Hand, managing director of Rapid Fusion. ‘What we have done through the development and launch of Medusa is to democratise high-value, environmentally responsible manufacturing to both large and small businesses.
‘We saw during the pandemic how easily supply chains can crumble,’ he continued. ‘That’s why it’s more important than ever to develop as much capacity and capability in the UK as we can, not to mention the economic and carbon-reduction opportunities associated with having a thriving 3D-printing sector implementing the latest available green technologies.’
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‘The collaboration with industry partners and our High-Value Manufacturing Catapult has resulted in the creation of an impressive all-in-one additive manufacturing machine,’ said Chaco van der Sijp, innovation lead manufacturing at Innovate UK. ‘This innovation aligns with our vision for a more adaptive and flexible UK materials and manufacturing sector. This has the potential to significantly accelerate the pace of innovation. By enabling rapid prototyping of large-scale components, it opens new opportunities for the sector and drives future advancements.’
Attendance at the open day is available to anyone in the manufacturing industry, but spaces are limited. To register your interest, click here.