3dpbm Pulse Podcast, Ep 4: What has RICOH 3D been up to?
Short answer: technical AM with polypropylene, aluminum binder jetting and non-woven composites
In the latest episode of the 3dpbm Pulse Podcast, we met the team behind RICOH 3D. The company is not new. We’ve been following RICOH’s moves into the world of AM since at least 2015 when RICOH launched its first industrial SLS system, the RICOH AM S5500P. Since then, RICOH 3D’s AM activities have evolved and continue to evolve in many different directions, including providing AM with polypropylene, non-woven composites, and even aluminum binder jetting.
There is a lot to take in. During the podcast, we will hear from three of the key figures behind RICOH 3D’s AM activities in Europe who will help us understand how the company’s strategy has changed over the years and where it is headed now.
Mark Dickin is the Additive Manufacturing & Moulding Engineering Manager at Ricoh 3D. He heads up Ricoh’s European additive manufacturing and molding business and has over 20 years of experience in manufacturing.
Richard Minifie is the Senior Additive Manufacturing Engineer at Ricoh 3D. He is one of the founding fathers of Ricoh’s European 3D printing function, after joining Ricoh in 2001 originally as part of the Design and Development department.
Finally, Enrico Gallino, Senior Engineer – Material Specialist at Ricoh 3D, is an experienced Material Scientist, with a Ph.D. in Material Science and a background in the energy, cosmetic and steel industries. He provides dedicated project management and is at the forefront of establishing relationships with material manufacturers and partners along the AM supply chain to identify, test and validate new solutions.
With Mark, Richard, and Enrico we discussed the latest in RICOH’s development of advanced AM services, including very large polypropylene parts produced via 5 RICOH AM S5500P in operation at the company’s facility near Birmingham, UK. We also got some of the very latest insights on RICOH 3D’s upcoming aluminum binder jetting technology, currently in development.
And we got to talk about the strategy for marketing Impossible Object’s unique CBAM system for non-woven continuous composite 3D printing (in a PEEK or nylon thermoplastic matrix). It will be the first such system in Europe, opening interesting production possibilities for composites. Don’t miss it.
