What if a machine could achieve the dexterity of a human alongside the consistency of a robot? Post-processing 3D-printed parts manually is often tedious, time-consuming, and prone to variation. To address this, Rivelin Robotics, supported by the United Kingdom’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), has developed robots designed to finish parts for defense applications. According to Rivelin, these systems deliver components faster, cheaper, and more reliably than manual labor. The company won Formnext’s Startup Challenge in 2022 for its NetShape robotic solution for metal additive manufacturing parts, which has since been adopted in the aerospace, medical, automotive, and energy sectors. Rivelin is now expanding into the defense industry while building its footprint across Spain, France, Germany, and the United States.
Formed in 2001, the Dstl is an executive agency of the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom. The agency received funding from the UK Defence and Security Accelerator, and that funding was “pivotal in turning Rivelin’s concept into reality,” according to the Dstl. Using Rivelin Robotics’ technology, the Dstl aims to increase UK operational resilience through on‑demand defense manufacturing, while driving domestic industrial growth.
The r1000 from Rivelin Robotics (Photo Credit: Rivelin Robotics)
The Cost of Human Error (and Labor)
For 3D printed parts, post-processing is typically required to do things like remove support material, clear imperfections, and apply surface finishes. However, completing these steps by hand can be slow, inconsistent, and expensive. Plus, manual finishing introduces the risk of safety issues, delays, and variability. Rivelin Robotics’ proprietary control systems aims to solve that problem, by giving robots human-like dexterity and perception to automate the task.
So, what exactly can these microfactories process? Rivelin Robotics shared that its system can handle complicated geometries in metal, polymer, and ceramics. The r1000, one of the three product currently listed on its website, performs hammering, chiselling, cutting, nipping, milling, grinding, sanding, polishing, drilling, gripping, 3D scanning, measuring, air-blasting, and engraving. According to Rivelin, the machine promises five times the productive hours compared to manual finishing, at a quarter of the traditional cost for labor, energy, and training. Two other systems, the r500 and rAD-AT800S, are open for early-access requests.
The Dstl is supporting this technology because, used alongside 3D printing, the microfactories are meant to deliver on-demand manufacturing, reduce reliance on supply chains, and save taxpayer money. As of May 15, Rivelin has sold microfactories to five customers. If you want to learn more, click here.
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*Cover Photo Credit: Rivelin Robotics