The 2022 Formnext Start-up Challenge Winners are selected by jury looking for enterprises that are “new, creative, viable, and above all, sustainable business ideas from the world of Additive Manufacturing”.
This year the winners are Photosynthetic (Netherlands), Lattice Medical (France), Rivelin Robotics (UK), SphereCube (Italy), and Alpha Powders (Poland). A further award, the AM Ventures Impact Award, went to Lattice Medical.
You can meet the winners in Frankfurt this week at Formnext, Hall 11.0, D72.
Also, read more in our series on the 2022 Formnext Start-Up Challenge winners here.
3D Printing Industry: Please introduce yourself and your company?
Robert Bush, Founder & CEO, Rivelin Robotics: Rivelin Robotics was founded while working as a metals production engineer at 3T-AM (BEAMIT) after battling with the challenge of getting the first metal AM part through PPAP (Production Part Approval Process).
Our robotic finishing systems empower engineers to automate support removal and polishing to meet the standards of mission-critical production lines.
3D Printing Industry: What is the problem your business solves?
Robert Bush: One of our early adopters, GKN Aerospace, said, “Automated support removal would mean removing not only one of the most labour intensive processes in the AM chain but also improve productivity with reliable turnaround times every time for every part.” I think this is an excellent summary of the problem Rivelin NetShape solves. Another early adopter, Oerlikon AM, added “guaranteeing consistent part properties” as a key driver for surface finishing automation.
Rivelin’s solution to metal post-processing uses a robot to consistently perform at the top level of the world’s best metal finishers. We’ve taken inspiration from the reliability of casting automation and made it simpler & faster to deploy so the automation is almost as flexible as a hand finisher.
3D Printing Industry: How does your company fit into the additive manufacturing ecosystem?
Robert Bush: The search for automated post-processing solutions is ongoing and vital for the mass uptake of metal AM across industry, and is the reason Rivelin Robotics exists. With NetShape Robots we introduce our first breakthrough to achieve this goal. Formnext is the leading global platform that enables us to launch it to industry so being awarded this prize by our peers is an enormous honour and validation of our vision.
3D Printing Industry: What are your expectations and hopes from exhibiting at Formnext 2022?
Robert Bush: Rivelin’s exhibiting (Hall 12, Stand B41) with our partners Texture Jet (electrochemical jet machining) and Surfineers (surface engineering consultancy). If you pop-by you’ll get to meet one of our NetShape Robots, NS-0, which will be demoing some parts from Oerlikon AM. Our CTO David Alatorre is presenting at the TCT Introducing Stage on Tuesday 15:20 and our founder Robert Bush will be introducing Rivelin’s product line at the pitchnext event on Tuesday (AM4U stage in hall 11.0 D72).
3D Printing Industry: What advice would you offer to someone considering launching a start-up in the 3D printing industry?
Robert Bush: I would encourage founders to focus intensely on solving a challenge for their customers. Don’t expect your customer to tell you how to solve it; that’s your job, but ask for their feedback constantly and be agile enough to react to it. Seek a somewhat ‘boring’ problem, as those tend to be unsolved.
3D Printing Industry: How would you describe the roadmap for your enterprise over the coming years?
Robert Bush: The future for Rivelin is autonomous post processing for metal AM production parts, spare parts, and the repair of parts so local manufacturers everywhere can remake the way we make things and accomplish a sustainable manufacturing industry within our lifetime.
Learn more about Rivelin Robotics here.
Meet the winners in Frankfurt this week at Formnext. Hall 11.0, D72. You can also find Rivelin Robotics in Hall 12 at Stand B41.
2022 Formnext Start-up Challenge Jury
Kristian Arntz, CEO, Fraunhofer Center for Networked Adaptive Production, ICNAP
Stefanie Brickwede, Head of 3D Printing Deutshse Bahn, Managing Director, Mobility goes Additive
Arno Held, Managing Partner, AM Ventures
Peter Mayr, Professor of Materials Engineering of Additive Manufacturing, Technical University of Munich
Alexander Oster, Director Additive Manufacturing, Autodesk
Michael Petch, Editor-in-chief, 3D Printing Industry
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Featured image shows NetShape Robots from Rivelin Robots launched at formnext 2022. Image via Rivelin Robotics.
