Vancouver metal 3D printing startup Rapidia has partnered with metal 3D printing pioneer ExOne to launch the Metal Designlab system and X1F furnace.
As part of a new partnership between the firms, ExOne will exclusively market the machines, which feature Rapidia’s proprietary ‘two-step’ 3D printing technology. The technique is predicated on a water-based metal paste, that evaporates during printing, removing the need for any time-consuming polymer debinding steps.
The deal also gives ExOne first refusal over any future acquisition of its Vancouver-based partner, and sees Rapidia’s founder Dan Gelbart join as a ‘technical advisor.’ According to John Hartner, CEO of ExOne, the partnership will enable its clients in the industrial and education sectors to access an accelerated production workflow.
“We are delighted to partner with the visionary Dan Gelbart and the Rapidia team,” said Hartner. “Now researchers, educators, and industrial designers will be able to bypass days of waiting and produce high-quality parts without the limitations faced by parts that require traditional debinding.”
Gelbart co-founded Creo in 1984 and served as President and then CTO until July 2005 when Creo was sold to Kodak for $1 Billion. He also co-founded Kardium, a medical device company that has developed an atrial fibrillation treatment that recently raised USD $115 million in a new financing round led by Fidelity.
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