3D Printing Comes to Sri Lanka Thanks to RCS2 Technologies and Colombo University

The city of Colombo is the largest in the island country of Sri Lanka. It’s a popular tourist destination, a multicultural metropolis, and the country’s major business hub. It’s also home to RCS2 Technologies, the country’s first – and thus far only – 3D printer manufacturer, and they’re on a mission to make the technology more widely known, and more widely accessible, to the people of Sri Lanka.

A provider of business technology including CCTV and POS systems, RCS2 Technologies is the first company to introduce 3D printing to Sri Lanka, which has had little exposure to the technology so far.

“Even (though) Sri Lanka has this technology for an half a decade the benefactors were limited,” the company states. “Also high-class technology and the high cost of entry made is inaccessible to the general public.”

RCS2 Technologies has made a significant foray into 3D printing, offering two lines of FDM printers along with materials. The first, Thrimána, is named for the Sinhalese term for “three dimension,” and includes the following:

• Thrimána Plus – officially the first Sri Lankan 3D printer, this dual-extruder printer offers a large build volume of  400 x 300 x 300 mm and is described as ideal for both educational and industrial applications
• Thrimána Mini – a compact, entry-level desktop printer specifically designed for education, the cubelike Mini has a build volume of 150 x 150 x 150 mm and is capable of printing with a wide variety of materials including PLA, ABS, wood-polymer, nylon, flexible PLA, and PVA
• Thrimána DIY – an entry-level build-your-own-printer kit

The company also offers the Easy Threed series, which includes:

• MARS – an economical, simple entry-level printer designed for beginners, this printer offers affordable, high quality printing without any complex or superfluous features
• WaterCube – a large, sturdy cubelike printer described as being ideal for designers
• MAGNUM – the most advanced printer offered by RCS2 Technologies, this industrial-grade desktop 3D printer is designed for applications including everything from architecture to machining to medical models.

Now, RCS2 Technologies is getting ready to ramp up their 3D printer development, manufacturing and marketing. The company recently signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the University of Colombo to develop the country’s first multi-headed 3D printer. The university’s Science and Technology Cell, which was registered as a company in 2013, is dedicated to supporting research and entrepreneurship not only within the university but among the country as a whole, and offers consultancy services, research and development collaboration, and training programs, among other services for local companies and startups.

The University, expressing a lot of interest in RCS2 Technologies’ vision of 3D printing advancement, agreed to support the local development of the project, which will begin with a new single-extruder printer, to be followed by a multi-headed model that both companies hope will break open the 3D printing industry in the country, as well as allowing RCS2 Technologies to expand internationally in the future.

A timetable for the project has not been released, and details are limited at the moment, but RCS2 Technologies has indicated that they are willing to collaborate with other institutes and universities to further accelerate the development of their technology. Discuss further in the 3D Printing in Sri Lanka forum over at 3DPB.com.

(L to R) Dr. Hiran H. E. Jayaweera, Dr. M. K. Jayananda, Prof K. R. Ranjith Mahanama – Dean of Faculty of Science, Mr. Rajitha De Silva Director/CEO of RCS2 Technology (Pvt) Ltd, Prof. Upul J. Sonnadara – Head Of The Department Of Physics, Prof. J. K. D. S. Jayanetti