Viridis3D Unveils RAM10 3D Printer Materials Development Kit for Casting Solutions

Viridis3D is a supplier of additive manufacturing technology for making sand molds and cores used in foundry applications, and the company sells materials, 3D printing devices, software, and scanners to deploy 3D printed casting solutions.

Co-founders Andy Jeffery, Will Shambley, and James Bredt set their focus on commercializing new materials for additive manufacturing, and they came to the work with a bit of a pedigree. Bredt’s thesis project at MIT led to the creation of one of the best-known 3D printing companies — Z Corporation.

As the original materials developer, Bredt also invented the color printing slicer which ultimately became central to the Z Corp color 3D printing process.

Shambley also worked at Z Corp, and it was his task to take benchtop formulas for 3D printing materials all the way to production. He also served as the manager for Z Corp’s Materials R&D group until 2009.

Jeffery, the co-founder of Specific Surface Corporation, was one of the first licensees of an MIT 3D printing process used to make ceramics. Along with co-founding Viridis3D in 2010, Jeffrey also founded the custom ceramic manufacturer Figulo Corporation.

Now as the guiding lights behind Viridis3D, the trio have launched the RAM10 3D Printer Materials Development Kit. They call it an “open materials development system designed to make R&D faster, cheaper and easier.”

Included in the kit are electronics, spreader bars, and a fluids manifold, and this very simple device features fast test cycle times and small build volumes.

“We’re very eager to see the products that come out of the academic and industrial sectors as they start to use this materials development system,” Shambley, President of Viridis3D, told TCTMagazine.com. “There are a great many untapped 3D printing applications. We’re hoping that by making this easy-to-use development kit, we’ll be able to create a thriving development community around the bigger production RAM printers.”

Shambley says Viridis3D took advantage of a different tactic than most large format printer manufacturers, and that the RAM10 3D Printer Development Kit allows users to change powder, binder, firing parameters, tubing, and powder deposition subsystems. The system enables distributed development of new materials sets as well as allowing for scale-up to the larger systems.

“Many of the most valuable product enhancements in 3D printing actually originated from the customers’ feedback,” says Bredt, CTO of Viridis3D.

The first system was installed at Palmer Manufacturing & Supply, and Ken Strausbaugh says the system has already paid dividends for his company.

“It was extremely easy and fast to get the RAM10 up and running,” Strausbaugh says. “With a little guidance from Viridis3D, we had a new ink working in just a few days.”

Have you ever seen the Viridis3D systems at work or done any 3D printing for casting applications? Let us know in the RAM10 3D Printer Materials Development Kit forum thread on 3DPB.com.