Exton-based Ricoh USA, Inc., a provider of integrated digital services and print and imaging solutions, and North Carolina State University (NC State), which offers one of the top graduate programs for additive manufacturing, recently partnered to address supply chain challenges through the application of 3D-printing technology.
In 2022, global revenue for additive manufacturing products and services grew 18.3 percent. The products and services are used for personalized consumer products, manufacturing aids, prototyping, and other end-use parts.
The partners will operate a center of excellence that will focus on the research and development of new additive manufacturing applications and function as the nerve center for Ricoh’s Managed 3D-print services network. This will enable product teams to design, prototype, and quickly refine and reiterate a product design. By bringing prototyping in-house, Ricoh has cut time and cost by nearly 90 percent.
“Ricoh’s Managed 3D-print services will help manufacturers accelerate innovation and product development through rapid, onsite prototyping,” Gary Turner, Ricoh Senior Director of Additive Manufacturing, said. “As the applications for additive manufacturing grow, adopting an as-a-service model leverages existing onsite 3D-printing expertise and resources to shorten time while minimizing any additional capital investment.”
Ricoh, whose global headquarters are located in Tokyo, Japan, is featuring Managed 3D-print services at MODEX 2024, a manufacturing and supply chain event being held this week in Atlanta.