A Deeper Look at the Amazing Rize 3D Printing System

By on February 14th, 2017 in printer

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 The Rize 3D printing system
The Rize 3D printing system

This week I managed to get a closer look at the new 3D printing system from startup Rize. 

Iā€™ve written about this currently unreleased machine previously, but thereā€™s no substitution for looking at the machine in person. Iā€™ve come to realize that the technological approach taken by this company could be quite a breakthrough in the world of 3D printing.

Letā€™s do a quick refresher on how it works first. 

The Rize system is composed of a single plastic filament extruder, not unlike many other desktop 3D printer units. They use their own proprietary filament, but thereā€™s a reason for that, which I shall explain momentarily. 

So far this machine sounds like any other, but the next feature is what makes it different. In addition to the extruder, the Rize system also includes what they call a ā€œprint headā€. This print head is in fact very similar to what you might see in an ink jet printer: a device with a great many tiny nozzles capable of depositing fine drops of liquid selectively. 

 The Rize 3D print extruder, which includes both plastic and liquid deposition mechanisms
The Rize 3D print extruder, which includes both plastic and liquid deposition mechanisms

Ok, so far, so good. Now hereā€™s how the system works in its initial configuration: 3D printing occurs in the usual manner, but support structures must be built from the same material as the model, obviously, because there is no other material available in the single-nozzle Rize system. 

For those concerned about the pricing of proprietary materials, weā€™re told the price should be about USD$99 per kg, about double that of generic materials, but far less than other proprietary filament materials from other vendors. 

Normally, such breakaway support structures attempt to maintain minimal contact points with the main body of the print in order to eliminate the rough surfaces where the touch takes place. Sometimes this minimal contact is a compromise between providing adequate support and minimizing surface damage. Sometimes you end up carving off rogue breakaway supports that wonā€™t easily release. 

That doesnā€™t happen on the Rize system because of their fascinating print head innovation: at the point of contact, the print head sprays the contact area with a specialized solution, which they call ā€œRelease Oneā€. This substance permits the support and model sections to touch for support purposes, but prevents them from fusing together! 

This creates a situation where the support contact points need not be minimized, as they just fall off after printing and do not create rough surfaces on the model. 

 Support structures are very easily knocked off prints from the Rize 3D printer
Support structures are very easily knocked off prints from the Rize 3D printer

This is incredibly useful, but there are a few situations where this wonā€™t work well, in which the support material is somehow embedded in the model and canā€™t easily be removed. For those you may have to adapt your model or reorient it to minimize the effect. 

If thatā€™s not sufficiently interesting, keep reading. There is MUCH more to this. 

 The Rize 3D printer includes capacity for two large spools of their strong proprietary plastic
The Rize 3D printer includes capacity for two large spools of their strong proprietary plastic

The print head in the Rize unit actually includes TWO ink jet sources. One of them, as explained above, would normally contain the Release One liquid. The other can contain ink. 

This means that the Rize system can apply ink to surfaces as the print takes place. Here you can see examples of how this is done. 

Logos can be emblazoned on a print. Images can be printed in grey scale. You imagination must be percolating at this point. 

But it gets better. 

The initial system has one print head, as described. However, the Rize design actually includes space for not one, but TWO more print heads, providing the ability to engage SIX liquid depositions simultaneously. 

Now what would we want to use them for? How about this: CMYK. (Thatā€™s Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black, for you non-print tech readers, the basic color set that can mix to form ANY known color.)

 A partially completed 3D print from the Rize machine showing how the color ink soaks into the object. It's not just on the surface; it's embedded in the object
A partially completed 3D print from the Rize machine showing how the color ink soaks into the object. It’s not just on the surface; it’s embedded in the object

Yes, you could actually create full RGB color with this system! If configured in this way, itā€™s possible this system could print full color textured plastic objects. 

 An image embedded in a plastic object 3D printed by the Rize system
An image embedded in a plastic object 3D printed by the Rize system

And thereā€™s even more. The release material, plus CYMK is five liquids to dispense. On the fully tricked-out Rize system, there are six. One is empty. 

It appears that it is Rizeā€™s intention to use this empty slot eventually to include another specialized liquid that can smooth the printed surfaces. A type of ā€œpolisherā€, Iā€™d say. The chemical approach to smoothing prints has been done a few times in the past, with acetone vapor applied to ABS prints, tetrahydrofuran for smoothing PLA and similar. However, all of them are applied to the print after itā€™s completed. 

Rize wants to do it WHILE THE PRINTING TAKES PLACE. 

 The ink bays on the Rize system, here showing one for the release liquid and the other for coloration
The ink bays on the Rize system, here showing one for the release liquid and the other for coloration

Thus, in the end it seems that Rize should be able to 3D print strong, smooth plastic objects in full color, right out of the machine. No one else can do that. 

 A strong plastic part 3D printed by the Rize system
A strong plastic part 3D printed by the Rize system

Rize formally released this machine at Solidworks World last week, at least in “single color” mode. As for the full color and perhaps even automated smoothing, that may even happen as well by the end of 2017.

Via Rize
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By Kerry Stevenson

Kerry Stevenson, aka "General Fabb" has written over 8,000 stories on 3D printing at Fabbaloo since he launched the venture in 2007, with an intention to promote and grow the incredible technology of 3D printing across the world. So far, it seems to be working!