Flovv & Flovv-e: Revolutionizing Desktop Manufacturing with Integrated 3D Printing and Reaction Injection Molding

The landscape of manufacturing is continually evolving, with 3D printing emerging as a transformative force. Kickstarter, a prominent crowdfunding platform, has played a pivotal role in bringing numerous innovations in additive manufacturing to fruition, showcasing the immense potential for technological advancement. Notable examples like Formlabs and Bambu Lab have successfully leveraged this platform to fund ambitious projects, propelling them from concept to market reality. Now, Neckog Industries is stepping into this illustrious lineage with their groundbreaking projects, Flovv and Flovv-e, which promise to redefine desktop manufacturing by seamlessly integrating 3D printing with reaction injection molding (RIM).

These new hybrid manufacturing solutions have already captured significant attention on Kickstarter, exceeding their initial funding target of $10,000 by an impressive margin, raising over $165,181 with 28 campaign days still remaining. This overwhelming support underscores a strong market demand for accessible, versatile, and efficient manufacturing tools. Flovv and Flovv-e are the inaugural products from the American manufacturer, Neckog Industries, designed to push the boundaries of both additive manufacturing and traditional injection molding. Their core promise is to enable users to produce durable, precise, and highly versatile parts with unparalleled speed and cost-efficiency, making advanced manufacturing more accessible than ever before.

The Power of Synergy: Combining 3D Printing and Reaction Injection Molding (RIM)

The innovation at the heart of Flovv and Flovv-e lies in their ingenious combination of 3D printing and injection molding, leveraging the complementary strengths of each technology. 3D printing is celebrated for its unmatched design flexibility, allowing for the creation of intricate geometries and rapid prototyping without the need for expensive tooling. However, its limitations become apparent when scaling up to mass production, often struggling with speed, material costs, and achieving the robust mechanical properties or high surface finishes required for end-use parts.

Conversely, traditional injection molding excels in the rapid, high-volume production of high-quality, durable parts with excellent surface finishes. Its primary drawbacks, however, include substantial upfront costs for tooling (molds), lengthy lead times for mold fabrication, and a significant lack of design flexibility once a mold is made. These barriers make traditional injection molding inaccessible for many small businesses, independent creators, and even large companies seeking quick iterations or low-volume specialized parts.

Flovv and Flovv-e ingeniously bridge this critical gap, offering a hybrid manufacturing solution that harnesses the best of both worlds. The process involves using 3D printing to create custom molds, which can be done quickly and affordably. Once the mold is printed, the machines utilize Reaction Injection Molding (RIM) to inject liquid polyurethanes into these 3D-printed cavities. This chemical reaction and subsequent curing within the mold lead to the rapid creation of dense, strong, and highly precise parts in just a matter of minutes. This innovative approach not only allows for the production of complex geometries that would be challenging or impossible with traditional molding but also delivers parts with superior mechanical properties and an excellent surface quality finish, often surpassing what standalone 3D printing can achieve for functional components.

Delving Deeper into Reaction Injection Molding (RIM)

To truly appreciate the innovation behind Flovv and Flovv-e, it’s helpful to understand Reaction Injection Molding (RIM). Unlike conventional injection molding which melts and injects thermoplastic pellets under high pressure, RIM involves the rapid mixing and injection of two or more liquid reactive components, typically polyol and isocyanate for polyurethanes, directly into a mold. These components then chemically react and polymerize (cure) within the mold, forming a solid part. This process requires significantly lower clamping pressures compared to traditional injection molding, making it suitable for lower-cost, 3D-printed molds and enabling the creation of larger or more complex parts with varying wall thicknesses.

The advantages of RIM in this context are substantial. It allows for the use of thermosetting polymers like polyurethanes, which offer a wide range of material properties, including rigidity, flexibility, and foam-like textures, along with excellent durability, chemical resistance, and impact strength. The relatively low injection pressures also mean that even intricate 3D-printed molds, which might not withstand the stresses of high-pressure injection molding, can be effectively utilized. This opens up vast possibilities for material experimentation and rapid prototyping with end-use materials, something that has historically been a bottleneck in product development.

Flovv and Flovv-e: Your Desktop Gateway to Injection Molding

Neckog Industries offers two distinct yet complementary machines to cater to different user needs: the Flovv-e and the Flovv. The Flovv-e is designed as an integrated, all-in-one solution, combining a high-performance 3D printer with a reaction injection molding (RIM) machine into a single, compact module. This makes it an ideal choice for users who want a complete desktop manufacturing system capable of producing both molds and final injected parts.

The Flovv-e boasts impressive specifications for a desktop unit, featuring a substantial print volume of 320 x 320 x 400 mm, allowing for the creation of sizable molds and parts. Its fully enclosed design and heated chamber are crucial for ensuring stable and high-quality 3D prints, especially when working with engineering filaments like ABS, which is often recommended for creating durable molds. With a claimed maximum print speed of 300 mm/s, the Flovv-e can rapidly produce molds, further accelerating the iterative design and manufacturing process. The integrated workflow is straightforward: users can print precise ABS molds, apply a release agent, and then inject these molds with various polyurethane materials – ranging from rigid and flexible to foamed polyurethanes – to create functional parts tailored to specific application requirements.

For individuals or businesses who already possess a 3D printer, the Flovv serves as a standalone RIM unit. This injection-only machine is designed to complement existing additive manufacturing setups, offering an accessible entry point into hybrid manufacturing. Both the Flovv-e and Flovv machines simplify the RIM process significantly. They automatically mix the two liquid components (polyurethane and hardener) in precise ratios, mitigating the common challenge of rapid solution curing and ensuring consistent material properties. Furthermore, after each use, both machines run a convenient self-cleaning program, minimizing maintenance and maximizing operational efficiency, allowing users to focus more on design and production rather than tedious upkeep.

Democratizing Manufacturing: Applications and Future Impact

The potential applications for Flovv and Flovv-e are incredibly vast and promising, poised to democratize advanced manufacturing techniques for a wide array of users. Their hybrid approach is perfect for rapid functional prototyping, allowing designers and engineers to quickly iterate on designs and produce prototypes with end-use material properties. This accelerates product development cycles significantly. For small-batch production and custom manufacturing, these machines offer a cost-effective solution for creating specialized components for niche markets, bespoke consumer goods, or limited edition products, eliminating the need for expensive traditional tooling.

Beyond commercial uses, Flovv and Flovv-e hold immense potential in educational settings, enabling students to gain hands-on experience with both additive manufacturing and injection molding processes. Artists and designers can leverage these tools to create unique molds for intricate sculptural works or product designs with superior finishes. Industries such as robotics, medical devices, and automotive can benefit from the ability to produce custom fixtures, enclosures, and specialized parts on demand, offering agility and innovation capabilities previously reserved for large-scale industrial setups.

The success of the Kickstarter campaign, which has already surpassed its initial goal by more than fifteenfold, clearly indicates a strong interest and belief in this technology’s capacity to empower creators and innovators. This enthusiasm reflects a growing demand for versatile, powerful, and accessible manufacturing solutions that can bridge the gap between flexible design and durable, high-quality production.

Addressing Challenges and Providing Support: Neckog Industries’ Vision

While the promise of Flovv and Flovv-e is undeniable, Neckog Industries acknowledges that this is a project currently under development, and its capabilities and promises will require independent validation as it moves closer to full production and widespread adoption. One critical aspect the company has proactively addressed is the potential learning curve for designing complex injection molds, especially for users who might be new to advanced manufacturing techniques.

Understanding that some of its public may lack the extensive experience typically required for intricate mold design, Neckog Industries is offering a groundbreaking solution: a Mold Design as a Service (DaaS). This service is designed to significantly lower the barrier to entry for users. With DaaS, Neckog Industries takes on the responsibility of designing the necessary molds based on user specifications, enabling customers to focus their energy and creativity on innovation and the development of their final products. This strategic offering aims to simplify the manufacturing experience, making hybrid 3D printing and injection molding accessible to a much wider audience, fostering a new generation of creators and manufacturers.

The attractive post-crowdfunding pricing of the machines – announced at $900 for the standalone Flovv and $4,000 for the integrated Flovv-e – further underscores Neckog Industries’ commitment to making this advanced technology accessible. These price points are significantly lower than traditional industrial injection molding setups, making them viable for small businesses, educational institutions, and individual innovators. The combination of accessible technology, diverse material capabilities, and proactive support services like DaaS positions Flovv and Flovv-e as truly transformative tools in the evolving landscape of desktop manufacturing.

We will continue to monitor the progress of this exciting project and assess its real-world impact on the 3D printing and broader manufacturing industries. In the meantime, if you would like more information, feel free to visit the Neckog Industries website HERE.

What do you think of the Flovv and Flovv-e? Let us know in a comment below or on our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly newsletter here for the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel.

*All Photo Credits: Neckog Industries