Ricoh’s use of additive manufacturing to fight COVID-19

We have already seen how the additive manufacturing industry responded to the health crisis caused by COVID-19, and how it played a key role in stopping the spread of the virus. Ricoh has also contributed to this global mobilization, using its machinery to provide concrete solutions for healthcare workers and all those exposed. According to the company, 3D printing is a practical solution for industries such as dental, medical and industrial, especially when it comes to speeding up the design and production of models. To find out more about Ricoh’s technologies and what they have done to fight the spread of COVID-19, we met with some of its team members.

3DN: Could you introduce Ricoh and its relationship with 3D printing?

As a leader in 2D production printing since 1936, innovations in 3D technology was the natural next step for the Ricoh group. Ricoh is a global provider of technology that transforms business processes and information management, so was already using additive manufacturing in the development of its own production printers and industrial systems. The company moved into a new dimension of printing with the release of Ricoh’s own AM S5500P Selective Laser Sintering system in 2015. It was then that the 3D print business was established in Europe to offer sales support and produce benchmark parts for customers.

Ricoh started in 2D printing in 1936 | Credits: Ricoh

3DN: How did Ricoh integrate AM technologies and why?

Today, Ricoh 3D is in control of its own destiny from a European point of view although still part of a huge global network. That’s what makes us different from other service bureaus – we have our own team of design engineers, material scientists and production experts to enable customers to develop and innovate. The business transitioned to a printing service in 2016 when the gap in the market was recognised for Ricoh’s own Polypropylene material given its superior purity, flexibility and durability. It is also lightweight, completely watertight and chemically resistant. The same properties that made it the ideal solution for comfortable, yet resilient PPE for healthcare workers battling the COVID-19 crisis. Today, the UK-based marketplace factory offers a full suite of SLS, MJF and FDM systems and facilities including material testing, design services and metrology. With a 828m² injection moulding plant on site too, the team also understand that 3D printing is not the right technology for every application so work with customers to scale up effectively.