Rivelin Robotics’ Netshape Robots for Metal AM Postprocessing

Rivelin Robotics’ NetShape Robots were developed to address the need for fast, reliable postprocessing solutions for metal AM parts and components. According to the company, for many metal AM applications, postprocessing contributes nearly 30% of unit cost per part, often involving manual intervention which introduces part-to-part quality inconsistency. In addition, it can be a costly, laborious and, in some instances, hazardous part of the production workflow.

[Related: Force sensing and vision in the Rivelin Robotics postprocessing system (includes video)]

The NetShape Robot provides an automated solution for metal support removal and targeted finishing to meet the standards of mission-critical industries. Driven by Rivelin’s NetShape control software, both machine learning and traditional deterministic control theory are used to optimize the quality and repeatability of support removal and finishing. The result is an automated support removal solution that is said to reduce defects by 90%, exhibits a 10-fold reduction in operational costs, and eliminates human risk and variability.
 
“The search for automated postprocessing solutions is ongoing and vital for the mass uptake of metal AM across industry, and is the reason that Rivelin Robotics exists,” says Robert Bush, Rivelin Robotics CEO. “As a company, we aim to drive the uptake of AM which we see as a major contributor to a sustainable future, and which will have lasting benefits for our environment. With NetShape Robots, we introduce our first breakthrough to achieve this goal.”
 
NetShape Robots can be applied to the specifics of customer applications, including automation of common metal AM postprocessing tasks which can protect workers’ health, tackle skills shortages and reduce costs.