The Exone Company is a global market leader in industrial sand and metal 3D printing with binder jetting technologies. It has confirmed the official launch of the Exone Metal Designlab Printer and the X1F Advanced Furnace in a completely exclusive tie-up with Rapidia which is a technology company based in Vancouver, Canada. It was founded by Dan Gelbart. Orders are being steadily accepted with the furnace and system printer being available for delivery right in the second quarter itself.

Under the strategic partnership and its terms and conditions, Exone will have the right of first refusal with regard to majority ownership of Rapidia. Gelbart will now transform into the technology advisor to the company. Gelbart has previously established companies like laser tech company Creo, Inc which he sold for $1 billion to Kodak in the year 2005. He has also launched medical device company Kardium earlier. He has garnered 135 U.S. patents for his inventions covering package tracking technologies and even atrial fibrillation treatment. The popular prototyping YouTube series is an instructional tool for many global universities as well.

Rapidia has developed its two-step 3D printing technologies over many years. It was first shown in the year 2019 and was the first to enable water-bound metal and other ceramic parts to directly go into the furnace from a printer minus any de-binding step. This is possible with the help of HydroFuse which is a highly innovative water-based paste with ceramic powder and metal content. It will not need de-binding prior to final sintering as well. There are two materials presently available, i.e. 17-4PH and 316L stainless steels. Many other ceramics and metals will come into the picture soon as per reports.

The teams at Rapidia and Exone are partnering for process and system improvements for providing the same to the global marketplace. The X1F advanced furnace has approximately 10 litres of usable volume and this will be provided throughout the binder jet lineup of Exone.