RIZE Leverages Materials Science for AM Safety

After a months-long collaboration, RIZE Inc.’s 2XC desktop industrial 3D printer has achieved GREENGUARD Certification—a key safety and sustainability milestone for the printer—and also a marker that the firm’s RIZIUM Alliance can transform other existing Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) offerings into safer options for mainstream use.

Through its RIZIUM alliance, RIZE worked with partner Sindoh, a South Korean 3D printer manufacturer, to incorporate the RIZUM portfolio of materials into the 2XC and as a result, achieve GREENGUARD certification. In addition, the GREENGUARD certified RIZE 2XC model also supports the RIZIUM Carbon Filament material.

The certification is a proof point that the printers meet rigorous third-party chemical emissions standards and address issues surrounding moisture absorption and other environmental hazards—key metrics if they are to be used safely in office, school, home, or even industrial environments. A study by Chemical Insights, Research Institute of Underwriters Laboratories, and the Georgia Institute of Technology outlined how volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ultrafine particles (UFPs) emissions from desktop 3D printers can compromise health and air quality for millions of students, patients, and employees who are in the vicinity of common 3D printers. The RIZIUM materials and patented processes address those concerns, thus why they help printer partners achieve the zero emissions certification.

“This truly shows the power of materials science to drive our aim of safety and sustainability,” says Andy Kalambi, RIZE’s CEO. “We want this to be a proof point for the industry … that with the right technology, these printers can run safe anywhere.”

Safety concerns restrict the utility of traditional FDM 3D printers unless organizations invest in special filters or venting. By working with RIZE via its RIZIUM Alliance, other manufacturers can optimize for its RIZIUM One and RIZIUM Carbon Fiber materials and achieve GREENGUARD certification. In addition to the RIZE 2XC, the XRIZE full-color composite 3D printer along with the RIZIUM Carbon Fiber and RIZIUM ST release and marking inks and the RIZE One monochrome 3D printer and associated materials marking inks have also meet critical certification standards.

“We want to wake the industry up to the safety issues and how to avoid the kinds of problems that are limiting the growth of FDM,” Kalambi says. “Our focus will be to continue to drive focus on safety concerns in 2021. We want RIZE to be seen not just as a traditional 3D printer manufacturer, but also as a materials science company.”

Watch this video to learn more about the RIZE 2XC.