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The Rapid 3D Family Story:
The dream of 3D printing became a reality, when in 2004, we imported our first 3D printer, a ZPrinter 310.

With the anticipated arrival of the ZPrinter 310, the initial idea was to provide a 3D printing bureau service. But as events unfolded, by 2005, we had entered into an agreement with ZCorporation. A deal that would lead to Rapid 3D becomming the official distributors for 3D Systems in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.

Fast forward 10 years and Rapid 3D, a business founded by a family of engineers, is thriving as our strong focus on technical solutions, that make good business sense, has empowered businesses to make good on the, sometimes unpredictable, promise of 3D printing.

It’s at this juncture, in 2014 that Rapid 3D JV (PTY) Ltd was created as a subsidiary of Kemtek Imaging Systems.

Backed and supported by Kemtek’s nationwide logistics and support infrastructure, we have been able to grow our offering in line with our vision; Professional 3D Printing solutions that make good business sense.

The ability to always offer the best solution to clients was often marred by the fact that 3D printing technology is perpetually developing across such a wide array of applications.

Different industries require different solutions. Solutions that are seldom covered by one primary equipment manufacturer. At our last count, there are 119 3D printer manufacturers.

Our partnership with Kemtek opened the doors to the resources needed to reliably represent and support proven technologies from different manufacturers. For us here at Rapid 3D, this was a great win, because the real win is for our clients.

We are now able to design professional 3D printing solutions from a much bigger palette of options.

While the professional 3D printer sales were growing steadily, the original dream of running a 3D printing bureau service had grown alongside under the capable and determined hand of Brian.

Spun off as Rapid 3D Parts (www.rapid3dparts.co.za), the 3D bureau service has expanded to include the gammut of 3D printing, Laser Cutting and 3D scanning technologies.

It presently offers the following technologies:
• Stereolithography (SLA): The SLA process utilizes a vat of liquid photopolymer resin cured by ultraviolet laser to create solid 3D models.
• Selective Laser Sintering (SLS): SLS employs a high power laser to fuse plastic powders into finished prototypes and functional end-use components.
• ColorJet Printing (CJP): Using an inkjet-like printing head to selectively deposit a colored liquid binding over a bed of powder material we are able to create full color finished parts. (Read More)
• MultiJet Printing (MJP): An additive manufacturing process that prints thin layers of UV curable liquid plastics and wax support materials to create high resolution fully cured plastic parts.
• QuickPlastic™ Cast Urethane: QuickPlastic™ is a low volume production method that produces parts from cast urethane plastics.
• Plastic Jet Printing (PJP): A solid-based rapid prototyping method, depositing material through a heated extrusion head to build a finished model.
• Direct Metal Printing (DMP): Direct Metal Printing uses additive manufacturing technology. A high-precision laser is used on metal powder particles, producing horizontal metal layers.
• Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF): Another additive manufacturing technology, FFF (similar to Fused deposition modeling (FDM)) uses a plastic filament or metal wire, unwound from a coil to supply material to produce a part.

With all these technologies at our fingertips and a continious stream of projects – covering the straightforward, all the way through to the most imaginative, boundry-pushing designs – we’ve lived the 3D printing dream, warts and all.

For our clients, we can truly say, “We actually do this stuff”. And because we do this stuff day-in and day-out, we can call it just like it is, complete with our trained-this-way engineering practicality. Rapid 3D is not your usual box-moving equipment distribution company.

We walk our talk.

Having lived the bleeding edge these last 12+ years, we are constantly looking to the developments in 3D printing. Carefully sorting the hype from the real-world. It’s from this basis that we engage our clients in paid consults, helping them see and understand the developments over the horizon.

Disruptive developments that will force them to reconsider their existing business models or join the dinosaurs as they face irrelevance and ultimately, extinction.

Industry 4.0, a term that encompasses a range of disruptive technologies is very real. A revolution is taking place right under our noses. A revolution that will disrupt strong established businesses if they do not embrace those technologies and gain an understanding of how to deploy those technologies in their industries.

3D printing is one of those disruptive technologies. Join us as we embrace the future. Our future.