Rivelin Robotics :: Advanced Robotics for Post-Processing in Metal Additive Manufacturing

Rivelin Robotics is a Sheffield, UK-based company founded in 2018, specializing in advanced robotics for post-processing in metal additive manufacturing (AM). The company addresses a major bottleneck in the AM workflow: the labor-intensive, hazardous, and costly finishing stage after parts are printed. By automating support removal, trimming, grinding, and polishing, Rivelin enables scalable, reliable production of near-net-shape metal parts for demanding industries such as aerospace, defense, medical (e.g., orthopedic implants), automotive, and tooling.

Rivelin’s core innovation is its NetShape® technology — an intelligent software platform combining AI, machine learning, computer vision, and advanced control algorithms. NetShape® scans each unique part in real-time, adapts to its actual geometry (rather than relying on nominal CAD models), and generates precise, adaptive toolpaths for industrial robotic arms. This results in dexterous, versatile automation that minimizes defects, reduces variability, and eliminates many manual risks. Key reported benefits include up to 90% reduction in defects, 10-fold reduction in operational costs, improved worker safety, and faster throughput. The system integrates with standard industrial robots and supports applications from prototyping to high-volume production.

Main robot-based products and solutions include:

• NetShape Robots (e.g., NS-0, NS-1, NS-2 series and the r1000 micro-factory platform): Compact, autonomous robotic cells designed for support removal, precision machining, grinding, and polishing of metal AM parts. They use high-end sensors for adaptive scanning and real-time decision-making, enabling reliable finishing without extensive programming or pre-defined paths. The r1000 is highlighted as a post-processing microfactory solution.
• NetShape® Software Platform: The brain of the system, leveraging ROS (Robot Operating System), ML, and deterministic controls for planning, simulation, and execution. It teaches robots to handle complex, variable geometries autonomously.

Rivelin emphasizes ease of use (no need for specialist robot programmers), reliability for mission-critical parts, and sustainability by reducing waste and hazardous manual labor. The company has secured patents, won awards (e.g., Formnext Start-up Challenge), and delivered projects including defense contracts and collaborative initiatives like SALSA (with international partners). With a small, specialized team (around 2-10 core employees, though growing), Rivelin focuses on high-impact automation that makes metal AM more viable for volume manufacturing.