Azul 3D/ Instagram
Azul 3D's HARP technology.
Azul 3D, a Chicago-based vendor bringing to market its High Area Rapid Printing (HARP) technology, has raised more than $8 million in a second stage seed financing round.
The company will leverage the investment to advance its proprietary HARP technology and develop and ship its first commercial printers, while also expanding its operations to prepare for its commercial launch, recruiting senior leadership personnel and building its manufacturing facility.
HARP is based on a continuous stereolithography process that uses a mobile liquid interface to reduce the adhesive forces between the interface and the part being printed. Azul expects to ship its first load of machines out to beta customers in the first quarter of 2021, before distributing its commercial platforms at the end of the year.
Designed to meet production needs, Azul says it has achieved continuous vertical print rates exceeding 430 millimetres per hour with a volumetric throughput of 100 litres per hour. Proof-of-concept parts made from hard plastics, ceramic precursors and elastomer resins have been printed, with Azul promising a ‘vast palette of resins’ for its customers, as well as fast printing speeds, high throughput, and ‘limitless’ scale.
HARP technology has been developed at Northwestern University under the supervision of Professor Chad Mirkin, who continues to work beside CEO James Hedrick and CTO David Walker as Chairman of the Board. While commercialisation of HARP technology is still 18 months away, Azul 3D has managed to leverage its technology to produce components for medical face shields to assist healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients. The company is said to be able to produce 1,000 face shields per day per printer with HARP technology, while a ‘next-generation’ printer is set to come online next month, doubling its capacity.
