What Rivelin Robotics does

Rivelin Robotics Limited is a UK-based private company founded in 2018 by Robert Bush and headquartered in Sheffield, with a manufacturing facility at Rutland Business Park. The company builds AI-driven robotic systems that automate the post-processing of metal additive manufacturing (metal 3D printing) parts — specifically support removal, deburring, surface finishing, platform removal, cleaning, and inspection — addressing what it identifies as the primary bottleneck in scaling metal AM production. Its core technology, NetShape®, combines 3D scanning, AI-adaptive path planning, and force-controlled robotic finishing into a software platform that is hardware-agnostic across the company's robotic microfactory products. The flagship r1000 is a full-featured microfactory with an 8-axis robot, ±0.05mm repeatability, ±0.25mm accuracy, 400kg payload, and up to 10 end-effector docks; the r500 extends the same NetShape® intelligence to a smaller footprint, and the rAD-AT800S integrates robotic finishing with Solukon depowdering systems.

Rivelin sells through a consultative direct enterprise sales motion, primarily to defense, aerospace, medical, and energy customers. Documented end users include GKN Aerospace (Bristol), Materials Solutions / Siemens Energy (Worcester), Attenborough Medical, the Royal Air Force's 71 (Inspect and Repair) Squadron at RAF Wittering, GE Aerospace, and 3T Additive Manufacturing, with 11 microfactories deployed across the UK, Spain, France, Germany, and the United States. The company reports outcomes of up to 90% reduction in cost-per-kilogram, 5x productive hours versus manual finishing, and roughly one-fifth the cost of poor quality. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of microfactory systems (r1000, r500, custom modules) and licensing of the NetShape® software platform, with multi-year contracts and undisclosed quote-based pricing.

The company is backed by UK Defence Innovation, Dstl, DASA, and Innovate UK grant funding (including a £3.7 million MSI Challenge grant as part of Project CAMPFIRE) rather than disclosed institutional equity investors, and grew from a single founder to 21 employees with a COO appointment in February 2025 to support industrial scaling. Hardware integration partners include YASKAWA EU (robot arms), Saint-Gobain Abrasives (consumables), Renishaw (touch probes), and Solukon (depowdering integration).

Name

Rivelin Robotics

Legal name

Rivelin Robotics Limited

Website

https://rivelinrobotics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rivelin Robotics builds AI-driven robotic microfactory systems that autonomously finish metal 3D-printed parts. Its NetShape® software powers the r1000 and r500 robots sold to enterprise and government customers in aerospace, defense, medical, and energy across the UK, Europe, and the US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Robotic Post-Processing Automation

NAICS

Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (33324), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559), Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Warehouse Robotics (HDAAAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Robots (Articulated, SCARA, Delta, Cartesian) (IMAHAHAA), Robot End-of-Arm Tooling (Grippers, Tool Changers, Welding/Cutting Heads) (IMAHAHAD), Motion & Machine Control (CNC, Robotics Controllers, Servo/Motion Controllers) (IMAGABAG)

Keywords

• Robotic post-processing
• Metal additive manufacturing
• Industrial finishing automation
• Robotic microfactory systems
• Surface finishing robotics

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheffield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Robotic Microfactory Sales: Sale of hardware systems including the r1000 and r500 microfactory platforms, along with custom automation modules. The company has sold 11 microfactories to customers across Spain, France, Germany, and the United States.
2. NetShape® Software Platform: Licensing of proprietary NetShape® software that provides scanning, path planning, and force control intelligence across every Rivelin platform. The software is hardware-agnostic and can be deployed on different robotic configurations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rivelin Robotics designs, manufactures, and sells robotic microfactory systems (r1000, r500, and rAD-AT800S) powered by the proprietary NetShape® software platform to autonomously perform support removal, surface finishing, grinding, polishing, deburring, platform removal, and quality inspection of metal additive manufacturing parts. The 8-axis robot cells combine adaptive 3D scanning, AI path planning, and force-controlled finishing with standard industrial tools, deployed at customer sites across defense, aerospace, medical, and energy sectors.

Product overview

Rivelin Robotics offers a platform-plus-modules product architecture anchored by the NetShape® software platform, which provides the core AI and robotic intelligence for automated post-processing of metal parts. The primary product is the r1000 robotic post-processing microfactory, a full-featured system with 8-axis robot, adaptive scanning, and finishing intelligence that achieves 5x productive hours compared to manual methods. The r500 provides the same NetShape intelligence in a compact footprint for smaller production environments. The rAD-AT800S is an add-on module that integrates with Solukon SFM-AT800-S systems for automated powder removal and finishing. These products support four core workflows: Support Removal, Targeted Finishing, Platform Removal, and Cleaning, enabling fully autonomous post-processing from scan to finish.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NetShape®: Robotic automation technology platform for automated post-processing of metal parts, including scanning, path planning, force control, and finishing intelligence.
• r1000
• r500
• rAD-AT800S

Products and services

• NetShape® Proprietary NetShape® software and AI platform combining 3D scanning, adaptive path planning, and force-controlled robotic finishing that powers every Rivelin platform and enables autonomous post-processing of metal additive manufacturing parts.
• r1000 Full-featured robotic post-processing microfactory with an 8-axis robot, adaptive scanning, toolpath control, and finishing intelligence; supports up to 10 end effector docks, 56 processes including hammering, cutting, grinding, sanding, polishing, drilling, and 3D scanning, with a 400kg payload and ±0.05mm repeatability / ±0.25mm accuracy in a Ø1000mm × 800mm work envelope.
• r500 Compact robotic post-processing microfactory offering the same NetShape® scanning, path planning, force control, and finishing intelligence as the r1000 in a smaller footprint for teams where full r1000 footprint is not practical.
• rAD-AT800S Robot-assisted depowdering module fully integrated into the Solukon SFM-AT800-S powder removal system, combining automated powder removal with robotic finishing, compressed air blasting, vibration clearing, and channel inspection in one integrated workflow.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% reduction in cost-per-kilogram for completed components vs. manual finishing
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.

• GKN AerospacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 March 2024Project CAMPFIRE partner. GKN Aerospace is collaborating with Rivelin to explore robotic systems for automating support material removal from complex aerospace products. The partnership includes on-site assessment at GKN's Global Technology Centre in Bristol, UK, with feedback informing upgrades and modifications for future systems.
• Materials Solutions (Siemens Energy Business)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 March 2024Project CAMPFIRE partner. Materials Solutions is working with Rivelin to utilize the NetShape Robot to reduce operations in their process chain and demonstrate improved turbine vane leading edge quality, targeting certification for energy sector parts.
• Attenborough MedicalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 March 2024Project CAMPFIRE partner. Attenborough Medical is collaborating to develop a full digital post-processing solution for patient-specific medical implants, addressing challenges with small, delicate parts that break during manual support removal.
• YASKAWA EUkeyTechnology or IntegrationHardware partner providing robot arm and positioner cell solutions. YASKAWA delivers robotic products and manufacturing capabilities while Rivelin focuses on integration of state-of-the-art sensors and processes for the complete customer solution.
• Saint-Gobain AbrasiveskeyTechnology or IntegrationHardware partner providing abrasive, burr, and bit solutions for the finishing job. Saint-Gobain brings over 100 years of experience in grinding technology and is actively involved in the transition to automated post-processing.
• SolukonkeyTechnology or IntegrationProduct integration partnership where Rivelin's rAD-AT800S robotic roof module is integrated into the Solukon SFM-AT800-S system, combining automated powder removal with robotic finishing in one integrated system.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PostProcess Technologies: PostProcess Technologies is the most direct competitor, offering automated post-processing solutions for additive manufacturing parts across support removal, surface finishing, and cleaning — directly overlapping Rivelin's core value proposition in metal and polymer AM finishing.
• Solukon Maschinenbau: Solukon is both a partner and adjacent competitor, specializing in automated powder removal and depowdering systems for metal AM (e.g., SFM-AT800-S, which Rivelin integrates with via the rAD-AT800S). It competes in the broader metal AM post-processing workflow.
• DyeMansion: DyeMansion provides automated post-processing (surface finishing, coloring, polishing) for additive manufactured parts, with strong presence in polymer AM. It is a relevant comparable for Rivelin's automated finishing workflow and go-to-market model, though it focuses on polymers rather than metals.

Broad incumbents

• Renishaw: Renishaw is a global metal AM system manufacturer and a partner (touch probes for the r1000). It is a broad incumbent that could vertically integrate post-processing automation or compete for the same regulated customers in aerospace and medical.
• EOS GmbH: EOS is a leading metal and polymer AM system manufacturer serving aerospace, medical, and industrial customers. As an AM OEM, it controls the printer side of the workflow that Rivelin's post-processing systems feed into, and is a strategic comparable for the integrated digital manufacturing stack.
• 3D Systems: 3D Systems is a large, publicly traded additive manufacturing solutions provider with metal printing, materials, and software offerings. It serves the same aerospace, defense, and medical customers as Rivelin and could bundle in-house post-processing automation.

Others

• Yaskawa Electric: Yaskawa is a global industrial robot manufacturer and a current hardware partner (Yaskawa EU supplies the 8-axis robot arms in Rivelin's systems). It is a relevant ecosystem comparable and a potential vertical integrator of robotic finishing cells.
• ABB Robotics: ABB is a global industrial automation incumbent offering robotic arms, force-control packages, and end-to-end automation solutions. Comparable to Rivelin as an enabler/supplier of robotic automation in industrial finishing, and a potential competitor if it packages AM-specific finishing cells.
• KUKA: KUKA is a major industrial robot and automation systems provider, serving automotive, aerospace, and general manufacturing. Relevant as a comparable automation platform and a potential competitor for high-mix robotic finishing cells.

Emerging players

• AML3D: AML3D is an emerging metal AM (wire-arc additive manufacturing) company focused on defense, aerospace, and industrial customers. It is a comparable emerging metal AM player that faces similar post-processing bottlenecks and is a potential customer or partner for Rivelin's systems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/19031167
• Xx.com/rivelinrobotics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rivelin Robotics