Articles about RAM3D

August 2025 – “Associate Spotlight: RAM3D” – Aerospace New Zealand – https://www.aerospace.org.nz/news/associate-spotlight-ram3d

• Article Summary: Aerospace New Zealand sat down with RAM3D (who are returning as a Gold Sponsor for the 2025 New Zealand Aerospace Summit) to learn about their journey of “Printing the Future” and their connections to the global aerospace industry. Key turning points for RAM3D have come about by progressing business relationships to partnerships, through attending local and overseas trade shows and events, and by contributing to the New Zealand community of aerospace manufacturing and services. Their memorable projects have included 3D printing parts that achieved lunar orbit, and currently adding capacity to in-house CNC machining capabilities.
• Keywords: Events – New Zealand – Our Processes – Sector: Aerospace

July 2025 – “Family Ties” – Cyclist Magazine, Issue 166 – https://store.cyclist.co.uk/issue/cyc-166

• Article Summary: Parents, siblings, partner, kids… they’re all inspiration for Kev Pollock’s framebuilding brand No-ni Cycles. Pollock chose the name because ‘it looks great on a down tube’, but also because it’s what he used to call his sister, Fiona, when they were little. Pollock’s 2nd bike was built with family in mind, too. His partner wanted something to take on multi-day expeditions in the wilderness. “Her old setup just wasn’t really suited to that kind of thing.” To begin the project they sourced stainless steel tubing from Columbus, and 15-5PH stainless steel printed parts from RAM3D in New Zealand. For Pollock, it was the perfect opportunity to dive into using 3D printed parts – something he’d been interested in for a while.
• Keywords: International – Our Customers – Sector: Bicycles

July 2025 – “Meet the Bay of Plenty’s only search and rescue dog team” – Bay of Plenty Times – https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/meet-the-bay-of-plentys-only-search-and-rescue-dog-team/DOK5WD5SDJA4NCNKPTYFRU6DME/

• Article Summary: After extensive training, Nick Petry and his German Shepherd Kora became 24/7 on-call Land Search and Rescue (LandSAR) volunteers, and have now completed more than 100 callouts together. Nick and Kora recently won a “Good as Gold” award from ASB Bank and TV programme Seven Sharp for their dedication and sacrifice for the community. Petry values the recognition for the work he and Kora do, but also wanted to recognise the Tauranga LandSAR group for their contributions – “It’s always a team effort.” (NB: See below, Nov. 2020 “RAM3D is 3D printing titanium implants for veterinary surgery” article.)
• Keywords: New Zealand – Our Customers

July 2025 – Video: “ASB Good as Gold | Nick Petry and Kora” – ASB Bank – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNQBRWV4tyI

• Video Summary: Nick has volunteered with Land Search & Rescue (LSAR) for over 10 years, with his tracking dog, Kora, becoming fully operational alongside him in 2020. They have spent countless hours out in the wild – rain or shine – helping to find and rescue those who are lost, missing, or injured. Being a LSAR dog handler is fully self-funded, with Nick adopting Kora and covering her training, insurance, and maintenance himself. On call 24/7, their work and efforts have saved many lives. ASB recognised their service with their ASB Good as Gold award. (NB: See Nov. 2020 “RAM3D is 3D printing titanium implants for veterinary surgery” below.)
• Keywords: New Zealand – Our Customers

March 2025 – “RAM3D at AMW2025” – AMTIL – https://amtil.com.au/ram3d-at-amw2025/

• Article Summary: Additive Manufacturing has a solution for every industry. In 2024, RAM3D printed and delivered 17,000+ of those ‘solutions’ (parts, components, and more) for their customers. If you haven’t tried metal 3D printing yet, RAM3D can help you maximise this Industry 4.0 technology; at Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW), visitors can interact with a range of our metal 3D-printed parts to get an accurate look and feel for the possibilities and quality that we offer.
• Keywords: Events – International – Our Materials – Technology

December 2024 – “Regional Development: Backlanz – Ethan’s on the hunt for new markets” – Waterford Press, Business South, pp 16-17 – https://digitalpublications.online/waterfordpress/business-south-december-24/

• Article Summary: A Southland hunter’s range of rifle bipods has been so successful thanks to 3D printing innovation, that the business is now fulfilling global orders. The game changed when Ethan Todd teamed up with a North Island company using commercial metal 3D printing for mass production. Adding to the original ‘Hunting’ range with the 2023 launch of a new ‘Precision’ variant of bipod for long range shooting, Todd has grown his Backlanz brand beyond New Zealand, winning an innovation title at the Southland Export Awards.
• Keywords: New Zealand – Our Customers

June 2024 – “GO FOURTH AND PROSPER” – Engineering NZ, EG magazine – https://www.engineeringnz.org/news-insights/go-fourth-and-prosper/

• Article Summary: Industry 4.0 (aka the fourth industrial revolution) technologies can help Aotearoa’s manufacturers to work smarter, not harder – involving greater automation, smart technologies (robotics, digital twins, artificial intelligence) and data combining in real time. Advanced tech can help overcome geographical disadvantages, boost profitability, enhance competitiveness, reduce carbon emissions and help generate higher-value jobs by automating lower-level tasks. Featuring: Advanced Manufacturing Aotearoa (AMA) Chief Executive, Catherine Lye; United Machinists Chief Executive, Sarah Ramsay; Professor of Smart Manufacturing, Dr Xun Xu (LISMS – Laboratory for Industry 4.0 Smart Manufacturing Systems, University of Auckland); RAM3D (Rapid Advanced Manufacturing) Director, Warwick Downing.
• Keywords: New Zealand – Technology

May 2024 – “Demystifying Industry 4.0 – Additive Manufacturing” – Ignite 4.0 – https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/demystifying-industry-40-additive-manufacturing-ignite-4-0-st1fc/

• Article Summary: Q&A with additive manufacturing (AM) experts on the future of New Zealand manufacturing and the potential of 3D printing. Contributors: Warwick Downing, Director of metal 3D printing service provider, RAM3D; Olaf Diegel, Professor of Additive Manufacturing, University of Auckland; Daniel Werner, Director of 3DP Maven; Karl Dahm, Principal Scientist at Callaghan Innovation. Topics include: misconceptions about additive manufacturing; key opportunities for AM in NZ; how to adopt 3D printing in manufacturing now; predictions for the future of NZ manufacturing; how NZ compares to global manufacturing counterparts.
• Keywords: Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) – New Zealand – Technology

May 2024 – “Judith Collins et al flying the Kiwi flag in space” – Otago Daily Times – https://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/judith-collins-et-al-flying-kiwi-flag-space

• Article Summary: Sarah Ramsay (Chief Executive, United Machinists) describes her experience as one of 6 companies (Tāwhaki Aerospace Centre spaceport; space transportation company Dawn Aerospace; Zenno Astronautics, super magnets; RAM3D, metal 3D printing for rocket engines, launch vehicles, and aerospace components; Rakon, frequency-control products and timing solutions) that formed the New Zealand delegation at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, along with Judith Collins, New Zealand’s first Minister of Space.
• Keywords: Events – International – New Zealand – Sector: Aerospace – Technology

May 2024 – “Research and Development” – 44 Bikes Blog – https://www.44bikes.com/builds/research-and-development/

• Article Summary: As Kris continues to work on designing and developing stock bike frames, he has found that SLM technology / additive manufacturing (AM) has changed the game for him as a smaller manufacturer: “You can now fully realize part geometry and design outside AND inside with relatively zero compromises.” The key to AM for bikes, Kris says, is about starting with a very high strength base material (eg. using Stainless Steel 15-5PH ‘as printed’ from RAM3D). He is trialling other materials (like SS 17-4 and 6/4 Titanium), as well as heat treatments. In Kris’ experience, “SLM is not an end-all be-all manufacturing choice. SLM is yet another tool in the collective framebuilders’ proverbial toolbox. […] It truly is a wonderful time to be a framebuilder.”
• Keywords: International – Our Customers – Our Materials – Sector: Bicycles

August 2023 – “Snakedriver Design and Development” – 44 Bikes Blog – https://www.44bikes.com/builds/snakedriver-design-and-development/

• Article Summary: Kris has been building custom bicycles for more than a decade. For his Snakedriver Heavy Project, he wanted something simple to fabricate in-house, and low maintenance without too many moving parts. For Prototype #2 he decided to leverage SLM / metal 3D printing. After a part failure with Stainless Steel 316L, Kris learned more about material choice and post print tensile strength. He then reached out to RAM3D who provided tensile bar test results, and ultimately switched to SS 15-5PH for his 3rd prototype. Kris says the project not only challenged his design process, but has also “changed the way I ride”.
• Keywords: International – Our Customers – Our Materials – Our Processes – Sector: Bicycles

August 2023 – “Snakedriver by the Numbers” – 44 Bikes Blog – https://www.44bikes.com/opinions-on-all-things-bikes/snakedriver-by-the-numbers/

• Article Summary: Kris has been working on his ‘Snakedriver’ bike project since 2019, with 5 years of R & D and 4 prototypes to reach his current iteration. His design process starts out on the trail with a mantra of “ Build – Ride – Repeat ”. Knowledge gained from previous prototypes allowed him to refine how parts were designed, to make the build easier to manufacture. This latest bike exceeded his expectations: “It climbs like a hardtail, but descends like a full suspension bike with lots of pop and very playful on all features in between.”
• Keywords: International – Our Customers – Sector: Bicycles

August 2023 – “High-tech additive manufacturing from NZ” – Stainless Steel World – https://stainless-steel-world.net/high-tech-additive-manufacturing-from-nz/

• Article Summary: Learn how the Southern Hemisphere’s largest metal additive manufacturing producer rose to success in just one decade, printing high-end components (in alloy titanium 64, stainless steel 316L, stainless steel 15-5, Inconel 718 and Inconel 625) for some of the world’s most demanding industries. Designing effectively for additive manufacturing requires a significant change in mindset, focusing on the functionality of components. ‘We’re always looking for improvements,’ explains RAM3D Chief Executive Warwick Downing. ‘We’ve developed bespoke laser parameters, operating processes, and powder management systems.’
• Keywords: Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) – Our Processes – Sector: Aerospace – Sector: Bicycles – Technology

May 2022 – “Ready, Steady… Orange Means: ‘Go!’” – NZ Engineering News – https://online.fliphtml5.com/jsdpq/sijf/#p=12

• Article Summary: Photo of RAM3D’s trade show booth in 2018. EMEX – New Zealand’s largest engineering and manufacturing innovation trade show – returned to Auckland Showgrounds in 2022 after a 4-year hiatus due to COVID restrictions. Presenting a showcase of the newest technology, products solutions, and know-how, trade shows like EMEX are a vital sourcing and networking platform for industry peers, colleagues, and customers.
• Keywords: Events – New Zealand – Technology

Dec 2021 – “World in Motion” – Classic Porsche – Issue #81

Oct-Nov 2021 – “A New Dimension in Power” – Classic Porsche – Issue #80

• Article Summary: (Featuring a photo of a 3D printed inconel exhaust, 3D printing by RAM3D.) Last issue’s 356 powered by a radial engine generated many emails from Classic Porsche readers wanting to know more about this unusual conversion. We spoke with the Managing Director of Bespoke Engineering, to get the lowdown… Claimed to be the first design of its kind since Mazda popularised the Wankel rotary engine, this radical radial powerplant has been designed, developed and successfully tested, and is now in production in Australia.
• Keywords: International – Our Customers – Technology

November 2020 – “RAM3D is 3D printing titanium implants for veterinary surgery” – NZ Manufacturer – https://nzmanufacturer.co.nz/2020/11/ram3d-is-3d-printing-titanium-implants-for-veterinary-surgery/

• Article Summary: Kora is a Land Search & Rescue (LANDSAR) dog ‘in training’; her owner / handler Nick Petry volunteers with LANDSAR in Tauranga, New Zealand. Kora was getting close to becoming certified when Nick noticed her performance had dropped off: ‘like any performance athlete, injury for a working dog is a high probability’. After a visit to the vet, Nick was told Kora would need surgery. RAM3D work with Massey Vets to 3D print titanium parts for dogs and cats and were asked to make Kora’s implant. The surgery was a success; Kora is now fully mobile and will have another chance to gain certification as a Wilderness Search Dog.
• Keywords: New Zealand – Our Customers

November 2020 – “RAM3D collaborates with Sturdy Cycles for 3D printed titanium bikes” – 3D Printing Industry – https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/ram3d-collaborates-with-sturdy-cycles-for-3d-printed-titanium-bikes-180090/

• Article Summary: New Zealand based RAM3D has collaborated with Somerset custom bicycle producer Sturdy Cycles to 3D print titanium components. According to Sturdy, additive manufacturing allows the production of frame geometries and structures not possible by conventional techniques. The customization made possible by RAM3D’s printing technology is now an integral part of Sturdy’s bespoke bike frame business. Being able to harness the strength and weight-saving benefits of titanium through 3D printing has been a gamechanger. All of RAM3D’s titanium 3D printed parts are heat treated to reduce residual stresses developed during fabrication, and optimising the ductility, machinability, dimensional and structural stability of the part.
• Keywords: Our Customers – Sector: Bicycles – Technology

September 2020 – “RAM3D dominates metal 3D printing market with Autodesk” – Autodesk – https://blogs.autodesk.com/advanced-manufacturing/2020/09/02/ram3d-dominates-metal-3d-printing-market-with-autodesk/

• Article Summary: RAM3D serves a variety of customers in the aerospace, defense, food packaging, marine, sports and specialty industrial markets. In the additive manufacturing world, this variety of part designs and customer needs is the norm. Metal 3D printing has challenging workflows, so for RAM3D, the software used to prepare the build plate needs to work seamlessly. Philip Owen, Workshop Manager at RAM3D, and Warwick Downing, CEO, decided to run Autodesk Netfabb alongside previous software for six months to see how they compared. It didn’t take long for the team to decide. One of the most important differences for RAM3D was how the Autodesk team saw collaborative problem-solving as part of their responsibility. Switching to Netfabb delivered other key advantages for RAM3D: more time saved, less support material used, and less waste.
• Keywords: Our Processes – Technology

July 2020 – Video: “RAM3D partners with Renishaw to establish its high-quality volume manufacturing capabilities” – Renishaw – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a2sLCZpthc

• Video Summary: RAM3D set out to provide a state-of-the-art metal 3D printing service, spanning design, prototyping and ultimately full-scale production. Founded on core values of collaboration, continuous learning and constant improvement, the company was quick to identify the functional attributes it really needed, of ‘a machine able to cope with our growing demands, that was simple to use, yet gave us the ability to really drive properties and parameters for the machine… Because we’re a production facility, we’re really focussed on output, and so our machines are working quite hard… Metal 3D printing is becoming more and more another tool in the toolbox, and as people understand design, they’re able to use it in an increasing range of parts.’
• Keywords: Our Processes – Technology

May 2020 – “Covid-19: Anaesthetic machine ‘innovation’ doubles Lakes DHB ventilators” – RNZ – https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/ldr/415916/covid-19-anaesthetic-machine-innovation-doubles-lakes-dhb-ventilators

• Article Summary: An innovative conversion of anaesthetic machines into intensive care ventilators will double The Lakes DHB’s ventilation capacity. Consultant anaesthetist and equipment lead Andrew Robinson worked with local engineering companies, first with Rotorua’s Kilwell Fibretube for the prototype of the ‘modifying block’, then with Tauranga company RAM3D, which optimised the design for fit and for titanium manufacture. Anaesthetic machines re-use a patient’s exhaled air by removing carbon dioxide, but moisture builds up in the system with prolonged use, which can create machine or patient issues. The modification changes the gas flow in the machine and reduces moisture buildup.
• Keywords: New Zealand – Technology

January 2020 – Case Study: “RAM3D partners with Renishaw to establish its high-quality volume manufacturing capabilities” – Renishaw – https://www.renishaw.com/en/ram3d-partners-with-renishaw-to-establish-its-high-quality-volume-manufacturing-capabilities–45521

• Article Summary: To meet growing demand for metal 3D printing services in Australasia, RAM3D purchased with Renishaw, ‘the only solution that offered us the flexibility, openness and easy set-up that we were looking for. We had lots of ideas on optimising our manufacturing process, and these machines gave us the freedom that we needed to implement them.’ Per RAM3D’s Warwick Downing, ‘The most important thing to us was assuring production process integrity, high-quality, reliability, and ensuring cost efficiency and effectiveness.’ Challenges included raising market awareness, educating on design for additive manufacture (DfAM), and gearing up to shift from prototyping to full production. By partnering with Renishaw, RAM3D helps clients produce superior products in terms of function, part integration, performance, weight and cost effectiveness.
• Keywords: Our Processes – Technology

April 2019 – “Bastion Cycles takes ownership of its metal AM capabilities” – Renishaw – https://www.renishaw.com/en/bastion-cycles-takes-ownership-of-its-metal-am-capabilities–44758

• Article Summary: For the first three years of operation, the capital investment required for an AM machine proved prohibitive for Bastion Cycles, so the start-up outsourced production to pioneers in the sector: RAM3D in Tauranga, New Zealand, began to manufacture the titanium components of the bike frames, to Bastion’s supplied design. RAM3D is the largest metal AM bureau in the Oceania region, utilising the Renishaw AM250 platform in full-time production. With a wealth of experience and knowledge, they supported Bastion Cycles in the development of their skills and experience in design for additive manufacture (DfAM).
• Keywords: Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) – Our Customers – Sector: Bicycles

February 2018 – “Engineering Genius: Testing their metal” – Engineering NZ, EG magazine, Issue 2 p60 – https://issuu.com/engineeringnewzealand/docs/eg_2_march_2018_final-issuu

• Article Summary: Rapid Advanced Manufacturing (RAM3D) has been involved with 3D metal printing since 2008. Their additive manufacturing focusses on selective laser melting (SLM) in titanium, stainless steel and inconel metal alloy powders. With the right design, 3D printing can be a cost-effective way to produce complex parts (e.g. bike lugs, suppressors, boat parts, etc), with less waste when compared to machining. The metal powders are melted and become solid, fused into place by high-powered lasers. Components are built in fine layers (half the width of a human hair) until the product is complete. Excess powder is removed and can be reused, reducing waste.
• Keywords: Our Customers – Our Processes

October 2017 – “Full-strength metal 3D printed parts go mainstream” – MESNZ / DEMM Engineering & Manufacturing – https://demm.co.nz/article/full-strength-metal-3d-printed-parts-go-mainstream

• Article Summary: RAM3D is a hi-tech manufacturing company producing full-strength metal 3D printed products in: Titanium 6-4 (Ti 6AI 4V), the most common titanium alloy used for medical and aerospace applications; high-strength food grade 15-5Ph Stainless Steel; Inconel 718, a nickel super alloy used for high temperature applications; and Stainless Steel 316 for clients in the food sector, marine and dairy industries. Warwick Downing, RAM3D CEO, says, “3D printing is now a recognised mainstream method to produce end-use parts as well as prototypes, and with the right design, can be very cost competitive.” Downing was a subject matter expert speaker at NMEC 2017 – the National Maintenance Engineering Conference.
• Keywords: Our Materials – Technology

March 2017 – Press Release: “Industry collaboration progresses New Zealand additive manufacturing” – MSC NewsWire – https://www.mscnewswire.co.nz/direct-from-industry/item/4117-industry-collaboration-progresses-new-zealand-additive-manufacturing.html

February 2017 – Press Release: “Industry collaboration progresses New Zealand additive manufacturing” – Renishaw – https://www.renishaw.com/en/industry-collaboration-progresses-new-zealand-additive-manufacturing–40387

• Article Summary: High-tech company Rapid Advanced Manufacturing (RAM3D) has been collaborating with global engineering technologies company Renishaw on using AM250 metal additive manufacturing systems in its Tauranga facility. ‘The key to the successful and sustainable implementation of additive manufacturing into the production process is to have a good understanding of the technology, and work in partnership with suppliers and clients … The enquiries we are getting show a clear understanding of the potential of design for additive manufacturing. This is an encouraging trend we believe is being driven by industry collaborations,’ explains Warwick Downing, Managing Director of RAM3D.
• Keywords: Our Customers