How Digital Workflows and Hybrid Methods Shape the 3D Printing Strategy of RAPIDprototyping.nl – Interview with Johannes Postma

The Dutch company RAPIDprototyping.nl, headquartered in Nijverdal, has been active in additive manufacturing for more than two decades. The firm focuses on turning digital designs into physical components for product development, testing, and low-volume production. Its operations combine several 3D-printing technologies with conventional fabrication methods, allowing flexible transitions from concept models to functional prototypes.

RAPIDprototyping.nl employs selective laser sintering (SLS) for durable nylon parts with complex internal geometries, stereolithography (SLA) for smooth, detailed surfaces, and fused deposition modeling (FDM) for cost-efficient, iterative builds. Depending on a project’s requirements, these additive processes can be complemented by CNC machining or vacuum casting to achieve specific mechanical or surface properties.

Beyond manufacturing, the company has invested in process automation and digital workflow integration. An online decision matrix helps customers evaluate materials and production techniques, streamlining the path from CAD data to finished parts. The approach aims to provide consistent dimensional accuracy and predictable turnaround times, essential when scaling from single prototypes to small-batch series.

With its hybrid mix of additive and subtractive methods, RAPIDprototyping.nl illustrates how established 3D-printing services continue to evolve toward more industrial, data-driven production environments.

Interview with Johannes Postma

In the interview with 3Druck.com, General Manager Johannes Postma discusses how RAPIDprototyping.nl approaches additive manufacturing and the growing role of hybrid production methods. He explains how digital processes, automation, and consistency in small-series manufacturing are shaping the company’s path from classic prototyping toward more flexible, production-oriented applications in industrial 3D printing.

You combine SLS, SLA, CNC machining, and more. How do you choose the right method for a project, and what role does hybrid production play?

Choosing the right technique mostly depends on the customer’s request — the number of parts, material requirements, and finish. For example, tradeshow models are typically made using SLA due to its fine details and the ease of finishing the parts in various colors and textures. These tradeshow models can be supplemented with CNC-machined parts, mostly in ABS, to provide extra rigidity or specific geometric shapes. The same applies to vacuum casting. If you only need the mechanical properties of POM, this fabrication method works great. But if you also need the chemical properties (like friction resistance), you will need to go for CNC machining or injection molding.

Which recent advances in materials or process automation have had the biggest impact on professional prototyping?

For us, that would be two things. First, the unpacking of build volumes from an SLS machine. We now have an automatic unpacking system that processes everything in one go, making the process a lot faster and easier, requiring less labor. The unpacked SLS parts also have less residual powder on them, which makes depowdering more efficient as well.

Second would be software. We now have a new nesting program that packs much faster and more effectively than the previous software, making it possible to iterate quickly between different part configurations.

What are the main challenges in scaling from prototypes to small-series production, especially in terms of repeatability and finishing?

I would say consistency. With series production, you use multiple machines to print the parts, and all these machines need to provide the same consistent results in terms of dimensions and surface quality. The same, of course, applies to finishing processes like dyeing. You need to standardize everything as much as possible and perform frequent quality checks to make sure the parts are identical every time.

How do you see the role of service providers like RAPIDprototyping.nl evolving in the coming years?

If I look at RAPIDprototyping.nl, I would say we are moving from only prototypes or very small volumes to more production-oriented runs — in volumes of hundreds to a few thousand parts per year. Especially in the transition from prototypes to injection molding. With injection molding, you need to commit to an expensive mold, and you’re not able to change the geometry afterward. With 3D printing, you can simply change the 3D file, and the next day, the first new parts are being made. Companies need to be more flexible with their products, and that’s where RAPIDprototyping.nl comes in.

Further details about the company and its services are available on RAPIDprototyping.nl