Partnership drives additive 3D printing for microfluidic systems into serial production

The companies Intrepid Automation and Rapid Fluidics have announced a strategic partnership to expand the development and manufacturing of microfluidic systems in the United States. The focus is on the use of industrial 3D printing processes to make the transition from laboratory development to regulated production environments more efficient. Microfluidic components are considered technically demanding, as they require tight tolerances, reproducible channel geometries, and material-dependent surface properties.

Rapid Fluidics contributes its experience in the design, simulation, and prototyping of microfluidic systems to the collaboration. Intrepid Automation complements this with scalable additive manufacturing using quality-assured processes. The company operates ISO 13485– and ISO 9001–certified production facilities, which are particularly relevant for applications in the healthcare sector. By combining these capabilities, customers are to be provided with a clearly defined path from the early concept phase through to compliant serial production.

“Rapid Fluidics brings deep expertise in microfluidics, and our scalable 3D printing systems allow those innovations to reach mass production without compromise,” said Ben Wynne, President and CTO of Intrepid Automation. “This partnership isn’t just about speed, but rather quality, regulatory compliance, and creating a foundation for future growth in several sectors, from healthcare to industrial applications.”

Case studies from joint projects show that manufacturing times for certain microfluidic components can be drastically reduced, while material usage and design complexity are simultaneously lowered. This is made possible by additive processes that can produce internal channel structures without conventional tooling. For technically oriented users, the partnership thus opens up new options to bring microfluidic systems to market-ready products more quickly and reproducibly.

“Partnering with Intrepid gives us the ability to bring our microfluidic designs from the lab to real-world production faster than ever,” said Paul Marshall, Founder and CEO of Rapid Fluidics. “By establishing U.S.-based manufacturing, we can reduce costs, improve reliability, and deliver solutions that meet the growing demand for high-throughput health and industrial applications. At the end of the day, the ultimate goal is to accelerate product development and apply breakthrough microfluidic technology in ways that meaningfully improve human health.”