Josh Coffey, Communications Lead
Telford, UK, 16 December 2025 – Ricoh 3D has expanded its in-house Ricoh 3D Academy, strengthening additive manufacturing (AM) capability and accessibility for employees across Ricoh Printing Solutions Europe Ltd (RPSE) and Ricoh UK Products Ltd (RPL).
This latest expansion marks a significant step in Ricoh 3D’s commitment to self-serve 3D printing, workplace optimisation, and skills development, enabling engineers across both businesses to move even faster from idea to implementation.
3D More Accessible with Self-Serve AM
As part of the expanded Academy provision, Ricoh 3D has extended its self-serve 3D printing area into the AM Showroom, creating a dedicated desktop printing zone designed for real-time engineering support.
The new area features a Bambu Lab (A1) ‘gateway’ desktop 3D printer, alongside access to materials such as Polylactic acid (PLA) and Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol mixed with carbon fibres (PETG-CF), giving engineers the tools they need to rapidly prototype, iterate and refine components on site. This builds upon the existing self-serve area which houses a Formlabs ‘Form 3B’ printer, and a suite of resin materials.
This enhanced accessibility means engineers can now design, print and test parts in real time, dramatically reducing lead times and removing traditional barriers to innovation.
Over the past 12 months, this approach has already delivered results, with a significant increase in the use of 3D printed components and applications across the site, and notably, 37 use-cases in FY25 to date, supporting a wide range of engineering and operational projects.
The result of this has been reduced part lead time, from days to just hours.
Accelerating SEQCD
The ability to iterate designs quickly has shifted the focus from simply producing parts to optimising quality and workplace performance.
Engineers are increasingly using AM to create bespoke components for production environments, supporting improved Safety, Environment, Quality, Cost and Delivery (SEQCD) outcomes. These tailored solutions are helping teams to optimise workflows, enhance ergonomics and address challenges that would previously have required lengthy external procurement.
Developing the Next Generation of AM Talent
Led by RPSE and Ricoh 3D Senior Engineer, Richard Minifie, the Ricoh 3D Academy places a strong emphasis on knowledge-sharing and professional development, empowering the next generation of engineers to lead learning across the business – in line with Ricoh’s Kaizen (continuous improvement) culture.
A key feature of the Academy is the opportunity for apprentices and early-career engineers to design and deliver workshops for colleagues, reinforcing their own expertise while spreading AM capability more widely.
Last week, fourth-year Apprentice, Eve Redden, led a hands-on workshop for engineers across RPL and RPSE, demonstrating how to use the new Bambu Lab desktop printer and supporting adoption of the self-serve model. Reflecting on the experience, Eve said:
Eve Redden, Technical Apprentice
“Leading the workshop was a really rewarding experience. It was great to see how quickly people picked up the desktop printer and started thinking about how they could use it in their own areas – and, more importantly, considering the design phase from the outset, strengthening our Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM).
“The self-serve setup makes 3D printing far more accessible, and it’s exciting to be part of something that helps engineers turn ideas into practical solutions so quickly.”
Building Capability Across the Ricoh Group
The expansion of the Academy is already delivering measurable capability improvements across both organisations, helping to embed additive manufacturing as a practical, everyday engineering tool. Richard Minifie commented:
Richard Minifie, Senior Engineer
“By expanding the Ricoh 3D Academy and our self-serve facilities, we’re seeing a real uplift in capability across RPSE and RPL. Engineers are more confident, more autonomous, and more willing to explore how AM can solve real operational challenges. Ultimately, this is supporting wider adoption of additive manufacturing across the Ricoh Group in Europe.”
Enabling Wider Adoption of AM
By combining accessible technology, hands-on learning, and peer-led knowledge-sharing, the Ricoh 3D Academy is playing a critical role in scaling AM adoption across the business.
This expansion reinforces Ricoh 3D’s position not only as a provider of advanced manufacturing solutions, but also as a centre of excellence for AM education, capability building and self-serve innovation.
➡️ Click here to learn more about the launch of the Ricoh 3D Academy in 2024.