RLP Prints Silicone Parts Without Supports or Layer Lines

How RLP Prints Silicone Without Supports

Most 3D printing fights gravity. Support structures, layer lines, and orientation constraints all exist because molten material must stack upward without collapsing. RLP takes a different approach. The company extrudes platinum-cure silicone directly into a clear hydrogel bath. The gel holds the material in place as it cures. There are no layers. There are no supports. The part simply emerges from the bath.

Schendy Kernizan co-founded RLP after working as a researcher at MIT's Self-Assembly Lab. The team started with a simple question: what if you could print inside a gel instead of in air? Their early prototypes showed that silicone could be deposited in three-dimensional curves without the geometric compromises that FDM and resin printing demand. That insight became the foundation of RLP's commercial platform.

From Coperni Bags to Medical Devices

RLP's first public breakthrough came through a collaboration with fashion house Coperni. The team printed glossy silicone handbags that were laser-etched and shipped to Paris. The project proved that RLP could produce consumer-ready parts with a smooth surface finish straight off the printer. No sanding. No curing. No toxic cleanup.

Medical devices represent a larger market. RLP already produces custom prosthetic liners and orthotic components from medical-grade silicone. The material is safe for skin contact and already approved for casting and molding applications. That certification path lets customers skip the lengthy regulatory process that new materials usually require.

The Levity Printer and What Comes Next

RLP launched its first commercial machine, called Levity, at the RAPID + TCT show. The printer runs quietly and uses a simple cartridge system for silicone. Kernizan emphasizes that RLP views itself as a manufacturing platform rather than a 3D printing company. The distinction matters because it signals that the technology is meant for production, not just prototyping.

Potential applications span footwear, automotive interiors, aerospace seals, and consumer products. The company is intentionally selective about which markets to enter first. Kernizan says the team puts ideas on a board and revisits them when the timing or partner is right. That discipline has kept RLP focused through its transition from MIT lab to startup.