Apr 20, 2025 
A mechanical engineer with 25 years professional experience, Paul Marshall has been involved in the Life Science sector for the last 10. He founded Rapid Fluidics in 2020 to provide a genuine rapid-protoype service to the microfluidics sector, based on the development of the process to meet the unmet need that he had experienced. Paul was a speaker at our recent 3D Printing and Microfluidics event.
When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing?
Paul: Amazingly, it was only when we started looking into alternative ways to quickly produce prototype microfluidic parts. The realization that we could easily design and go through iterative development cycles quickly was mind-blowing!
What inspired you to embark on your journey in 3D printing?
Paul: I made the decision several years ago to move my mechanical engineering career into the life-science sector – after 15 years of designing, analysing, and building machinery, I wanted to have a more positive impact on society. This presented an opportunity to enhance the 3D printing process to meet both needs.
Who inspired you the most along this journey ?
Paul: Mark Gilligan of Blacksheep Power and Keith Bodycomb, recently retired global industry manager of medical & life science for SMC.
Mark has an encyclopedic knowledge of the microfluidic industry, having been involved since its inception. Combine this with a very astute business sense and it means that his support for the work we’re doing clearly demonstrates how we are fulfilling an unmet need. Keith is an advocate for 3D printing in the lab-automation and fluid-handling sectors. His opinion of the advantages provided over traditional manufacturing methods in both geometry and speed demonstrates the huge potential in this market.
What motivates you the most for your work?
Paul: The sheer enormous potential! When you look at both the growing demand for microfluidic advancement, and the growth and improvement of the 3d-printing industry, I find the fact that we’ve combined them and have the ability to provide quality design and manufacturing services for our customers so they can get their products to market quicker, and ultimately help their end-customers to help patients is just thrilling
What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?
Paul: Other than setting up a new business amid the COVID-19 lockdown, the biggest challenge has probably been convincing people that out-sourced 3D-printed microfluidics makes sense. There is the attitude that “it’s just a 3D printer, I’ll do it myself”. But because we’ve got over a large number of technical challenges, and have the resources and experience to develop new solutions rapidly, it soon becomes apparent at all levels in our customers’ business that we can help them be more efficient.
What do you think is (are) the biggest challenge(s) in 3D Printing? What do you think the potential solution(s) is (are)?
Paul: Probably the available materials, especially when developing products which will be injection moulded in thermoplastics. We can use specific resins to represent the required properties, or we can simply recommend utilising the same materials at production quantities, too. The other aspect to consider is environmental sustainability. Ultimately, we’re creating single-use plastic parts. This is partially driven by our customers’ need for biocompatibility and contamination prevention, but I’d love to see more environmentally friendly materials being developed. Or, vice versa, different printing processes developed for better materials
If a higher being grants you three wishes, what would they be?
Paul: I’ve always said we should put all our resources into developing a time machine first, then we’d have the time to build everything else! So, I’d have to ask for the ability to stop time so we can have a chance to catch our breath and produce parts even quicker.
A global single market would be handy. I’ve had a lot of help from the UK Dept of International Trade, but overcoming export rules and regulations is a major challenge. And let’s not talk about the effect of Brexit.
Lastly, a calendar to ensure that all the trade shows and conferences I’d like to attend don’t clash.
What advice would you give to a bright, driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advice have you heard that they should ignore?
Paul: Entrepreneurship is fantastic, but follow the mantra “know your market”. Get a few years’ industry experience, work in a few companies, get a customer-facing role, and always be looking for an opportunity to be unique.
Bad advice? “Fake it until you make it”. No, no. NO! Truth will be revealed.
What’s your favorite book you read this year and why? Alternatively, what’s your favorite book of all time that you’ve read and why?
Paul: This year, I’ve mainly been reading trash to help me switch my mind off at night. All-time favourite is possibly The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson, because of the fun I had reading it to my boys when they were small.
Related Links:
Interview with Natan Barros: 3D Bioprinting and Microfluidics
Interview with Soon Seng Ng: Bioprinting for Therapy
Interview with Taciana Pereira, 3D Bioprinting and Allevi
Bioprinting Vasculatures (On-Demand)
Interview: Professor Adam Feinberg, Carnegie Mellon University, CTO and co-founder FluidForm
3D Printing and Microfluidics (On Demand)
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