MTC Stratasys Fortus 450mc
The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) has expanded its 3D printing portfolio by installing a Stratasys Fortus 450mc fused deposition modelling (FDM) platform.
It represents an extension of the business done between the two organisations after the announcement of a formal partnership in 2017 and the installations of the vendor’s large-scale Objet 1000 machine and a model from its full-colour J-Series.
The MTC is home to UK’s National Centre for Additive Manufacturing and harnesses additive technology to carry out test projects on behalf of customers and partners which seek to overcome the constraints of subtractive manufacturing processes. With many of these customers operating in the aerospace, automotive and rail industries, and the MTC also looking to replace aluminium tooling inside its robotics and automation department with durable polymers, the MTC has been keen to integrate 3D printing platforms that can process high-performance materials. One of the MTC’s Senior Research Engineers, Hoda Amel, has already highlighted Stratasys’ Antero 800NA and ULTEM materials as grades which can meet the high temperature and chemical resistant expectations of many of its customers.
Having access to materials like this, plus having prior experience with Stratasys technology, has gone a long way toward seeing the organisation invest in the Fortus 450mc, per Amel.
“We have been very impressed with our PolyJet 3D printers and adding an FDM-based solution to the line-up is a natural evolution as we look to expand our production grade additive manufacturing capability to develop early stage new solutions for UK manufacturers that can be passed onto the supply chain,” commented Amel. “Most notably, we now have access to a wide range of high-performance thermoplastic materials that enable us to explore multi-composite parts and complex tooling for engineering applications that continue to be sought by customers.”
“The MTC’s latest investment expands their ability to deliver more value when addressing specific demands across more and more traditional production applications on behalf of those operating at the coal-face of UK manufacturing,” added Yann Rageul, Strategic Accounts Director at Stratasys.
