Stratasys
Stratasys has announced the expansion of its F123 Series of FDM 3D printers with the launch of the F190 CR and F370 CR machines.
Alongside this announcement, the company has also introduced the new carbon fibre-reinforced FDM Nylon-CF10 material.
The new composite 3D printers have been designed for manufacturers and industrial machinists to produced end-use components, as well as jigs, fixtures and workholding tools. Both systems include integrated GrabCAD Print software, as well as enterprise application connectivity through the MTConnect standard and its GrabCAD Software Development Kit. They also include reusable build trays, a built-in camera for remote monitoring and an auto-changeover of materials capability, meaning builds don’t have to be interrupted to replace materials.
The F190 CR machine has a maximum build size of 305 x 254 x 305 mm and can process ABS-M30, ASA, FDM TPU 92A, ABS-CF10 and the new FDM Nylon-CF10. The F370 CR, meanwhile, has a maximum build volume of 355 x 254 x 355 mm and can process PC-ABS, Diran 410MF07 and ABS-ESD7, in addition to the materials compatible with the F190 CR.
Stratasys’ FDM Nylon-CF10 material is more than 60% stronger and nearly three times as stiff as its base nylon material, and helps to build ‘any geometry without restriction’ when paired with Stratasys soluble support material.
The new machines and material are available order immediately and expected to ship in June.
“Stratasys is providing manufacturers with the 3D printers and materials to support the growth of additive manufacturing on the factory floor, including these new printers that give manufacturers the ability to build stronger, print stiffer and print more accurately,” commented Dick Anderson, Senior Vice President, Manufacturing for Stratasys. “We have the verified and published data that proves these new printers have dimensional repeatability of up to 99% regardless of part size or geometric complexity. That, together with 99% uptime and unique service and support, gives manufacturers the confidence to accelerate their adoption of additive manufacturing.”
“I’ve been working in engineering for over 35 years, and I love to innovate – not just in new product development but also in the processes and tools we use to develop our products. For more than 20 years, Stratasys has allowed me to do just that through 3D printing,” added Dave Thompson, Vice President of Worldwide Engineering and Customer Care – Contractor Equipment Division for Graco, Inc., a global leader of fluid handling equipment based in Minneapolis and F370CR beta customer. “Over the years we have grown our fleet of Stratasys printers and expanded our applications beyond prototyping to tooling, fixtures and grippers for our robots. The new Stratasys F370CR printer will allow us to bring our AM applications to a new level, extend the life of our tools and even provide for a better surface finish.”
Stratasys
Stratasys has also introduced GrabCAD Print for the Stratasys Origin One and Origin One Dental 3D printing systems.
This platform will provide users with tools to streamline their 3D printing workflows for print build file preparation and post print analysis. The integration with GrabCAD Print is said to be the first step in integrating the Origin One into the full GrabCAD Additive Manufacturing Platform.
With GrabCAD Print, the Origin One can now offer improved print preparation, an improved automatic support generation tool with lower support material consumption, as well as new functionality that includes labelling, native CAD file support, printer status monitoring and print scheduling. It also gives users access to the Open Material Licence that allows users to develop materials with settings optimised for their needs and share materials within their organisation.
“After being acquired by Stratasys, customers told us that the ability to use GrabCAD Print should be a top development priority. Today, we are happy to announce that we’re able to bring the productivity and simplified workflow of GrabCAD Print to that rapidly growing community of Origin One users,” commented Ronen Lebi, VP, Head of Production (P3) for Stratasys. “In addition to GrabCAD Print for Origin One, we are continuing to add solutions to our portfolio to best meet the needs of our customers. These new solutions allow us to better serve customers who need an offline printer solution and provide additional security features for the Stratasys Origin One printer.”
GrabCAD Print for the Stratasys Origin One will be introduced at no charge for all Origin One and Origin One Dental printer customers and is expected to be available in H2 2022.
In addition to the GrabCAD Print integration for Origin One, Stratasys has announced the Origin One Local, a new on-premise printer configuration that includes the same functional capabilities as the Origin One and provides an option for customers with extreme IT restrictions to benefit from the P3 technology’s capabilities. The company is also making available the Origin One ProAero air extractor system, which works with PolyJet-based 3D printers to ensure fumes, dust and odour are captured and filtered out before clean air is recirculated back into the room.
Stratasys
Following these two announcements, Stratasys also revealed 16 new materials across its FDM, P3 and Selective Absorption Fusion (SAF) lines.
Among the 16 new materials, Stratasys has introduced the first validated third-party FDM materials in partnership with Covestro, Kimya and Victrex. These materials, which will first be made available on the Fortus 450mc platform, have been validated by Stratasys with basic testing through its three-tiered Material Ecosystem programme.
The FDM materials include Arkema/Kimya PEKK-SC, a semi-crystalline PEKK thermoplastic polymer-based on KEPSTAN by Arkema; VICTREX AM 200, a semi-crystalline LMPAEK thermoplastic filament compatible with soluble support; Covestro PA6/66 GF20 FR, a flame-resistant, glass fibre composite material; Kimya PC FR, a flame-resistant polycarbonate material; and a HIPS high impact polystyrene material.
Each of these materials are expected to ship before the end of the year. The FDM Nylon CF-10 material launched alongside the new composite-ready F123 Series machines has been introduced at the highest-performance Stratasys Preferred tier.
Through its Open Material License, Stratasys has identified eight new materials for the Origin One platform, with Covestro, Evonik, Arkema, BASF, Mechnano, Tethon 3D, Liqcreate and polySpectra. The materials include photopolymer resins for moulding, casting, high-temperature, ceramic, electrostatics dissipative (ESD) and elastic applications and can be purchased directly from material partners and their distributors. In a separate announcement, Mechnano has said it has made its Formula1 rigid resin available on the Origin One printer to enable users to fabricate static-dissipative parts with advanced properties.
Additionally, Stratasys has launched Polypropylene (PP) for its H350 SAF 3D printer. Boasting high ductility and chemical resistance, as well as the ability to be sterilised, PP is suitable for applications like interior and exterior automotive parts, prosthetics and consumer goods. It follows the PA12 material Stratasys announced in September 2021.
“When customers identify opportunities for how polymer 3D printing can transform their manufacturing, we want them to have the confidence that Stratasys has the solutions – that’s what leaders do,” Stratasys CEO Yoav Zeif said. “With five 3D printing technologies that address the vast majority of the industrial polymer market and an open software ecosystem across the entire digital thread, our growing material ecosystem means customers are getting more materials faster, allowing them to quickly turn their additive manufacturing ideas into reality.”
Stratasys will be exhibiting at the upcoming RAPID + TCT event in Detroit from Booth # 2601.
