Last week could have been dedicated to Stratasys’ announcements. During the whole week, the additive manufacturing company announced several additions to its AM ecosystem – within the materials, machines and software segments. 

New composite 3D printers as part of the F123 series 

The F190™CR and F370®CR 3D printers ambition to supplement traditional fabrication technologies with high-strength composite 3D printing. The new composite 3D printers are unveiled alongside a new FDM® Nylon-CF10 material reinforced with carbon fiber.

Said to deliver high stiffness and strength materials in a hardened machine ready for composite material printing, the new 3D printers include integrated GrabCAD Print™ software that provides a simple and intuitive CAD-to-print workflow and includes advanced features to ensure successful prints. 

As a reminder, Stratasys also provides enterprise application connectivity through the MTConnect standard and its GrabCAD Software Development Kit.

The composite-ready F123 Series printers include reusable build trays, a built-in camera for remote monitoring and a 7-inch control touchscreen. The F370CR printer stands out due to its ability to process  auto-changeover of materials, which means there is no need to interrupt a build to replace materials – a new canister is simply put in place and the build continues.

The FDM Nylon-CF10 composite material on the other hand, is over 60% stronger and nearly three times as stiff as its base nylon material. The chopped carbon fiber material is just one of many thermoplastic materials available for the F123 Series printers. When used with Stratasys soluble support, manufacturers have the ability to print any geometry without restriction. The F190CR and F370CR printers also support several other engineered thermoplastics, the company says. 

GrabCAD print software for Origin One and Origin One dental 3D printers

GrabCAD Print is an application of the GrabCAD® Additive Manufacturing Platform, a platform that enables two-way connectivity between 3D printers, additive manufacturing and enterprise applications, and broader Industry 4.0 infrastructure. 

GrabCAD Print is an all-in-one software solution for streamlining the 3D printing workflow for print build file preparation and post print analysis. The application is now compatible with Origin One and Origin One dental 3D printers. For Stratasys, this integration is the first step in integrating Origin One into the full platform. 

Having GrabCAD Print compatible with the Origin One means improved print preparation, an improved automatic support generation tool with lower support material consumption, as well as new functionality including labeling, native CAD file support, printer status monitoring, and printer scheduler. The software also enables access to the Open Material License (OML) that allows users to develop materials with profiles and settings optimized for their needs, manage material collections and share materials within their organization. The Open Material License is also a way for material vendors to publish material profiles qualified by them to Origin technology.

In addition to GrabCAD Print for Origin One, the company introduced two additional Origin One offerings. Origin One Local™ is a new on-premise printer configuration that includes the same functional capabilities as the Origin One. The local version provides an option for customers in segments such as government and defense or with other extreme IT restrictions to still benefit from the Origin One’s capabilities. Stratasys is also providing the Origin One ProAero™ air extractor system, available for office PolyJet-based 3D printers as well. The professional, plug-and-play system extracts air from the Origin One printer to ensure fumes, dust and odor are captured and filtered out before clean air is recirculated back into the room.

GrabCAD Print for the Stratasys Origin One will be introduced at no charge for all Origin One and Origin One Dental printer customers. GrabCAD Print for Origin One, Origin One Local and Origin One ProAero are expected to be available in H2 2022.

16 new materials across three additive manufacturing technologies

Lastly, with 16 new materials, Stratasys also expands the use cases addressable for FDM 3D printers, P3™-based Origin® One 3D printer and polypropylene powder for the SAF™ technology-powered H350™ 3D printer.

The OEM partners with materials providers Covestro, Kimya, and Victrex plc to validate the FDM 3D printing materials. These materials will first be processed by the Fortus® 450mc platform. They include 

  • High performance polymers: Arkema/Kimya PEKK-SC, a semi-crystalline PEKK thermoplastic polymer based on KEPSTAN® by Arkema; and VICTREX AM™ 200, a semi-crystalline LMPAEK™ thermoplastic filament compatible with soluble support.
  • Reinforced and specialty polymers: Covestro PA6/66 GF20 FR, a flame-resistant, glass fiber composite material.
  • Engineering polymers: Kimya PC FR, a flame-resistant polycarbonate material.
  • Standard Grade Polymer: HIPS high impact polystyrene

Stratasys has also introduced a new material at the highest-performance Stratasys Preferred tier. FDM Nylon-CF10 is a strong, carbon fiber composite material that is expected to be available by the middle of the year.

Furthermore, users of the Origin One 3D printer can access novel materials through an annual Open Material License (OML). According to the manufacturer, eight new materials for the OML program can already unlock end-use applications with demanding requirements.

Materials developers contributing new Open materials to the program include Covestro, Evonik, Arkema, Forward AM from BASF, Mechnano, Tethon 3D, Liqcreate, and polySpectra. The materials include photopolymer resins for molding, casting, high-temperature, ceramic, electrostatics dissipative (ESD), and elastic applications. The materials can be purchased directly from material partners or their distributors and are designed for advanced users for testing, development, and end-use parts with exotic or novel properties.

Last but not least, the H350™ 3D printer powered by SAF™ technology could now process polypropylene (PP) material. The versatile, flexible and extremely popular polymer would deliver higher ductility and chemical resistance.  Due to its ability to be sterilized, it is a perfect fit for a wide variety of applications, such as interior and exterior automotive parts, prosthetics, and consumer goods.

The material completes a portfolio that already includes PA12 (also known as Nylon 12), a sustainable material derived from 100% bio-based castor beans. Both PA12 and PP are expected to be available later in 2022.

 

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