Additive manufacturing factory floor solutions from Stratasys

Stratasys (Minneapolis, MN, US; Rehovot, Israel), a global leader in additive technology solutions, on April 23 unveiled a range of new solutions designed to accelerate the use of additive manufacturing on the factory floor.

Announcements at RAPID+TCT 2018 included an expanded number of 3D printers compatible with carbon fiber composite material. Headlining the introduction was the new F900 Production 3D Printer, which is the third generation of the company’s flagship FDM system. Features include an MTConnect-ready interface with production-ready accuracy and repeatability.

Manufacturing with additive technology is not a distant future. Stratasys customers use its Fortus Production 3D Printers today for tooling, jigs, fixtures and part production applications.

The F900 is built on the Fortus 900mc platform, one of today’s most-widely used AM systems for high-end additive manufacturing. The F900 is available in a new series of three solutions: the F900, the F900 AICS (Aircraft Interiors Certification Solution), and the F900 PRO.

Building on the versatility of the F900 to support a wide range of applications, the following two versions of the F900 extend the platform into a series of specialized products to meet the unique needs of production, supported by high repeatability.

The Stratasys F900 Aircraft Interiors Certification Solution (AICS), announced at the Paris Air Show, is the first-of-its-kind solution delivering the performance and traceability required for flight-worthy parts.

The Stratasys F900 PRO is a production-grade system, ready to produce parts with the highest FDM repeatability and performance in ULTEM 9085 resin. It includes all the benefits and value of the AICS product, and it extends the high repeatability developed for AICS to all industries.

“What’s really exciting about this development is that Stratasys is showing how additive manufacturing has finally reached the level of repeatability and performance required for final part production,” says Keith Kmetz of consulting firm, IDC. “With the introduction of the F900 Production 3D Printer and the focus on industry standards and standardization, Stratasys is helping to advance this technology from its prototyping and tooling roots to a true industrial additive manufacturing system.”

Owners of existing Fortus 900mc systems can upgrade to any of the three current F900 systems.

In addition to Nylon 12 CF being offered on the Fortus 900 and 450 systems, Stratasys’ manufacturing services division, Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, is also now offering parts built with FDM Nylon 12CF, ideal for functional prototypes and production parts in high-requirement applications.

Stratasys is also offering this high-performance material on a specialized Fortus 380 and now has a family of 3D printers in a range of price points that can build with Carbon Fiber Nylon 12. Stratasys expects the Fortus 380 CF to ship in Q2-Q3.