13 Validated Materials and Open Material Options Available From Stratasys

Stratasys Ltd., a company in polymer 3D printing solutions, announces availability of 13 new validated materials for the Fortus 450mc 3D printer, as well as SAF PA12 powder from new materials partner ALM for the H350 3D printer powered by SAF technology. The OpenAM software, including an open material license, is also now available for the Fortus 450mc printer, enabling printing with exploratory open materials.

“There should be no limits on what’s possible with 3D printing,” says Stratasys CEO Dr. Yoav Zeif. “The polymer materials industry is investing in additive manufacturing like they never have before, and we want our world-class customers to be able to take full advantage of those innovations in chemistry as quickly as possible. Our hybrid materials strategy does just that, because the world urgently needs to make this shift to additive manufacturing at scale.”

13 New Validated FDM Materials

Stratasys is partnering with materials providers Covestro, Kimya and Victrex plc to make Stratasys Validated materials available for Stratasys FDM printers, starting with the Fortus 450mc. These materials have been validated by Stratasys with basic reliability testing to accelerate the expansion of material options available in the marketplace. The following FDM materials are now available for order, and are expected to ship by early 2023:

• VICTREX AM 200: Semi-crystalline PAEK filament specifically formulated for end-use parts production in high-requirement industries.
• Covestro Addigy PA6/66-GF20 FR LS: Flame-resistant, glass fiber composite material that meets EN45545 requirements for rail applications. The materials strength and stiffness is similar to Nylon 12CF.
• Kimya PC-FR: Flame-resistant polycarbonate material that meets EN45545 requirements for rail applications and is specifically designed for end use parts.
• FDM HIPS: A high-impact polystyrene-based material for low requirements applications.

In addition, several existing materials are now available in colors as Validated materials:

• ULTEM 9085 Red, Dream Gray, White, Jana White, Gunship Gray, Aircraft Gray: Providing this flame-retardant, high-performance thermoplastic in several colors opens up more end-use parts applications in which aesthetics are important, such as in aircraft or train car interiors.
• PC Red, Black: Polycarbonate filament with heat resistance and high durability for functional prototypes and tooling applications.
• PCS-ABS Red: Blend of polycarbonate and ABS polymers provides both heat resistance and flexural strength for a variety of prototyping and end-use parts applications.

Access to Third-Party Open Materials for Fortus 450mc

Stratasys also continues to expand the use cases served by the Fortus 450mc 3D printer by giving customers access to third party open materials through an annual OpenAM materials license, which Stratasys provided to Origin One customers earlier this year. The software, used in conjunction with GrabCAD Print or Insight, provides parameter controls and printer tuning capabilities for customers who wish to use open market filaments or newly developed formulas. The software can also be used to adjust parameters to meet customer requirements for Stratasys Preferred and Validated materials as well.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.

More Stratasys Coverage