Editor’s Pick: Stratasys Unveils 10 New 3D Printers

Dear Desktop Engineering Reader:

Stratasys just announced 10 new 3D printers and, for good measure, a new high-performance material. It was quite the day of announcements. The 3D printer line-up goes from prototyping systems to production systems. Let’s take a look.

The Stratasys line of Objet 3D printers figured big in this announcement with eight new 3D printers. Each of these 3D printers feature triple-jetting technology, which made its debut earlier this year when the Objet500 Connex3 rolled out. Triple-jetting technology enables 3D printers to combine multiple colors with multiple printing materials in a single run. That means you have no more refinishing work with these babies.

The Objet260 Connex and Objet350 Connex series comprise six of the new printers; three models in each series. The compact Objet260 Connex should fit neatly into design environments. The difference between its models primarily is in their range of materials and how you can blend them in your models and parts.

The Objet260 Connex1 supports 14 base materials, including rubber-like, transparent and simulated polypropylene. The Objet260 Connex2 supports 120 materials and has the ability to combine as many as 27 material properties in a single part. The Objet260 Connex3 is a color 3D printer that lets you mix dozens of colors in one prototype. All Objet260 Connex printers have a good-sized 10.0 x 9.9 x 7.9 in. build area.

The Objet350 Connex printers are 3D precision systems that let you combine two or three base resins in a single print job. You can use them to simulate overmolding or generate multi-material tools and models. Depending on the job, you should be able to put parts to use right away without assembly or post-processing. All together, they sport the same capabilities as the Objet260 Connex series, but with a much a larger build envelope of 13.4 x 13.4 x 7.9 in.

Next are the new Objet30 Prime and Objet Eden260VS for desktop and professional applications. Stratasys calls the Objet30 Prime its most advanced PolyJet 3D printer. Designed for prototyping and workgroup environments, it supports 12 material options, including rubber-like and biocompatible materials. It has an 11.57 x 7.55 x 5.85 in. build size. It offers a cool draft mode print option that prints at 36-micron layers, saving you time and materials.

The ObjetEden260VS provides the first soluble support-removal process for PolyJet technology. This will let you create subtle and finely detailed models. It can build prototypes with 16-micron layers. The build envelope is 10 x 9.9 x 7.9 in. Stratasys sees this 3D printer finding wide use in the consumer goods design, research and service bureau industries.

The Fortus 450mc and Fortus 380mc Production Systems have a new touch-screen interface that lets you adjust print jobs without disrupting operations. The Fortus 450mc offers 0.005 in. to 0.013 in. layer resolutions and is up to 15% faster than its predecessors. It holds two modeling materials and two support material canisters. The build envelope is 16 x 14 x 16 in. The Fortus 380mc has a 14 x 12 x 12 in. build envelope and offers the same layer resolutions as the Fortus 450mc.

The new ULTEM 1010 material is a high-performance thermoplastic for FDM (fused deposition modeling). Characteristics include heat resistance, tensile strength and chemical resistance. It can 3D print medical tools like surgical guides that can withstand steam autoclaving, or it can print temperature-resistant dies, patterns and fixtures for food production. Users can also manufacture out-of-cabin aerospace components and under-the-hood automotive components such as housings, ducts and semi-structural components. Yes, food production. Stratasys says that ULTEM 1010 is the only FDM material with a NSF 51 food-contact certification. It’s also biocompatible with an ISO 10993/USP Class VI certification.

And if that isn’t enough food for thought, you can find more details to chew on in today’s Pick of the Week write-up. Use the links at the end of the write-up to get at further details, including specifications and materials, for each printer. Well worth the effort.

Thanks, Pal. — Lockwood

Anthony J. Lockwood

Editor at Large, Desktop Engineering

Read today’s pick of the week write-up.

This is sponsored content. Click here to see how it works.