Italian 3D Printing Service Bureau Expands Direct Manufacturing with Production System from Stratasys

Stratasys Ltd., a manufacturer of 3D printers and materials for personal use, prototyping and production, announced on Dec. 12, 2013, that Società Progettazione Ingegnerizzazione SRL (Spring SRL) finalized the purchase of its seventh Stratasys’ Fused Deposition Molding (FDM) 3D Printer.

Following several years of using Stratasys FDM technology for prototyping, Spring SRL, Stratasys’ largest Italian FDM service bureau, decided to invest in a second Stratasys Fortus 900mc Production System to support its growing demand for directly manufactured parts.

“We purchased the Fortus 900mc to directly manufacture parts that would be impossible to produce with traditional technology and material, such as carbon fiber,” explains Fabio Gualdo, co-founder and CEO of Spring SRL.

Spring SRL offers the full range of Stratasys FDM materials, including ABS M30i and PC-ISO for medical modeling. At present, the company’s activities comprise 70% Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM) and 30% prototype parts for functional testing in a number of industries including, racing, aerospace and medical.

“As in so many industries today, deadlines are becoming shorter and shorter,” explains Gualdo. “3D printing, combined with our know-how and design skills, has helped us reduce our lead time significantly as we can make several design iterations to a product quicker than we ever could with traditional manufacturing process.”

According to Spring SLR, directly 3D printing the final part enables Spring SRL to reduce its turnaround time by 66% and costs 50% compared to traditional methods such as Computer Numerically Controlled.

Andy Middleton, Stratasys General Manager EMEA concludes, “The purchase of Spring’s seventh FDM Production System demonstrates its belief in FDM and its growing viability for manufacturing. We expect to see more and more customers using our technology to enter the world of direct manufacturing as they create the factories of the future.”