Stratasys Tackles 3D Printing Complexity with New GrabCAD Duo
Software simplifies and automates many common and time-consuming print preparation tasks.
March 13, 2024
Stratasys is expanding its GrabCAD software lineup to help companies unlock greater efficiencies and part quality as they scale use of additive manufacturing (AM) from prototyping applications to full-scale production.
The new GrabCAD Streamline Pro is aimed at customers who need to scale 3D printing prototypes, tooling, and end-use parts while GrabCAD Print Pro for PolyJet is aimed at 3D printing “super users” who want to push the technical boundaries of PolyJet printers, including tapping the printers for custom 3D printing opportunities.
Both additions to the Stratasys tool set are designed to make AM more accessible and functional for enterprise use cases. “Both GrabCAD Streamline Pro and GrabCAD Print Pro help to advance the use of AM for production-scale applications by simplifying and automating many common and time-consuming print preparation and printing operations tasks,” says Victor Gerdes, vice president, Global Software Product Strategy, at Stratasys. “These are fully integrated and optimized to get the most from Stratasys Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), SAF powder bed fusion, and PolyJet printers.”
The new GrabCAD Streamline Pro is a workgroup software suite, powered by GrabCAD Print, designed to increase printer utilization along with operator and printer productivity, specifically on a fleet of Stratasys printers through use of a single platform. The software creates opportunity for secure, centralized software workflows for efficient part production at any scale, regardless of the number of printers used or parts produced, Gerdes says.
Key features include advanced dashboards and analytics to give AM managers better insights into printer and material utilization; real-time monitoring and customizable alerts so operators can stay on top of printer events; and an ability to combine parts from different orders into a single build tray, reducing the time to prep parts for printing.
Cyber protections is another area of focus with the software delivering role-based access controls that restrict printer access to only authorized users as well as an endpoint security device that serves as a firewall to Stratasys printers. “As printer operations grow, so does the security attack surface with more users and more printers,” Gerdes says. “Streamline Pro hardens IT security and reduces cyber attacks from internal and external threats.”
The other new addition, GrabCAD Print Pro for PolyJet, now expands the tools support across three Stratasys AM technologies, FDM, SAF, and PolyJet, all in a single application. The software delivers an array of capabilities to help create more functional and realistic prototypes, burnish surface finishes without post processing for hyper realism in prototyping, and reduce the cost and complexity of customizing mass products. For example, the Print on Object function supports printing onto a wide variety of substrates, including bricks, wood, and phone cases.
There are also cost estimation, labeling, and wall thickness analysis tools to help shop operators be more productive in processing part orders and enabling faster time to print.
Watch this video to learn more about GrabCAD Print Pro.
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Beth StackpoleBeth Stackpole is a contributing editor to Digital Engineering. Send e-mail about this article to [email protected].
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