Stratasys Reveals Three New Systems with Three Different 3D Printing Technologies for End-Use Parts

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Last month, Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS) announced that it was releasing its new H Series Production Platform line of printers, based on powder bed fusion (PBF) technology, or, more specifically, its industrial-grade Selective Absorption Fusion (SAF) technology. This announcement took place not too long after the polymer 3D printer leader completed its acquisition of Origin, the open 3D printing startup responsible for developing resin-based Programmable PhotoPolymerization (P3) technology. Both of these recent announcements make even more sense now as the company reveals its latest news: three new 3D printers were launched today, which collectively address a sizeable chunk of the multibillion-dollar market opportunity that is end-use parts 3D printing.

“We are accelerating into the Additive Manufacturing 2.0 era, in which we see global manufacturing leaders move beyond prototyping to fully embrace the agility that 3D printing brings to the entire manufacturing value chain. The disruptions we are seeing today on both the supply and demand side of global supply chains are a clear sign that the status quo isn’t working,” Stratasys CEO Dr. Yoav Zeif stated in a press release. “Additive manufacturing gives companies the total flexibility to decide when, where, and how to produce parts. That’s why we’re committed to being the complete provider of polymer 3D printing solutions for our world-class customer base.”

These three new printers, which use three separate technologies, will work to speed up AM adoption for low- to mid-volume production. Reporting better than expected fourth quarter (Q4) and full-year 2020 financial results in March, Stratasys stated that more than 25% of last year’s revenue resulted from manufacturing-related applications. With this aggressive strategy move, the company is estimating that the revenue growth from its continued manufacturing applications will “outpace other segments.”

The Stratasys Origin One 3D printer is designed for mass production applications, such as these camera housings.

The first of its three new printers is the Stratasys Origin One, meant for production-scale printing of end-use manufacturing applications, like the detailed camera housings above. The system uses proprietary P3 technology, and cloud connectivity ensures that customers quickly receive available feature improvements. In what Stratasys calls a “software-first architecture,” the printer is able to fabricate parts, at volume, using a variety of open, certified third-party materials that are said to offer excellent repeatability, accuracy, finish, detail, and time to part. Hardware upgrades, paired with P3 technology, made it possible for Stratasys to improve nearly every part of the updated system.

“We have been laser-focused on meeting stringent accuracy and repeatability criteria for 3D-printed connectors that require double-digit micron accuracy. Stratasys and Origin have been great partners in helping us achieve these targets and demonstrating the possibilities of using additive manufacturing at the scale of tens of thousands of parts,” said Mark Savage, Global Center of Excellence Leader for Additive Manufacturing at TE Connectivity, a customer of both Origin and Stratasys that manufactures connectors and sensors. “Today, we’re seeing the hardware, the software, and the materials from Stratasys really come together to begin making production scale a reality for us. We believe this helps make TE Connectivity a more agile and cost-effective partner for many of the world’s leading OEMs in industries from automotive to aerospace to appliances as we work to build a more connected future.”

Based on the company’s internal estimates, it appears that a $3.7 billion market opportunity for the year 2025 is possible for production applications for the Origin One, such as dental, medical, automotive, tooling, and consumer goods. Next month, Stratasys will begin taking orders for the printer, related software, and post-processing equipment through its worldwide channel.

Powered by SAF technology, the new H350 printer is designed to give manufacturers production consistency, a competitive and predictable cost per part, and complete production control for volumes of thousands of parts.

The next printer that Stratasys revealed today is the SAF-powered H350, the first in its new H Series Production Platform. Designed to offer complete production control, consistency, and a competitive yet predictable cost per part, the H350 includes roughly a dozen parts 3D printed using SAF technology. The system has actually been in beta testing since earlier this year with contract manufacturers and service bureaus in Israel, Europe, and the US, though it’s expected to ship to more customers in Q3 of this year. One of the beta testers is Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, which is now selling parts on-demand that were printed on the new H350. Stratasys says that this new printer offers production-level throughput for end-use parts, such as cable holders, connectors, covers, ducting, electronics housings, and hinges.

“We have ambitious plans to grow our business and we believe adding a Stratasys H350 can be a key component of that growth. We have fulfilled orders for both large parts as well as up to several hundred smaller parts,” said Philipp Goetz, owner of German service bureau Goetz Maschinenbau. “We have been impressed with the performance of the system and SAF technology, with consistent parts throughout the build volume. The system has also been remarkably reliable.”

Stratasys is using certified third-party materials for its H Series printers, the first of which is its bio-based High Yield PA11, a plastic made from sustainable castor oil.

New Stratasys F770 installed at Sub-Zero Group, a luxury appliance manufacturer, for 3D printing very large parts.

The new Stratasys F770 3D printer seems to be a firm reminder that the company has a well-earned reputation for dependability and reproducibility with its industrial-grade fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology. Featuring a build volume of over 13 cubic feet, this new FDM system was made for printing big parts The new F770 costs less than $100,000, and features what Stratasys calls the market’s longest fully heated build chamber, which will be ideal for printing jigs and fixtures, tooling applications, and prototypes with standard thermoplastic materials. Post-processing is said to be easier on this system with soluble supports, and the MTConnect standard and GrabCAD SDK allow for enterprise connectivity.

Doug Steindl, the corporate development lab supervisor for Wisconsin-based luxury appliance manufacturer Sub-Zero Group Inc., says that the new F770 enables them to keep the 3D printing of large parts in-house, which saves 30-40%. The company is a beta customer for the new 770 3D printer.

“It’s speed to market on everything. Our 3D printing lab is faced with new product builds every six weeks. The faster we can turn things around, the better, and the quickest way we can do that is to keep as much in-house as possible. The F770 delivers on that need,” Steindl stated.

As mentioned in our most recent 3D printing webinar and virtual events roundup, Stratasys held a live reveal earlier today for its three newest systems. If you missed it, no worries—a replay will be available at 3 pm EST if you’d like more information all the new 3D printers and their respective technologies.

(Source/Images: Stratasys)

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