3D printers have been integrated into workflows and onto factory floors to cut down on lead times and save on costs. But anyone who has 3D printed for tough applications knows the initial investment in a 3D printer can be expensive. Tough applications need to produce prototypes, parts, and tooling that are reliable and strong, but this dependability and accuracy don’t come cheap. Luckily, 3D printing company Stratasys has corrected this issue with an affordable carbon fiber 3D printer: the Fortus 380mc Carbon Fiber Edition.

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Traditional elastomer prototyping options such as non-FDM or FFF ( Fused Filament Fabrication) additive manufacturing isn’t always ideal. These methods often offer high-cost, limited geometries, can take up to one week, and can’t always create complex geometries. Non-FDM additive manufacturing solutions also offer limited build sizes, higher total part costs, and usually, require an external service bureau. Lower priced options like FFF additive manufacturing have labor-intensive support removal, poor support interface surfaces, and limited part complexity. Although the price may seem most affordable at a glance, the total cost of ownership is high.

So what is the better option? Resilience - the ability to stretch or compress greatly while not losing shape (and no, I’m not talking about touching your toes). This is the key difference between elastomers, like TPU material, and rigid polymers.

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Since the inception of 3D printing, there have been phenomenal, albeit incremental innovations and improvements with virtually every step of the manufacturing workflow. Part Design has Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) procedures and Generative Design, Pre-Printing setup has software like GrabCAD (part slicing/scheduling/monitoring), and the machines themselves have incrementally increased material catalogs, speed, resolution, and repeatability since their inception. However, some of you may have realized that there has surprisingly been a lack of innovation in one important facet of 3D printing - Post-printing (3D printing support material removal).

PostProcess Technologies has automated this area of 3D printing, which historically solely relied on precise operator knowledge that would leave a company once that operator left or retired. Deemed “tribal knowledge”, this skillset required dedicated operators who, even though they did excellent work, would not be able to have true repeatability due to the nature of work by hand. The only previous workaround to this would be support washing tanks and tumblers, which were never specifically designed or optimized for 3D printings, nor were their settings customizable. PostProcess Technologies has digitized this formerly analog process with three distinct innovations: software, hardware, and chemistry.

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3D printing is primarily known for its ability to dramatically increase efficiency in any environment it is applied to. From decreasing prototyping and labor costs, reducing cycle times, and instilling Lean Manufacturing principles (which you can learn more about from my recorded webcast), it is a major player in today’s advanced manufacturing fields. However, there is one facet of the technology that can lead to delays and increased costs if not managed correctly - 3D printing materials.

As you can imagine, the more 3D printing is integrated into an organization, the more 3D printing materials are used. So, the more optimized your 3D printing process is in your organization, the more important it gets to follow proper material handling practices. Today I will specifically be focusing on FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling), the world’s most popular 3D printing process, and if it’s from Stratasys, the process that uses real thermoplastics.

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When you purchase a Stratasys FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) 3D printer, your material options may seem endless, but it’s important to make sure you’re using the best Stratasys materials for your FDM applications. In my previous blog, I discussed understanding ABS, ASA, and PLA Stratasys FDM materials. Today, we're going to focus on Polycarbonate, PC-ABS, and Nylon materials, available to Fortus customers as the Engineering Bundle. Let’s take a look.

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Whether you are considering the purchase of a Stratasys FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) 3D printer, or already have one, it’s important to us that it be used to its fullest potential. That means using the right materials in the right application. But if you’re new to the world of Additive Manufacturing, you may find the selection of materials to be a bit unfamiliar. In this blog series, I’ll try to shed some light on the Stratasys FDM materials, let you know where they shine, and what to expect when using them. Today I’ll focus on ABS, PLA, and ASA. Read on to learn more!

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With the rapid adoption of 3D printing across industries, companies are continuously looking for new ways to incorporate additive manufacturing into their workflows and create more efficient processes. While in the past chemicals and other harsh environments would make 3D printing impossible, today companies like Stratasys are creating new materials to meet the requirements of almost every application. Stratasys’ most recent release, Antero 800NA, is a heat and chemical resistant PEKK-based thermoplastic that manufacturers can use to cut costs and design more quickly.

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On Tuesday, Stratasys announced a brand new support material
available to all Polyjet Connex

customers, SUP706. Running on all
triple-jetting 3D printers, SUP706 is compatible with all Polyjet materials,
the only exception being specifically identified hearing aid materials. This
new support material opens up doors to print even more detail geometries and
reduces the already low design constrictions Polyjet users have. Key benefits
to the new Sup706 include.

•  Maximize productivity of your triple-jetting
  system and achieve a low TCO per part with easy, two-step automated support
  removal
•  More design freedom with the ability to easily
  remove support material from delicate features and small cavities
• Faster and easier water-jet removal and improved glossy-mode performance

Stratasys has announced the new ABS-ESD7 static dissipative material.  If static charge can damage your products, impair their performance or even cause an explosion, try ABS-ESD7.

Fortus 400mc and 900mc 3D Production Systems can now use ABS-ESD7 to quickly and inexpensively produce static dissipative jigs, fixtures and functional prototypes.

Learn more about ABS-ESD7

Download the material specs Have More Questions?  E-Mail Our Engineers.