Stratasys, a leader in polymer 3D printing solutions, announced the addition of two new composite 3D printers, namely the F190™CR and F370®CR 3D printers, as well as new FDM® Nylon-CF10 material reinforced with carbon fibre, to its F123 Series™ of 3D printers. The new composite-ready printers provide high stiffness and strength materials in a hardened machine that is ready to print composite materials.
The new composite 3D printers are intended to supplement traditional fabrication technologies with high-strength composite 3D printing for manufacturers and industrial machinists. The printers assist manufacturers in producing end-use parts more quickly and cost-effectively, and they are ideal for jigs, fixtures, and work-holding tools.
Composite 3D Printers
The Stratasys composite 3D printers offer more material availability, a larger build volume, soluble support options and a lower cost-per-build volume due to the large oven size. Furthermore, the F190CR and F370CR printers’ larger, fully heated build chambers, combined with the ability to use stabiliser walls, allow manufacturers to print taller parts than competitors’ machines.
The new composite 3D printers come with integrated GrabCAD Print™ software, which offers a simple and intuitive CAD-to-print workflow as well as advanced features to ensure successful prints. Through the MTConnect standard and its GrabCAD Software Development Kit, Stratasys also provides enterprise application connectivity. Reusable build trays, a built-in camera for remote monitoring, and a 7-inch control touchscreen are all included with the composite-ready F123 Series printers. The F370CR printer also supports auto-material changeover, which eliminates the need to interrupt a build to replace materials – simply insert a new canister and the build resumes.
“I’ve been working in engineering for over 35 years, and I love to innovate – not just in new product development but also in the processes and tools we use to develop our products. For more than 20 years Stratasys has allowed me to do just that through 3D printing. Over the years we have grown our fleet of Stratasys printers and expanded our applications beyond prototyping to tooling, fixtures and grippers for our robots. The new Stratasys F370CR printer will allow us to bring our AM applications to a new level, extend the life of our tools and even provide for a better surface finish.”
– Dave Thompson, Vice President of Worldwide Engineering and Customer Care – Contractor Equipment Division for Graco, Inc.
According to Dick Anderson, Senior Vice President, Manufacturing for Stratasys, “Stratasys is providing manufacturers with the 3D printers and materials to support the growth of additive manufacturing on the factory floor, including these new printers that give manufacturers the ability to build stronger, print stiffer and print more accurately. We have the verified and published data that proves these new printers have dimensional repeatability of up to 99% regardless of part size or geometric complexity. That, together with 99% uptime and unique service and support, gives manufacturers the confidence to accelerate their adoption of additive manufacturing.”
Stratasys has also released FDM Nylon-CF10, a new composite material for the F123 Series printers that is more than 60% stronger and nearly three times stiffer than the base nylon material. The chopped carbon fibre material is just one of many thermoplastic materials that are compatible with the F123 Series printers. Manufacturers can print any geometry without restriction when using Stratasys soluble support. Several other engineered thermoplastics are supported by the F190CR and F370CR printers.
The new composite 3D printers and FDM Nylon-CF10 are now available for pre-order and will ship in June.
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