3-D printer produces realistic prototypes
At NPE2018, Stratasys displayed its new J735 3-D printer, targeted at prototype development. It provides precise color matching and allows designers to build highly realistic prototypes for a wide range of industries, including automotive, consumer goods and R&D.
The J735 builds prototypes that look, feel and operate like finished products for design verification and functional performance testing, the company said. It can simulate parts with various textures and colors that range from transparent to opaque.
Additionally, two new materials from Stratasys allow the J735 to print translucent and red, orange and yellow parts that are especially suited for automotive lighting applications.
The printer is able to print up to six different materials in one part and eliminates the need for expensive painting, assembly and post-processing steps.
Stratasys also has enhanced its GrabCAD Print software, which allows the J735 to print directly from native CAD formats, saving time designers typically would spend converting and fixing STL files.
"Some of the biggest challenges designers and manufacturers face are 3-D printed prototypes that fail to deliver the realism necessary to make them actionable. … It's now easier than ever before for manufacturers to create better prototypes, more accurately and on demand," Rich Garrity, president of Stratasys Americas, said in a press release. "This shrinks the entire design to final part manufacturing process."
The new printer has a build size of 13.8 inches by 13.8 inches by 7.9 inches and can build horizontal layers as thin as 14 microns.
Separately, Stratasys also introduced three industrial 3-D printers for carbon-fiber composites: the F900, the F900 Aircraft Interiors Certification Solution (AICS) and the F900 PRO.
The F900 is the third generation of the company's fused-deposition-modeling (FDM) system — known as the Fortus 900mc platform — and is distinguished by its high degree of accuracy and repeatability. It is suited for tooling, jigs, fixtures and production parts. The printer features a build envelope of 3 feet by 2 feet by 3 feet and can print a range of engineering-grade resins.
The F900 AICS, a specialized version of the F900, is tailored to provide the performance and traceability required by the aviation industry for interior components.
The F900 PRO has the highest level of repeatability of the three and is appropriate for making parts for all types of industries.
Each of the three printers features an MTConnect-ready interface.
Kathy S. Hayes, copy editor
Contact:
Stratasys Ltd. Eden Prairie, Minn.,952-937-3000,