It looks like Stratasys is also working on increasing the efficiency of design to 3D print experience. It has developed a customer-focused Additive Manufacturing Ecosystem designed to help you design and manufacture better products, your way. The Your Way Ecosystem debuted at EuroMold 2014 with new partnership and program announcements, new product demonstrations, and a number of customer applications that exemplify the faster time to market, reduced costs and improved designs possible with 3D printing.
Stratasys displayed a full-size airplane cabin interior that showed a combination of FDM and PolyJet 3D printing techniques for prototypes (various seat parts), manufacturing tools (sand casting pattern for seat base) and end use parts (sidewall upper skin, electrical clips and air ducts).
Stratasys also displayed its recently launched 3D printers, including the Fortus 450mc 3D Production System for engineering-grade parts, the Objet260 Connex 3 Color Multi-material 3D Printer, which brings color, multi-material 3D printing to your design center, and the ULTEM 1010 Resin combining superior heat and chemical resistance and tensile strength with bio-compatibility.
A number of application kiosks showcased problem-solving parts made on Stratasys systems. These kiosks showed a specific benefit available through the use of 3D printing.
Demonstrating development costs savings was a kiosk on UT Dallas Biomedical Device Center, which uses Stratasys 3D Printing to save 75% in costs, trim 13 months off a development cycle, and optimize their designs of concussion sensors for a universal fit.
Showing IP preservation, Eletro Zagonel eliminated IP theft with in-house prototyping, slashed prototyping time from months to hours, and shrank its mold and die costs by thousands of dollars.
Legacy Effects uses a number of 3D printers to quickly develop and perfect movie props and costumes. The designers there use 3D printers in daily design iterations, beating out the competition with the ability to create 3D concept models overnight, and building “unbuildable props” with design material and versatility.
Champion Motorsport uses Stratasys 3D Printing with soluble cores to produce complex composites, gain a superior finish inside and out on all surfaces, and deliver strong, seam-free parts.
Normal Earphones built a previously impossible business model with completely custom-fit earphones, digitized their workflow with onsite Stratasys 3D Production Systems at their NYC store, and surpassed customer expectations with a 48-hour turnaround.
Showing how to reduce costs, StreetScooter used the Stratasys Objet1000 3D Production System – the world’s largest Multi-material 3D Production System – to design and build a fully functional prototype for an affordable and sustainable electric car in just one year.
The Stratasys display also focused on five core manufacturing applications: jigs and fixtures, composite processing tooling, metal processing tooling, plastic processing tooling, and end use products – with exciting examples such as a Porsche engine with carbon fiber parts and robotic end of arm tools.
Leslie Langnau
llangnau@wtwhmedia.com
