Stratasys 3D Printing: What's New?

What’s New With Stratasys 3D Printing?

The most recent addition to the line of Stratasys Polyjet 3D printers are the Connex 1, 2, and 3. These machines each have their own strengths, and they all share some new upgrades to the Objet Connex 3D printing system. Stratasys has also released the first Polyjet 3D printer with dissolvable support material.

The upgrades that are common to all three printers are put in place to help reduce waste, and increase running time. First, the way material replacement takes place in the print heads has been modified to dramatically reduce the waste created during this process. By splitting the reservoir above the print head into two sections, the new material can be added directly into the heads. This process reduces the need to flush the entire reservoir or completely refill the supply lines when swapping between materials in the print head. Another major upgrade to the Connex system is the new material storage cabinet. The material cabinet is capable of holding eight containers of material, and can swap between them during a print job. This means that larger jobs can be printed faster in a single uninterrupted build.

The Connex 1 has the ability to print in three base materials, and can print rigid, flexible, and clear materials. As well as being able to print a mixed tray of materials, mixed parts can also be created.

As well has having all the capabilities of the Connex 1, the Connex 2 can build parts utilizing a digital mixture of two of the materials. Digital materials give the ability to produce flexible parts of different shore values (rigidity) and digital ABS. This means that a part can be created that simulates ABS, and can be over-molded with a soft or rigid material. You can also print limited shades of colors.

The Connex 3 has all the capacity of the 1 and 2, and can also print three materials in digital mode. This makes it possible to print in full color in rigid and flexible materials. Access to full color 3d printing and also 16 micron layer resolution makes unprecedented creativity and productivity possible.

The introduction of soluble support which is available on the Polyjet Eden 260VS makes it possible to retain the high accuracy that polyjet is known for, and clean support material from parts in a lights off operation, which saves time and labor cost. It also gives operators the ability to build parts with complex internal structures or very thin features that would otherwise be difficult to clean with the traditional water jet method. The Eden 260VS is also capable of printing with non-soluble support for situations where time is limited. All that is needed is a material change, and it is ready to print.

Blog Post By: Nick Weldon