METHOD X can print true ABS materials used in the production of final production parts and manufacturing tools, 100 ° C recirculating heating chambers, and SR-30 support materials to more effectively take advantage of 3D printing;
Method X, powered by Stratasys, has excellent dimensional accuracy, printing accuracy, and reliability, but at a significantly lower cost than industrial 3D printers;
Brooklyn, New York, September 10, 2019-MakerBot, the world's leading provider of 3D printing technology, announces the availability of METHOD X. This is a disruptive 3D printing workstation designed to challenge traditional manufacturing tools. It uses true ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) material, a 100 ° C print cycle heating chamber, and a Stratasys SR-30 soluble support. Materials for outstanding dimensional accuracy and printing accuracy for complex, durable parts. METHOD X is capable of printing true ABS production-grade materials. Compared with the modified ABS materials used in desktop 3D printers, METHOD X can withstand temperatures up to 15 ° C, rigidity up to 26%, and strength up to 12%. In addition, desktop printing platforms without circulating heating chambers often have warping or cracking when printing modified ABS, and METHOD X prints parts that actually use ABS materials, so these problems do not occur.
A video takes you through the performance of Method X
Manufacturers of desktop-grade 3D printers try to combine heated print trays with modified ABS formulas to address part deformations caused by high shrinkage of materials. Although this modified ABS material is easier to print, it results in reduced thermal and mechanical properties. Compared to modified ABS, which enables printing without the use of a recirculating heating chamber, the MakerBot Precision ABS has a heat distortion temperature up to 15 ° C. METHOD X's 100 ° C cyclically heated print chamber can significantly reduce part distortion while improving part durability and surface finish.
MakerBot METHOD X combines the expertise and technology of the global industrial 3D printing industry leader Stratasys® (Nasdaq: SSYS) with the accessibility and ease of use of MakerBot, and it is more economical than ever before. The ideal industrial 3D printer choice for professionals.
METHOD uses MakerBot ABS material, which has thermal and mechanical properties close to those for injection molding, making it suitable for a variety of applications, including end-use parts, manufacturing tools, and functional prototypes. The 100 ° C circulating heating chamber provides a stable printing environment, which achieves excellent Z-layer adhesion and prints high-strength parts with excellent surface finish. With MakerBot METHOD X, engineers are able to design, test, and produce models and customize end-use parts to meet their manufacturing needs using durable, production-grade ABS.
The Stratasys SR-30 material is also a new highlight. This support material holder can be easily and quickly removed. METHOD X is the only SR-30 product among comparable 3D printers. SR-30 helps achieve unlimited free design and geometry printing, such as large overhangs, cavities and shell parts. The combination of SR-30 and MakerBot ABS enables excellent surface finish and print accuracy.
MakerBot CEO Nadav Goshen said:
"Our original 3D printer was launched to break the price barrier and bridge the technological gap between industrial 3D printers and desktop 3D printers. METHOD has provided professionals with an opportunity to make initial contact with industrial 3D printing. As of now, we have delivered Hundreds of METHOD printers have received a lot of praise for accuracy and reliability.
METHOD X will further transform manufacturing. Many engineers want to be able to use true ABS to make parts that are accurate in size, have no geometrical constraints, and can be directly put into production. METHOD X is designed to meet this demand. It can guarantee the original performance and automation level of ABS materials while providing industrial-grade 3D printing effects, and the economic price is enough to subvert the traditional impression of people. "
From a design perspective, METHOD X is an automated industrial 3D printing system that does not require document repair. It has a variety of industrial characteristics, including dry and sealed material compartments, high-performance dual nozzles, soluble support materials, and ultra-rigid metal frames. METHOD X uses automated design and industrial technology to create a controlled printing environment that helps professionals accelerate design, test, and iteration. The extended thermal core used in the high-performance printhead is 50% longer than the standard hot end, which can increase the extrusion speed, resulting in 2x faster printing speed than desktop 3D printers.
These key technologies, combined with the MakerBot ABS material used in METHOD, can help engineers produce precision-sized, production-grade parts at a much lower cost than traditional manufacturing processes. Especially for parts such as jigs, fixtures, and end-effectors that require repeatable consistency, their dimensional accuracy can reach ± 0.2mm (± 0.007 inches).
MakerBot METHOD X's automation and advanced features create seamless print workflows that help optimize design and production processes. MakerBot METHOD X is one of the most intelligent 3D printers on the market, with 21 on-board sensors that help users monitor, enhance, and print RFID chips, temperature sensing, humidity control, material detection and more. With Solidworks, Autodesk Fusion 360, and Inventor plug-ins, the METHOD platform enables a seamless CAD-to-part workflow while supporting more than 30 CAD file types, helping users convert CAD files to parts faster.
MakerBot has performed more than 300,000 hours of testing on the METHOD platform, including system reliability, subsystems, and print quality.
METHOD X Asia Pacific is expected to begin shipping at the end of September 2019.