Stratasys recently introduced a series of high-performance, production-grade materials for production, aerospace and automotive applications. The new product is particularly tough, resistant to high temperatures and chemical corrosion, making it very suitable for harsh factory environments.
Fixture
Two materials are used in Stratasys F370: Diran 410MF07 and ABS-ESD7. Diran filament is a nylon-based formula that is very durable and smooth, can slide with other materials and remain under abrasive production settings. It is also very light. These characteristics make it an excellent choice for manufacturing fixtures and fixtures that need to be placed in grooves and slots on a regular basis.
ABS-ESD7 was previously only available on Stratasys Fortus printers, but is now also available on F370. The material is ESD safe, which means it does not generate electrostatic discharge. It is designed for use in static sensitive environments where fine particles, dust and powders exist. Coincidentally, this means that it is very suitable for many 3D printing applications involving many powders.
Jet and spacecraft components
Last but not least is the Stratasys Fortus F900 Antero 840CN03, which is Stratasys' second PEKK-based thermoplastic. It has super strength, heat resistance and chemical resistance, light weight and ESD safety. This material has a tensile strength nearly 40% higher than nylon and is designed to handle the most extreme applications (such as jet and spacecraft components).
Brian Kaprun, senior manager of advanced manufacturing at Lockheed Martin Aerospace, said: “Building a spacecraft poses serious material challenges for the development of parts with the right properties.” “One of these challenges is to obtain the right ESD Or static dissipation characteristics, as well as other physical and mechanical characteristics. Stratasys Antero ESD meets our needs for degassing and static dissipation performance with strong but lightweight additive manufacturing materials."
Stratasys is in a good position to see the transition from 3D printing to more production-level applications, so these new materials will undoubtedly help them maintain an important position in the rapidly developing competitive field.