Stratasys Ltd. and DyeMansion today announced a strategic alliance to create the first reference architecture for production scale additive manufacturing. The reference architecture outlines a process for using additive manufacturing to mass produce 3D-printed end-use parts with consistently high-quality and priced competitively with traditional manufacturing processes. The architecture is based on Stratasys’ new H Series™ Production Platform in combination with the DyeMansion Print-to-Product post-processing platform.
Last week, Stratasys introduced the Stratasys H350™ 3D printer, a powder-bed system designed specifically for end-use parts production. Powered by SAF™ technology, the new H350 printer is designed to deliver manufacturers production consistency, a competitive and predictable cost per part, and complete production control for volumes of thousands of parts. Stratasys recommends the DyeMansion solution for post-processing, having evaluated it with the H350 printer and its initial PA11 polymer material.
The DyeMansion Print-to-Product workflow complements the H350 printer with an industrial solution for cleaning, surfacing, and colouring parts. Depending on the end-use application requirements, customers can choose between two different finishes: an aesthetic semi-gloss finish delivering a homogeneous scratch resistant surface, or a more functional finish delivering completely sealed and washable surfaces. The Print-to-Product workflow enables various applications such as eyewear, automotive interior or spare parts, and medical devices and orthotics.
“Together with DyeMansion, we’re giving our customers a comprehensive, proven additive manufacturing process tailored to our H350 3D printer. This enables our customers to easily move from powder to consistent, quality finished parts at scale. The alliance will help accelerate the adoption of SAF technology for end-use parts production,” says Patrick Carey, senior vice president, Americas Products and Solutions, Stratasys.
The Stratasys and DyeMansion alliance has allowed the companies to combine their mutual expertise and industry knowledge to not only create the reference architecture, but to produce a unique, sustainable solution for cleaning, chemical smoothing and dyeing. Manufacturers can now move their parts from print to post-process through an integrated offering that drives greater value and offers a unique solution compared to those on the market today.
Stratasys and DyeMansion will hold an educational session on Tuesday, May 4 at the AMUG Conference in Orlando, Fla. During their session, "Enabling Applications with a complete AM Architecture,” Tim Heller, commercial leader for H-Series products at Stratasys, and Michael Schorr, head of Application Consulting at DyeMansion North America, Inc., will discuss the reference architecture and show the first parts produced as part of the process.
To further complement the reference architecture, the companies are working on a joint go-to-market strategy that will provide customers with solutions across various applications. Together they plan to advance the reference architecture with solutions for different applications and the process chain will be continuously updated with new state-of-the-art technology from both companies. The reference architecture will be installed on-site at Stratasys Direct later this year and once successfully installed, the whole factory concept will be accessible for interested parties in the form of factory tours or on-site workshops.
