Stratasys Ltd. today introduced the Stratasys H350™ 3D printer, designed specifically for end-use parts production. Powered by SAF™ technology, the new H350 printer is designed to give manufacturers production consistency, a competitive and predictable cost per part, and complete production control for volumes of thousands of parts. The H350 printer even includes a dozen different parts 3D-printed with SAF technology.
The printer is expected to commence shipping in Q3 of 2021, and parts printed on the H350 are available today in limited quantities via Stratasys Direct Manufacturing.
Stratasys shared details about SAF technology in March. The industrial-grade additive manufacturing technology executes key 3D printing steps in the same direction across the print bed to provide a uniform thermal experience – and therefore part consistency – for all printed parts regardless of their placement in the build. SAF can also contribute to lower operational costs and increase their predictability. For example, the Big Wave™ powder management system reduces powder aging, while the warranty-protected industrial piezo-electric print heads have been designed to require no regular replacement.
The H350 is designed to meet the needs of customers in industries such as commercial goods, automotive, and consumer goods and electronics that benefit from the ability to quickly produce large volumes of 3D-printed parts with compelling and predictable economics. Service bureaus and contract manufacturers also benefit from the industrial-grade performance of the system. Applications include end-use parts such as covers, connectors, hinges, cable holders, electronics housing, and ducting.
Goetz Maschinenbau, a Germany-based service bureau providing on-demand parts, is beta-testing an H350 3D printer. The company provides a variety of automotive, consumer goods, and medical industry customers with end-use plastic parts, and already owns Stratasys FDM and PolyJet systems. Adding a new SAF-based 3D printer is a significant growth opportunity for the company, as it expands beyond CNC machining for end-use parts.
“We have ambitious plans to grow our business and we believe adding a Stratasys H350 will be a key component of that growth,” says Owner Philipp Goetz. “We have fulfilled orders for both large parts as well as up to several hundred smaller parts. We are impressed with the performance of the system and SAF technology, with consistent parts throughout the build volume. The system is impressively reliable.”
The H350 provides several control features designed to ensure the system is production-ready for companies ready to embrace additive manufacturing at scale. All build data is logged for process traceability and remains fully under the customer’s control. Materials can be controlled, tracked and traced, and print-settings can be fine-tuned for each customer’s needs.
The architecture of SAF technology enables part packing in the build volume to a standard density of 12%, compared to the 6-10% density that is more typical for powder bed fusion 3D printers. Moreover, Stratasys has been able to demonstrate support for packing densities of up to 23.5% in real-world conditions. Packing density directly translates into either more parts per build or a faster build time.
Recognizing the importance of enterprise connectivity for production scale and efficiency, H350 customers will be able to integrate with manufacturing floor systems through the MT Connect standard. Customers will also be able to utilise software applications such as Materialise’s Magics, Siemens NX, and PTC Creo with Stratasys Build Processor. Stratasys will also provide GrabCAD Print support in the future for build preparation.
A live event, with replay available, will be held on Wednesday, April 28, to provide more information, or visit the H350 product page.
Stratasys, H Series, and H Series Production Platform are trademarks or registered trademarks of Stratasys Ltd. and/or its affiliates. SAF and Big Wave are trademarks of Xaar companies. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners, and Stratasys assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of these non-Stratasys products.
