Stratasys introduces Fortus-compatible materials

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Aug 21, 2009

Stratasys has made four more build materials and one more support material compatible with its Fortus 900mc 3D production system.

The materials include Ultem 9085, PC-ABS, PC-ISO and ABS-M30i.

These options more than double the number of materials compatible with the Fortus 900mc, and they provide an array of mechanical properties to choose from, such as FST (flame, smoke, toxicity) compliance, heat resistance, medical-sterilisation capability, strength, and flexibility for prototyping and production.

Direct digital manufacturing (DDM) is the process of producing parts directly from CAD data using additive fabrication.

Performing DDM with Fortus 3D production systems is said to bring efficiencies to the production of manufacturing tools, such as jigs and fixtures, as well as low-volume manufacturing of end-use parts.

Sabic's Ultem 9085 is a strong and lightweight thermoplastic widely used in aircraft interiors and other transportation applications.

The material is heat resistant to 320F (160C) and has full flame, smoke and toxicity (FST) compliance including OSU heat release of less than 55kw.min/m2 and 55kw.min/m2 for peak heat release (55/55).

It offers a very high strength-to-weight ratio and flexibility, making it suitable for applications requiring advanced mechanical properties.

In addition to aerospace applications, Ultem 9085 can be used in other industries requiring strong, lightweight and heat-resistant materials, including the marine product and automotive industries.

PC-ABS is an industrial thermoplastic blend and is commonly used in automotive, electronics and telecommunications applications.

The material provides customers with the same strength and heat-resistance characteristics as previously available Stratasys PC material but has increased flexibility.

The addition of PC-ISO provides users with a tough polycarbonate material that can be sterilised for medical device or surgical jig and fixture production or prototyping.

It is also useful in food and pharmaceutical handling applications.

The material is suitable for applications requiring ISO 10993 certification or ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilisation.

It also has high impact and flexural strength, and can handle high temperatures.

Like PC-ISO, ABS-M30i is a bio-compatible material suitable for direct digital manufacturing applications in the medical, food and pharmaceutical equipment industries with ISO 10993 or ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilisation requirements.

ABS-M30i offers improvements over standard Stratasys ABS, including tensile strength, impact strength and flexural strength.

ABS-M30i is up to 67 per cent stronger than Stratasys' previous ABS formulation.

Bonding strength between layers is more than doubled, greatly expanding capabilities for functional testing or production parts.

Like other additive fabrication methods, the Stratasys FDM process requires a disposable material to support features such as overhangs.

Soluble supports automate the support removal process because they are dissolved rather than manually removed.

Compared with its predecessor, the optional SR-30 soluble support material delivers up to a 69 per cent reduction in dissolve time in an agitation tank, and up to a 46 per cent dissolve time reduction in an ultrasonic tank.

All material options are available for shipping immediately and material upgrade packages are available for purchase globally.