Stratasys has unveiled a new range of FDM printers, the F123 series, aimed at the rapid prototyping market. They’re designed to cover several different prototyping stages, from initial concept verification to design validation and final functional performance.
Stratasys teamed up with Designworks, an industrial design consultancy owned by the BMW Group, for the exterior look of these printers. Andre de Salis, Creative Director, Designworks, explained: “Our inspiration for the design of the Stratasys F123 Series was advanced robotics. Just as robotic tools of the future will adapt to their envisioned usage environment, we worked with Stratasys to create a look, feel and ergonomic design for the F123 Series that would offer expertly crafted user interactions.”
There are three models in all – the F170, F270 and F370 – with build sizes ranging from 25.4 cm to 35.56 cm. They use Stratasys Insight software, which can use almost any CAD file, and GrabCAD Print to avoid file conversion and STL preparation. There’s a touch screen interface and these printers can be operated remotely from any networked computer.
They take four types of materials including PLA for quick conceptual prototypes at a low cost per part, ASA and ABS for producing strong, stable, repeatable parts and PC-ABS for stronger, impact-resistant parts.
Stratasys has also announced a new GrabCAD Print Add-In for Solidworks. This allows users to estimate and 3D print parts for a range of Stratasys systems, including the new F123 Series, all from within Solidworks.
Leave a Reply