Stratasys F123 engineering-grade 3D printers address full rapid prototyping workflow in office workgroup environments

MINNEAPOLIS. Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq:SSYS), the 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions company, is unveiling its F123 Series of 3D printers – including the F170, F270, and F370 models – designed to make professional rapid prototyping more productive for design engineers. The F123 Series addresses rapid prototyping requirements to accelerate the adoption of 3D printing for product design and development.

A single Stratasys F123 Series 3D printer addresses the complete prototyping workflow, from initial concept verification to design validation and final functional performance, to ensure product designs are thoroughly evaluated and endorsed before manufacturing – resulting in better products and shorter lead times. The Stratasys F123 Series is designed to enable virtually any user, regardless of 3D printing experience, to build durable and accurate prototypes using a range of functional fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing materials.

“Today there is a vast market opportunity in product prototyping that we feel is not being addressed by current 3D printing systems. The launch of the Stratasys F123 Series targets these product design workgroups, industrial designers, engineers, students, and educators who demand a professional quality rapid prototyping solution that’s simple to use, produces reliable, engineering-quality results, integrates perfectly within an office or lab setting, and is affordable to own and operate,” says Zehavit Reisin, vice president, head of rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys

Design workgroups play a dominant role in product design and development in consumer products, aerospace, automotive, and other key industries. According to recent Stratasys surveys, accessibility, ease of use, and material choice are among the top priorities in the wider adoption of 3D printing for rapid prototyping in workgroups.

“It’s pretty powerful having this much capability in a single system that sits right in our work space. We’ve tried lower-end 3D printers in the past, and to be honest, they’re dimensionally inaccurate. The Stratasys F370 matches the CAD input every time with accurate, high-quality prototypes,” says Jesse Hahne, partner, Center for Advanced Design. “The key for us to fast-track product development is getting physical samples in front of our customers as soon as possible. With our new Stratasys F370, we’re able to get brand new iterations in a matter of hours. This rapid prototyping solution has truly become a member of our team.”

The exterior design for the Stratasys F123 Series was created together with leading industrial design firm Designworks, a BMW Group Company. Most operations are easily performed using a touchscreen user interface. Stratasys F123 Series can be operated remotely from any networked computer in a shared workgroup setting and build progress can be monitored from portable devices. Installing and replacing material is equally fast and easy.

“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,” explains Designworks Creative Director Andre de Salis. “The Stratasys F123’s striking metal cladding expresses the performance, durability and refinement of the 3D printer to bring a new level of excitement and accessibility to professional 3D printing.”

The Stratasys F123 Series is available in three models with build sizes ranging from 10 to 14 inch (25.4 cm to 35.56 cm). The Stratasys F123 Series accepts up to four material types in 10 colors to support a wide range of prototyping and tooling applications. For example, the F123’s new Fast Draft Mode leverages PLA material to quickly produce conceptual prototypes at a low cost per part. Production-grade ASA and ABS are ideal for producing strong, stable, repeatable parts and for even stronger, impact-resistant parts there is engineering-grade PC-ABS.

Fueled by Stratasys Insight software, almost any CAD file can be utilized while Stratasys’ GrabCAD Print eliminates time wasted on file conversion and STL preparation.

For more than 25 years, Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ:SSYS) has been a defining force and dominant player in 3D printing and additive manufacturing – shaping the way things are made. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Rehovot, Israel, the company empowers customers across a broad range of vertical markets by enabling new paradigms for design and manufacturing. The company’s solutions provide customers with unmatched design freedom and manufacturing flexibility – reducing time-to-market and lowering development costs, while improving designs and communications. Stratasys subsidiaries include MakerBot and Solidscape, and the Stratasys ecosystem includes 3D printers for prototyping and production; a wide range of 3D printing materials; parts on-demand via Stratasys Direct Manufacturing; strategic consulting and professional services; the GrabCAD platform with over 3 million professional users; and the Thingiverse and GrabCAD communities with over 2 million 3D printable files for free designs.

Search the Aerospace & Defense Buyer's Guide

Intelligent Aerospace, the global aerospace technology network, reports on the latest tools, technologies, and trends of vital importance to aerospace professionals throughout the industry and around the globe, including engineers, engineering managers, and other key decision-makers involved in the research & development, design, test, manufacture, maintenance, upgrade and retrofit, management, and acquisition of electronics hardware and software components, tools, and systems for commercial and military fixed-wing, rotor-wing, and unmanned aircraft, air traffic control, airport operations, satellites, and space.