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STRATASYS’ new direct digital manufacturing and prototyping system - the FDM 400mc - has improvements in five key areas sought after for direct digital manufacturing applications. Three focus on part quality: accuracy, repeatability and material properties; two on speed and flexibility. ‘Manufacturing experts have said that advances in these areas were needed to encourage migration to direct digital manufacturing,’ says FDM product manager Patrick Robb. ‘We took this seriously when designing the FDM 400mc.’ Innovation in both hardware and software contribute to the improvements by increasing precision in the deposition of plastic. Results include smooth head movement, precise head positioning, and consistent material-bead width. Improvements in both the design and manufacturing of the extrusion head gantry make it straighter and stiffer. This holds the extrusion head to a tighter positional accuracy that can produce parts with a higher tolerance. And it results in performance that is repeatable.

www.carrswelding.co.uk

november 2007

Laser beam welding, at your service

Carr’s Welding Technologies Ltd 2 Henson Park, Telford Way, Kettering.NN16 8PX. Email: phil.carr@carrswelding.co.uk Telephone 01536 412828

New system reduces barriers to adoption as innovations step up technology in five key areas. Direct digital manufacturing

This, in combination with the stable thermoplastics used, enables the FDM 400mc to outperform nearly any competing technology in accuracy and repeatability - validated by extensive testing which demonstrates repeatable performance when manufacturing multiple identical parts in different runs, at various platform positions, and on various machines. The FDM 400mc is introduced with a new material - ABS-M30, which offers real improvements over standard Stratasys ABS across a number of mechanical properties, including tensile strength, impact strength, and flexural strength. ABS-M30 mechanical properties are up to 67% stronger than standard Stratasys ABS, thus expanding functional capabilities. Also, due to improved build parameters and hardware improvements, parts manufactured from either PC-ABS or PC on an FDM 400mc are significantly stronger than the respective parts built on other FDM systems. PC-ABS parts are up to 17% stronger when built on the

Enquiry Number: 75 Enquiry Number: 76

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FDM 400mc, and PC parts are up to 29%. The FDM 400mc is faster than FDM predecessors, and it has a build-speed increase of 29% (when averaging all material types and slice thicknesses). Unlike competitive technologies, this speed increase does not come at the expense of part quality. Users can customise their system, selecting the material packages and build envelope size as needed. This reduces the system purchase price because users pay only for their needed envelope size and material capabilities. Standard buildenvelope size is 356 by 254 by 254mm); optional build-envelope size is 406 by 356 by 406). The larger build envelope option includes additional material bays for longer running jobs. The FDM 400mc can build with the following optional materials: ABS-M30, PC, PC-ABS, and PPSF. Plans call for the eventual addition of ABS, ABSi, and PC-ISO, which are currently available on other FDM systems. www.laserlines.co.uk

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