Stratasys today introduced the Fortus 250mc™ Production 3D Printer – a rapid prototyping and production machine designed to give users the convenience of a Dimension 3D Printer with the flexibility of a Fortus Production 3D Printer.
Fortus 250mc, the company’s first cross-over system, combines the ease-of-use and affordability of Stratasys’ industry-leading Dimension 3D Printers with the control of Insight Software, used to drive the Fortus line of production 3D printers. With Insight, users will have added control of build speed, part accuracy, and feature detail. Like all Stratasys additive manufacturing systems, the Fortus 250mc is based on the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM®) process.
“The engineers interested in this new product will likely be traditional 3D printer candidates, but who want more sophisticated build-parameter control,” says product manager Mary Stanley. “Users are moving beyond prototyping into production with their additive manufacturing machines. The most common manufacturing application is to build functioning manufacturing tools, like jigs and fixtures to be used in the production process.”
The Fortus 250mc has a 10 x 10 x 12 in. (254 x 254 x 305 mm) build envelope and offers three build layer options: 0.007, 0.010 and 0.013 in. (0.178, 0.254 and 0.330 mm). To create parts, the machine uses ABSplus thermoplastic, which offers excellent mechanical proprieties, including impact strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, and bonding strength for tough, functional applications. ABSplus comes in ivory, white, blue, fluorescent yellow, black, red, nectarine, olive green and gray colors. The Fortus 250mc uses Stratasys SR-30 soluble support material, which has a faster dissolve time than other soluble support materials.
The Fortus 250mc is supported by a 12-month warranty and is now available for shipment. Stratasys, Inc., Minneapolis, is a maker of additive manufacturing machines for prototyping and producing plastic parts. The company markets under the brands Dimension 3D Printers and Fortus Production 3D Printers. The company also operates RedEye On Demand, a digital manufacturing service for prototypes and production parts. According to Wohlers Report 2011, Stratasys had a 41 percent market share in 2010, and has been the unit market leader for the ninth consecutive year. Stratasys patented and owns the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM®) process.
The process creates functional prototypes and manufactured goods directly from any 3D CAD program, using high-performance industrial thermoplastics. The company holds more than 285 granted or pending additive manufacturing patents globally. Stratasys products are used in the aerospace, defense, automotive, medical, business & industrial equipment, education, architecture, and consumer-product industries.