On its way to the goal of low-volume production and mass customization, Stratasys used Rapid + TCT in Pittsburgh to reveal a multicell additive manufacturing system it is marketing as the Continuous Build 3D Demonstrator.
Standard additive manufacturing machines have only one print cell. The system on display at Rapid had nine cells; it is scalable and new cells can be added as needed, officials said during interviews at Rapid. It has been designed to produce parts in a continuous stream with only minor operator intervention. If one of the print engines fails, the project is redirected to another engine; each cell can print a different job. The cell is driven by a central, cloud-based architecture. New, completed parts are automatically ejected and then the vacated cell can begin building a new part.
"It can identify where an open print engine is," said Tim Bohling, chief marketing officer with Stratasys. "This expands and accelerates the market for additive manufacturing."
The system uses fused-deposition-modeling (FDM) technology and GrabCAD software. Target applications include educational labs and environments that can benefit from zero-tooling production and a zero-inventory supply chain. Officials also are touting the increased uptime. For example, if a standard, one-cell 3-D printer happens to lapse, the print job will need to be manually restarted from the beginning, which increases the build time. On the Demonstrator, if a cell happens to run out of material, a 50-part order can still be completed on schedule.
Stratasys spokesman Joe Hiemenz said that the system is not yet commercially available; at this stage, the production team is gathering feedback and input from potential customers to help finalize the design.
However, a handful of Stratasys customers are currently using the system, including InTech Industries Inc., Ramsey, Minn., a manufacturer that offers rapid prototyping, additive manufacturing, engineering services, tooling services and injection molding. Fathom, which has locations in Oakland, Calif., and Seattle, also is using the technology to make just-in-time parts and on-demand parts in a six-cell configuration.
Angie DeRosa, managing editor
Contact:
Stratasys Ltd.,Eden Prairie, Minn., 952-937-3000, www.stratasys.com
