UNILEVER LEVERAGES 3D PRINTING INJECTION MOLDS, SLASHING LEAD TIMES FOR PROTOTYPE PARTS BY 40%

Minneapolis & Rehovot, Israel – January 20, 2015 – Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq:SSYS), a global leader of 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions, today announced that the Italian division of international consumer goods giant, Unilever, has cut lead times for prototype parts by 40% since introducing Stratasys’ PolyJet 3D printing technology into its manufacturing process. Utilizing 3D printed injection molding tools, the company is now able to produce prototype parts in the final material for functional and consumer tests significantly faster than traditional tooling methods. 

Unilever, which owns brands such as Surf, Comfort, Hellmanns and Domestos, is using its Stratasys  Objet500 Connex Multi-material 3D Production System to produce injection mold tools for its household care and laundry goods divisions, with a run of around 50 units for a wide variety of prototype parts such as bottle caps and closures and toilet rim blocks.

“Stratasys 3D printing technology, we can design and print a variety of injection molds for different parts that can undergo functional and consumer testing, all on the same day,” explains Stefano Cademartiri, R&D, CAD and Prototyping Specialist at Unilever. “Before, we would have to wait several weeks to receive prototype parts using our traditional tooling process; not only would this lengthen lead times, it would also increase costs if iterations were required. With 3D printing we’re now able to apply design iterations to the mold within a matter of hours, enabling us to produce prototype parts in final materials such as polypropylene, 40% faster than before.” 

Armed with its Stratasys Objet500 Connex Multi-material 3D Production System from Italian reseller, Overmach, Unilever 3D prints its injection mold tools in Digital ABS – a material renowned for its high temperature resistance and toughness, making it ideal for injection molding applications. Cademartiri continues: “By 3D printing the injection molds in Digital ABS, we’re able to retain the high quality associated with traditional manufactured prototypes, while also enduring the high temperatures and pressures of the injection molding machine, at a significantly reduced cost and turnaround time.”

Unilever also produces thermoforming mold prototypes on its FDM-based Fortus 360mc 3D Production System, using ABS-M30 production-grade plastic. This enables the company to produce realistic molds with flexible strength that can also endure functional testing, crucial in developing the final thermoforming mold.

“Having previously outsourced our thermoforming requirements, we found that we were accumulating significant labor costs and having to contend with lengthy lead times,” concludes Cademartiri. “However, since 3D printing these parts ourselves, we’ve reduced lead times in the conceptual phase by approximately 35%. The technology has enhanced our overall manufacturing process, allowing us to evaluate our designs quickly and eliminate those that are not suitable, before committing significant investment towards mass production.”

Nadav Sella, Senior Manager Manufacturing Tools at Stratasys, adds: “We are seeing a growing trend among our customers to leverage our additive manufacturing systems as a manufacturing tool for a wide range of applications, in addition to direct prototyping. With the development of some of our recent, more durable materials, our customers can now enjoy flexibility in their choice of methods to create their manufacturing tools and test designs in their final production materials, before investing in costly metal tools.”

 

Stratasys expands triple-jetting technology with new multi-material 3D printers

Objet500 Connex1 and Objet500 Connex2 deliver high throughput 3D printing while combining multiple materials for prototyping and production tooling

Minneapolis & Rehovot, Israel – Sept. 8, 2014 – Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq:SSYS), a leading global provider of 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions, today introduced the Objet500 Connex1 and Objet500 Connex2 Multi-material 3D Printers featuring the company’s unique triple-jetting technology.

Stratasys triple-jetting technology is designed to allow the user to build products with up to three different materials in a single run, or even mix multiple material droplets to form new digital materials such as tough Digital ABS.

Joining the Objet500 Connex3 Color Multi-material 3D Printer announced in January, the Objet500 Connex1 and Objet500 Connex2 offer designers and manufacturers superiorversatility for materials, functionality and product realism capabilities.

 

Objet500 Connex1

Equipped with a large build envelope, the Objet500 Connex1 Multi-material 3D Printer can produce parts from three diverse materials in a single production run. This allows users to create assemblies with components formed from three different materials, or it can produce components that contain both rigid and flexible materials, such as rubber-like Tango and rigid Vero material. The 3D printer can build a part up to 19.3 in. x 15.4 in. x 7.9 in. (490mm x 390mm x 200mm) or a mixed tray of small parts. A larger material cabinet contains eight cartridges, resulting in more unattended run time and fewer material changeovers than previous models. Hot swapping – or reloading material and support cartridges while the 3D printer is operating – allows for continuous part production. Multi-material 3D printing achieves in a single, automated build what would be either impossible to achieve with conventional single-material 3D printers or would require hand assembly from multiple print jobs.

 

Objet500 Connex2

The Objet500 Connex2 Multi-material 3D Printer enables users to combine transparency, durability and flexibility in one part. It has all the capabilities of the Objet500 Connex1 plus the ability to combine droplets from two base materials to produce new materials or “Digital Materials.” Digital ABS, for example, is the most durable material available for the Stratasys PolyJet process and is often used to produce mold cores and cavities for short-run injection molding. With more than 100 material options, Connex2 users can produce a variety of Shore A values in the same part with rigid or clear components, or can combine Digital ABS with pure Tango for strong over-molded handles and grips. The versatility of the Objet500 Connex2 also makes it ideal for creating custom manufacturing tools such as jigs and fixtures.

“Following the launch of the Objet500 Connex3 earlier this year, we saw the demand for additional multi-material 3D printers that can address a variety of applications in prototyping and manufacturing, such as tooling and molding,” explains Stratasys’ Senior Product Marketing Manager Ron Ellenbogen. ”We were able to build on the success of our triple-jetting technology and expand the Objet500 Connex family with two 3D production systems that we believe set new standards for 3D printing price performance.”

For more information about the Objet500 Connex1 and Objet500 Connex2, contact a reseller or visit Stratasys’ website. Images, video, white papers, a brochure and spec sheets for both 3D printers are available by visiting the Stratasys newsroom.

Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq:SSYS), headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Rehovot, Israel, is a leading global provider of 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions. The company’s patented FDM^®, PolyJet™, and WDM™ 3D Printing technologies produce prototypes and manufactured goods directly from 3D CAD files or other 3D content. Systems include 3D printers for idea development, prototyping and direct digital manufacturing. Stratasys subsidiaries include MakerBot and Solidscape, and the company operates a digital-manufacturing service comprising RedEye, Harvest Technologies and Solid Concepts. Stratasys has more than 2,500 employees, holds over 600 granted or pending additive manufacturing patents globally, and has received more than 25 awards for its technology and leadership. Online at: www.stratasys.com or http://blog.stratasys.com

Stratasys and Objet are registered trademarks, and Objet500, Connex, PolyJet, are trademarks of Stratasys Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries or affiliates.

Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The statements in this press release relating to Stratasys’ beliefs regarding the capabilities and benefits consumers will experience from the Objet500 Connex1 and Objet500 Connex2 printers are forward-looking statements reflecting management’s current expectations and beliefs. These forward-looking statements are based on current information that is, by its nature, subject to rapid and even abrupt change. Due to risks and uncertainties associated with Stratasys’ business, actual results could differ materially from those projected or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk that consumers will not perceive the benefits of the Objet500 Connex1 and Objet500 Connex2 printers to be the same as Stratasys does; the risk the Objet500 Connex1 and Objet500 Connex2 printers will not perform as expected; and other risk factors set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in Stratasys’ most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 3, 2014. Stratasys is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by the rules and regulations of the SEC.