Facts About The All-New F Series From Stratasys

FDM 3D Printing

Facts About The All-New F Series From Stratasys

by | FDM 3D Printing

This week, Stratasys has unveiled a new line of  3D printers.

The brainchild of over 100,000 hours of machine testing, over 30,000 hours of material reliability testing per material, 43 existing patents, and 15 new patents, this new line of systems is the most researched and tested system Stratasys has ever developed in the history of the company. A series of systems that could easily be considered “younger siblings” to the Fortus 380 and 450 machines, this new creation incorporates many of the advanced technologies from these larger systems, with some newly added-on top of the line features.

We present to you, the Stratasys F123 Series of 3D Printers:

The three printers in the series, the Stratasys F170, F270 and F370, support a broad range of capabilities and budgets for every stage of prototyping:

The F123 Series has three main categories of outstanding, unparalleled performance in the industry: Speed, Silence, & Savings

Speed

Toting several new incredible features,  the F Series is the fastest FDM line of machines in its class. This line of systems is geared to replace the Dimension models, and has 20-30% faster build times than the uPrint SE.

In addition to faster build speeds, there’s the all new fast-draft mode, which builds your model up to 2x faster than the basic build mode, and uses 2/3 less material. This will allow you to get a physical part in your hand faster than ever.

The F Series also has redesigned material spools, resulting in load/unload times under 60 seconds.

Changing out a print head is now a snap. Literally. All you need to do now is pop a head in, and it snaps right into place. Want to take it out? One quick press of a button and pull, and you’re all set. No tools. No expertise. No sweat.

The F123 series also features an all-new touchscreen interface for straightforward operation with intuitive controls just like you’d expect to see on any of today’s electronics. Two integrated USB ports make it easy for users to walk right up, plug in, and print. This is all paired with GrabCAD Print(insert link), the first ever universal 3D printer software that covers nearly all Stratasys printers. With GrabCAD’s acceptance of native CAD files, remote scheduling and monitoring, and reporting and analytical tools, you will see unmatched speed in your newly integrated 3D printing process.

In addition to GrabCAD Print, the F370 comes enabled with Insight processing software as well. This software allows complete customization of part builds, right down to individual layers. Combined with the F Series’ speed and accuracy, you will be able to create parts tailored to your every wish at lightning print speeds.

Silence

The F Series machines all have the same physical footprint, and are compact enough to fit comfortably in any office environment, but are durable enough to thrive in harsher manufacturing environments as well. Even more impressive, they are as quiet as a desktop PC (46 dB max during a build, for the interested engineers reading this).  Once you integrate this machine into your facility, it will be just like having another computer in the office.

Savings

The F123 series deliver production grade materials, but Stratasys did not stop there. They have spent tens of thousands of hours developing two new materials that will help you print many iterations of designs without breaking the bank or sacrificing reliability between prints.

  • The first is PLA thermoplastic. It is the most economical material Stratasys has ever offered. Created with renewable resources, PLA also boasts a 10x cost reduction when printing in fast draft mode. The new material also comes in 11 vibrant colors, including some that are translucent.
  • The second is QSR (Quick Support Release) soluble support material. This is an upgrade from SR30, bringing to the table extended bath life and faster dissolve time than ever before.
  • The F Series also comes with standard ABS thermoplastic and ASA, a material with slightly improved mechanical properties over ABS, with the best aesthetics of all FDM thermoplastics, as well as UV stability for outdoor applications. The F370 also comes with PC-ABS (PolyCarbonate-ABS), an engineering grade thermoplastic optimized for functional prototyping and manufacturing aids.

The rugged chassis and enclosure are tightly insulated and equipped with an all new heater and fan design, capturing the heat required for high repeatability and energy efficiency.

Lastly, the Auto-Calibration feature saves you and your colleagues face time with the machine, allowing you to focus on more important tasks.  Waste less, create more.

“The Stratasys F123 series is the ultimate, all-in-one rapid prototyping solution. Our platform is backed by 25 years of experience with over 20,000 loyal Stratasys customers worldwide. As the world’s leader in 3D printing, Stratasys provides unrivalled levels of support, application knowledge, and industry collaboration, which puts you at the forefront of what’s next.” – Stratasys

Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions please let us know how we can help!