Use any material on an FDM additive machine with Stratasys’ open material ecosystem

Stratasys is helping you to unlock the full potential of additive manufacturing by opening its Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) machines up and allowing them to be used with any material, even ones made by third parties.

The programme is beginning with the Stratasys Fortus 450mc, with other selected FDM machines set to follow in the coming months. By allowing you to use any material, Stratasys is giving its users more flexibility when manufacturing, with more options available to help meet your application requirements. An open material ecosystem also lets users access new supply chains, providing peace of mind when it comes to the security of supply, which is especially valuable in today’s chaotic global environment.

Those with a specialist requirement for their materials also stand to benefit, along with research facilities and education establishments. Individuals and organisations wishing to experiment with their additive manufacturing machines can discover what is possible when combining cutting-edge materials with the reliable technology that Stratasys additive manufacturing has to offer.

FDM material categories

As a result of this change, Stratasys FDM materials now fall into one of three categories:

1. Stratasys preferred

These materials have been through the most stringent checks and tests. They have been developed in-house by Stratasys or a third party to ensure that they meet the most exacting requirements for the applications for which they are intended.

2. Stratasys validated

Materials in this group have been through Stratasys’ basic reliability testing, which enables them to come to market as fast as possible. They may have been manufactured by Stratasys or a third party.

3. Open

This tier of materials is reserved for everything else and has not been tested or validated by Stratasys. Materials in this group may offer unique properties that are suitable for more niche applications.

How the programme works

Users of the Fortus 450mc may begin to use any material from the above categories on their machine by getting in contact with us at Laser Lines and purchasing an Open Material License (OML). This provides everything you need to get going with third party materials, including a separate head to be used with materials from the open category.

The OML also includes a software tool that works within GrabCAD Print to let you change the printer parameters and get the best from your material. This requires an annual subscription.

One thing to mention is that if you have a Neo Stereolithography (SLA), Selective Absorption Fusion (SAF) or Programmable PhotoPolymerization (P3) machine from Stratasys, these machines have open material options already.

If you want to get started using a greater variety of materials with your FDM machine, or you have any other questions about the scheme, please give us a call on 01295 672599 or email [email protected]