MINNEAPOLIS, MN and REHOVOT, Israel, Nov 15, 2017 – Stratasys Ltd., a global leader in applied additive technology solutions, announced at formnext 2017, that it is collaborating with e-Xstream engineering, a world leader in multi-scale modeling of composite materials and structures, to deliver high-performance process modeling and structural analysis numerical tools for Stratasys additive manufacturing solutions.
oubida El Hachemi, sales director Worldwide e-Xstream & Keren Ludomirski Zait, senior director of Business Development & Strategic Alliance, Stratasys (Photo: Business Wire)
The combination of Stratasys additive manufacturing solutions with e-Xstream’s accurate, effective numerical tools is designed to offer customers high-performance design and validation capabilities. These include increased material understanding and greater dimensional accuracy of 3D printed parts to optimize output results and expand the aperture of applications. By doing so, their aim to increase the adoption of Stratasys 3D printing technology in key manufacturing sectors, including aerospace and automotive, is further facilitated.
“Stratasys recognizes the importance of simulation and modeling as a way for customers to optimize part production by designing with additive in mind, while ensuring that the material and process will deliver ‘print right the first time’ assurance,” said Scott Sevcik, VP manufacturing solutions at Stratasys.
Central to the collaboration is the objective to develop predictive simulation solutions for Stratasys’ Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology to enable the production of tighter tolerance, higher performance parts. This is aimed at being achieved in conjunction with e-Xstream engineering’s standalone material modeling platform, Digimat, which offers a self-contained module to enable a flexible interface that is accessible for basic to advanced level designers, as well as other users across multiple manufacturing based workflows.
Core functions of the collaboration comprise:
- Process simulation applied to the design-to-3D-print workflow to achieve the high accuracy and repeatability required by manufacturing users. Advanced numerical tools are needed to predict and mitigate part warpage as well as realize the impact of design decisions on the manufacturing process before the part is produced.
- Material engineering to create a framework and methodology for characterization by understanding the key parameters driving the material’s behavior. This framework will support the accelerated development and optimization of future material system solutions.
- Part performance predictions that are applied daily to complete the engineering workflow for traditional manufacturing processes, providing the product designer with an accurate early design. The extension of Digimat’s structural analysis solution for FDM will predict part performance (stiffness, strength, etc.) as a function of the material and the printing process parameters, such as printing direction or toolpath.
“For engineers to unlock the design freedom that additive manufacturing offers, they need tools for accurate and effective analysis. We are happy to be collaborating with simulation leaders, such as e-Xstream, whose customized tools are a key contributor to enabling additive manufacturing to become a high-performance production technology,” continued Sevcik.
Further to the collaboration, the next release of e-Xstream’s material modeling platform, Digimat, will deliver the first material models of ULTEM 9085 resin, a strong, lightweight thermoplastic meeting aerospace requirements, with a complete process package for the Stratasys Fortus 900mc Production 3D Printer. Customers are provided the numerical tools necessary to perform both process simulation and structural analysis by feeding critical process information from Stratasys’ pre-processing software, Insight, to Digimat’s AM module*.
“We are very excited about this collaboration, which we believe will enable Stratasys customers to benefit from e-Xstream’s polymer multi-scale modeling expertise to improve the way they design for manufacturing,” said Roger Assaker, CEO of e-Xstream engineering, Chief Material Strategist of MSC Software.
“The ability to foresee the influence of designs on part printing and performance should enable users to save time and reduce costs by improving overall accuracy, reliability and workflow efficiencies,” he concluded.
*Digimat 2018.0 will be available for download at the end of November 2017.
formnext 2017 attendees can learn more about Stratasys’ collaboration with e-Xstream engineering by visiting Stratasys’ stand (Hall 3.1, #F40), where experts will be available to explain the benefits to users in more detail.
About Stratasys
Stratasys is a global leader in applied additive technology solutions for industries including Aerospace, Automotive, Healthcare, Consumer Products and Education. For nearly 30 years, a deep and ongoing focus on customers’ business requirements has fueled purposeful innovations—1,200 granted and pending additive technology patents to date—that create new value across product lifecycle processes, from design prototypes to manufacturing tools and final production parts. The Stratasys 3D printing ecosystem of solutions and expertise—advanced materials; software with voxel level control; precise, repeatable and reliable FDM and PolyJet 3D printers; application-based expert services; on-demand parts and industry-defining partnerships—works to ensure seamless integration into each customer’s evolving workflow. Fulfilling the real-world potential of additive, Stratasys delivers breakthrough industry-specific applications that accelerate business processes, optimize value chains and drive business performance improvements for thousands of future-ready leaders around the world.
For more information, visit www.stratasys.com.
