PolyJet Technology Page 1

This week's Product Story showcases Team Penske and how they utilize PolyJet materials to create a custom solution for expensive light replacements on racing cars. 

Motorsport racing, as well as other professional sports, are no match for Team Penske who has a long standing tradition of winning. Part of their success is developing solutions to problems on and off the track. One expensive, recurring problem was the replacement of lights after consistent damage from racing. This led to the utilization of additive manufacturing to test new ideas and generate lower-cost replacement parts. From replacement parts to design ideas, Team Penske draws from the convenience of manufacturing in house. 

In our previous blog article, we covered some quick and easy ways to reduce print time and costs on your Stratasys FDM machines. If you're a PolyJet user, don't worry! We've got you covered and in this article, we'll look over the top five ways to reduce your 3D printing costs with your machines, in no particular order.

Every day people walk around without realizing just how much mold manufacturing impacts their lives. The mouse being used to navigate around this post was built with molded parts. The shell of your cellphone, the plastic cup you use to get a drink of water and parts of your shades or eyeglasses are made through manufacturing using molds. Manufacturing with metal molds is a large part of today’s manufacturing process, but these aren’t the only kinds of molds that can be beneficial to companies.

Proper printer maintenance is key for the optimal performance and longevity of your 3D printer, so today I want to discuss a quick and easy way to take care of your new Stratasys J55. We’re going to run through the Routine Cleaning Wizard, which should be utilized after each build.

Throughout this series of articles, we have looked at how different departments across multiple universities have used 3D printing as part of their curricula and projects. So far, we have explored areas such as Performing Arts, Engineering and Chemistry. With its versatility, 3D printing has impacted areas that one wouldn't normally consider when it comes to implementing these technologies. Did you know that some universities have used 3D printing to solve cold cases? Let's look at some examples throughout this article in our series.

The Stratasys PolyJet 3D printing technology lets you produce high-quality, high-accuracy parts and prototypes at a reduced production cost. Many times, however, your prototypes might need a little hand to help you achieve the desired result. In this blog article, we review some of the processes that can help you create the ideal casting molds for your parts or prototypes, such as Liquid Silicone Rubber Molding (LSR), using the PolyJet technology. We review their differences and which materials are suitable for each of these processes to aid you in getting your ideal end-result.

Raw 3D printing material symbolizes infinite possibilities unlocked by the user’s creativity; however, if the raw material is mistreated and improperly handled, that potential vanishes. Making sure to take proper care of raw materials and store them in their intended conditions is the best way to ensure high quality prints. In times of extended shutdowns, or simply long hiatuses between prints, it’s imperative to store material properly.

3D printing has been in use in the medical industry for years. Most people have seen prosthetics that have been 3D printed. Whether it is a prosthetic for cosmetic purposes or a functioning limb, 3D printing has made these easier and quicker to get and coupled with 3D scanning technology, these prosthetics can also be custom tailored to each individual. This is all great and exciting and ultimately 3D printing will continue to advance prosthetic development. In addition to prosthetics, there are other ways in which 3D printing is changing the healthcare industry. In this article, we look at some of those advancements and how medical professionals and patients are benefiting from them.

Stratasys’ PolyJet 3D printing technology can produce some amazingly detailed parts that can mimic a wide range of rigid and flexible materials – even full-color and transparent parts. With some simple post-printing steps it is easy to obtain a stunning high gloss finish on even the matte surfaces of PolyJet parts. In a previous overview, we showed you how to clear coat complex shaped parts to obtain a gloss surface without any sanding or polishing. In this tutorial, I will show you how to create high gloss, even optically clear finishes, on parts the old fashioned way, with some elbow grease.

Gone are the days of simple monochromatic 3D printing. Now, more than ever, we need a single language to connect product designers to model makers to ensure that prototypes look just as they were intended, and the PANTONE color scheme is the key for creating products and prototypes with 100% color specificity! This allows manufacturers to visualize the exact color of their products or prototypes, and to match their colors to brand or product guidelines as needed. For the past decade, we have seen how the 3D printing industry has evolved to full and multi-color printing and how today, there are multiple PolyJet 3D printers capable of creating full-color, high-accuracy parts with the PANTONE colors. In this article, we explore the different PolyJet 3D printers that can print using the PANTONE matching system (PMS).

When creating multiple iterations of a part, it can be helpful to apply a label for identification purposes. Using SOLIDWORKS, we can apply a label to our part with color and finish, then transfer those settings directly to our printer software for 3D printing on our Stratasys PolyJet machine.

Technological advancements in 3D printing and scanning have opened up so many possibilities to revolutionize the fashion industry. Stratasys has teamed up with innovative designers to produce 3D printed clothing that goes beyond traditional fabrics. They unveiled a major breakthrough with flexibility, customization and replication of any color.