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This week's Product Story showcases biomechanically accurate models that are 3D printed using the J750 Digital Anatomy Printer at the Jacobs Institute. 

The Jacobs Institute specializes in collaborating with industry and physicians to drive innovation. They teamed up with Stratasys to make the idea of creating anatomical models that represent the actual look and feel of tissue become a reality. The goal was to provide an alternative to cadavers and animal studies while still providing specific pathologies to practice procedures.

In 2019, Stratasys announced that their J735/J750 and their J835/J850 PolyJet machines successfully passed the rigorous requirements needed to make them the world’s first and only PANTONE-validated 3D printers. This was a huge hit and manufacturers around the world were rejoicing. At the beginning of this year, Stratasys launched the J826, which is also PANTONE-capable and changes the game for 3D printing as design and prototype colors can now be matched with 100% specificity. Most recently, they released the newest member of the J-series, the J55, the first 3D printer to use a rotational printing sequence to bring you high-quality and high-accuracy parts in an office or studio environment.

As a leader in the 3D printing industry, Stratasys is continuously improving their product portfolio and technologies to provide you the best solutions available in the market. It has been an exciting few months for their PolyJet J-series of printers, and it continues to get better. Stratasys just launched their newest addition to this family, the Stratasys J55, designed to bring you unparalleled part realism, in an office or studio environment, at an affordable price.

For many decades, mold making and casting were the go-to methods to produce realistic prototypes of smaller plastic goods. Often referred to as Room Temperature Vulcanization (RTV) or silicone molding, this is the process of producing a master part and making a flexible mold off that master. Then, the mold is filled with a two-part urethane resin, which cures into the shape of the mold. This produces a part that exactly mimics the original master’s shape and surface finish. This process is extremely versatile and is in use in many industries. Still, it requires a skilled model maker to produce a master and understand the proper molding techniques to achieve the desired result. Today, 3D printing is changing the way RTV molding is approached and no 3D printing technology is better suited for the task than Stratasys’ PolyJet technology. In this article, we will illustrate the process of RTV molding and explore how PolyJet printing can augment the various steps.

With the many improvements to GrabCAD Print over the last year, one of the most notable is the addition of Manufacturing Notes. This add-in allows the user to add notes to the faces of parts to be 3D printed. These notes can then be printed off on paper and follow the 3D printed part from initial printing through post-processing. High-volume 3D printing labs, universities and manufacturing may benefit the most from this feature, where multiple engineers and departments are utilizing their printers daily.

Stratasys just released the newest addition to their J-series family of PolyJet 3D printers, the Stratasys J826, an entry-level printer for the enterprise design world. Just like the J850, the J826 has been created using Stratasys' best-in-class PolyJet technology and is part of the only family of printers currently available that can print full-color, multi-material models in a single print. It provides the same end-to-end solution for the design process and ultra-realistic simulation at a lower price point.

Almost everybody loves chocolate, right? That’s exactly what I was thinking when I was working on some models for our previous Halloween and Christmas candy articles. As I was working on those projects, I came across a surprisingly quick and easy way to apply full-color patterned textures to CAD models for 3D printing on the Stratasys J750 and J850, using SOLIDWORKS Visualize, and had the idea to use this method to make chocolate bars for Valentine’s Day!

PolyJet technology uses resins that are dispensed onto a build tray in very small droplets and cured between passes with ultraviolet light in order to create a 3D shape or shapes. PolyJet 3D printers use this process to create parts with a high level of detail and realism because they can print in multiple materials/colors at once and at a higher resolution than other print technology like Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). Stratasys PolyJet machines can blend anywhere from two to six resins in order to obtain features like soft touch points and full range of color in a single printed part. This makes the technology very attractive for multiple industries when needing to create realistic prototypes and tactile end-use-parts. In this blog article, we highlight some of the most common blends of these composite or "digital" materials and how they are made.

For thirty years, Stratasys has been the world's leading 3D printing company, empowering global business to innovate in their designs and manufacturing processes. In 2019, Stratasys launched new products and materials that continue to make an impact across different industries. This past week, TriMech employees attended Impact 2020, the event that Stratasys organizes for all partners. Here's a look at what we can actually reveal!