Stratasys said it is launching carbon fiber material for its F123 Series 3D for the first time.
Carbon fiber materials have been previously reserved for the industrial-strength Stratasys FMD 3D printers for the manufacturing of jibs, fixtures and tooling.
By bringing carbon fiber to the F123 Series printers, via FDM ABS-CF10 material, Stratasys will bring the material to more end users of the F170, F270 and F370 3D printers.
ABS is an acronym for Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, a popular thermoplastic for 3D printing. ABS is known for being sturdy, able to handle high heat and resist wear at a low costs. Stratasys recently acquired Origin for $100 million to bolster its materials ecosystem.
According to Stratasys, carbon fiber material is an alternative to metal parts. FDM ABS-CF10 includes 10% chopped carbon fiber, has 15% more strength than standard ABS and is lighter than metal. Stratasys estimates that the additive manufacturing market for polymer jibs and fixtures is expected to be almost a $600 million market by 2023.
The material will be available April 2021.
Material innovations are among the ways that additive manufacturing will scale.
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