Stratasys has announced the latest iteration of its Neo 3D printing technology line-up with improved speeds and production costs.
The polymer additive manufacturing pioneer said the Neo800+ large-format stereolithography system, which was announced on Tuesday at the Additive Manufacturing Users Group Conference in Chicago, is geared towards industries such as automotive and aerospace for large, high-fidelity parts, citing applications in wind tunnel testing, prototyping, and tooling.
The increase in print speed is owed to ScanControl+ scanning technology which is said to boost speeds by up to 50%, with Stratasys claiming real world benchmarks of 39% average improvements of time-to-part and 44% or more on applications such as tooling moulds, dependent on the material. The enhanced laser and optics system is said to support high-energy materials, and is optimised for use with ScanControl+ Ready Materials from Somos, including Somos WaterShed XC+, a new resin engineered specifically for the Neo800+, which delivers clear parts with a smooth finish at faster scan speeds.
“The improved speed has allowed us to increase throughput and maintain open capacity as well as offer quicker turnaround times to our customers,” said Sean Schoonmaker, Director, Operations, Stratasys Direct Manufacturing. “The quality and consistency of the prints have been outstanding, with an excellent surface finish that helps save on post processing time for cosmetic models. We’re seeing sharper detailed features and consistent accuracy well within our standard tolerances.”
Further features include Vacuum System Protection, Z-Stage Collision Detection, and real-time environmental monitoring, which are geared towards increasing production efficiency and part consistency.
Stratasys’ Neo technology, which was developed by and acquired from UK-based company RPS back in 2021, has been embraced by users in the automotive industry such as supercar maker Briggs Automotive Company and racing teams like Team Penske and McLaren, in addition to service providers like Ogle Models, Dinsmore and PartsToGo. Stratasys will formally launch the Neo800+ at RAPID + TCT in Detroit on April 8th alongside representatives from Rivian Automotive.
