Stratasys
Encyclopedia
Stratasys, Inc. founded by S. Scott Crump
and his wife Lisa Crump, is a company that manufactures additive fabrication machines for direct digital manufacturing (a.k.a. rapid manufacturing), 3D printing
and rapid prototyping
. In 2007, Stratasys supplied 44% of all additive fabrication systems installed worldwide, making it the unit market leader for the sixth consecutive year.
Stratasys uses fused deposition modeling
(FDM), a process that the company patented, to produce three-dimensional parts directly from 3D CAD files layer-by-layer for use in design verification, prototyping, development and manufacturing. In 2003, FDM was the best-selling rapid prototyping technology.
Engineers use Stratasys systems to model complex geometries in a wide range of thermoplastic
materials, including ABS
, polyphenylsulfone (PPSF), polycarbonate
(PC) and ULTEM 9085.
Stratasys manufactures in-office prototyping and direct digital manufacturing systems for automotive, aerospace, industrial, recreational, electronic, medical and consumer product OEMs.
The company was founded in 1989 and its headquarters are in Eden Prairie, Minnesota
. Stratasys, Inc. is the parent company of FORTUS, RedEye On Demand and Dimension Printing.
S. Scott Crump
S. Scott Crump is the inventor of fused deposition modeling and co-founder of Stratasys, Inc. Crump invented and patented FDM technology in 1989 with his wife and Stratasys co-founder Lisa Crump. He is currently the CEO and president of Stratasys, which produces additive manufacturing machines...
and his wife Lisa Crump, is a company that manufactures additive fabrication machines for direct digital manufacturing (a.k.a. rapid manufacturing), 3D printing
3D printing
3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing technology where a three dimensional object is created by laying down successive layers of material. 3D printers are generally faster, more affordable, and easier to use than other additive manufacturing technologies. However, the term 3D printing is...
and rapid prototyping
Rapid prototyping
Rapid prototyping is the automatic construction of physical objects using additive manufacturing technology. The first techniques for rapid prototyping became available in the late 1980s and were used to produce models and prototype parts. Today, they are used for a much wider range of applications...
. In 2007, Stratasys supplied 44% of all additive fabrication systems installed worldwide, making it the unit market leader for the sixth consecutive year.
Stratasys uses fused deposition modeling
Fused deposition modeling
Fused deposition modeling is an additive manufacturing technology commonly used for modeling, prototyping, and production applications. The technology was developed by S...
(FDM), a process that the company patented, to produce three-dimensional parts directly from 3D CAD files layer-by-layer for use in design verification, prototyping, development and manufacturing. In 2003, FDM was the best-selling rapid prototyping technology.
Engineers use Stratasys systems to model complex geometries in a wide range of thermoplastic
Thermoplastic
Thermoplastic, also known as a thermosoftening plastic, is a polymer that turns to a liquid when heated and freezes to a very glassy state when cooled sufficiently...
materials, including ABS
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene is a common thermoplastic. Its melting point is approximately 105 °C ....
, polyphenylsulfone (PPSF), polycarbonate
Polycarbonate
PolycarbonatePhysical PropertiesDensity 1.20–1.22 g/cm3Abbe number 34.0Refractive index 1.584–1.586FlammabilityV0-V2Limiting oxygen index25–27%Water absorption – Equilibrium0.16–0.35%Water absorption – over 24 hours0.1%...
(PC) and ULTEM 9085.
Stratasys manufactures in-office prototyping and direct digital manufacturing systems for automotive, aerospace, industrial, recreational, electronic, medical and consumer product OEMs.
The company was founded in 1989 and its headquarters are in Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. Stratasys, Inc. is the parent company of FORTUS, RedEye On Demand and Dimension Printing.
See also
- Additive manufacturingAdditive manufacturingAdditive manufacturing is defined by ASTM as the "process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies, such as traditional machining...
- Desktop manufacturing
- Digital fabricator
- Instant manufacturing, also known as "direct manufacturing" or "on-demand manufacturing"
- Rapid manufacturing
- Reprap
- StereolithographyStereolithographyStereolithography is an additive manufacturing technology for producing models, prototypes, patterns, and in some cases, production parts.-Technology description:...