Transforming Manufacturing: Stratasys Furthers Collaboration with Team Penske, Demos New Carbon Fiber 3D Printers

mpowering customers to transform traditional manufacturing processes, Stratasys (Nasdaq:SSYS) is announcing further collaboration with Team Penske and providing an up-close look at new carbon-fiber 3D printers at IMTS 2018. Supporting the challenges of production environments are the Fortus 380mc Carbon Fiber Edition and Stratasys F900 Production 3D Printer – both suited for demanding requirements on the factory floor.

A leader in competitive motorsports, Team Penske is expanding use of additive manufacturing across design and production environments to gain competitive edge in the NASCAR, INDYCAR and IMSA circuits. Stratasys FDM additive manufacturing is used to advance car testing, prototypes and production parts, supported by advanced materials such as Carbon Fiber-filled Nylon 12.

“While drivers are focused on outperforming one another during racing season, the real competition starts weeks before with design and development in the shop. The power to deploy 3D printing early in the process gives Team Penske a tremendous advantage in the production of better, stronger and more aerodynamic race car parts,” said Matt Gimbel, Team Penske Production Manager. “The faster parts get on the race track, the better our team competes: Stratasys technology enables us to do just that.”

Team Penske’s 3D printing applications include wind tunnel development, composite tooling, jigs and fixtures, engineering prototypes and race car components. Producing complex designs with 3D printing means reduced iteration cycles between creation and manufacturing to enable added speed and flexibility. One of their newest applications of Stratasys’ Carbon Fiber is lightweight mirror housings. Capitalizing on materials with high-impact resistance and stiffness, Team Penske better meets requirements of motorsport environments which focus on aerodynamic loads, vibration and mechanical stresses.

At the foundation of Stratasys’ industrial-grade additive manufacturing systems is the Fortus 380mc Carbon Fiber Edition – affordably-priced and dedicated to Carbon Fiber-filled Nylon 12. Giving Carbon Fiber access to more customers, this system is being offered at $70,000 in the US – significantly less than typical industrial quality 3D printers. The Fortus 380mc CFE is suited for customers developing tools and fixtures in industries including Automotive, Aerospace, Orthoses, Prosthesis and Medical Equipment.

“While others talk about additive manufacturing as a future vision, Stratasys is demonstrating adoption into mainstream production environments everyday. We’re delivering true industrial manufacturing solutions with unmatched levels of repeatability, reliability, and performance required for tooling and final part production. And this is being validated across industries with market leaders like Penske, Lockheed Martin, Audi and GKN Aerospace.”

Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, the company’s manufacturing services division, is also a key supplier of FDM parts for Team Penske. With 30 years of manufacturing and 3D printing expertise, the division has unmatched capacity for delivery of production parts engineered for high-performance 3D printed metals and thermoplastics including FDM Nylon 12CF.

Also on display at IMTS 2018 is the Stratasys F900 Production 3D Printer. Designed for high accuracy and repeatability, the machine has the largest build size of any FDM offering. It’s also one of the first 3D printers to incorporate an MTConnect interface – a core open standard that seamlessly integrates multiple levels of manufacturing equipment. This industrial machine maximizes Nylon 12 Carbon Fiber material, considered critical for production parts in high-requirement environments. Stratasys Direct Manufacturing is also delivering parts engineered with FDM Nylon 12CF.

The StratasysFortus 380mc Carbon Fiber Edition and the Stratasys F900 Production 3D Printer are live at Stratasys Booth No. 431600 (West Building) at IMTS 2018. Attendees can also interact live with the No. 2 Team Penske NASCAR Cup Car and its 3D printed parts – as well as 3D printed parts for manufacturing applications from manufacturing leaders across automotive and aerospace.