With the goal of expanding the possibilities of faster, more accurate production methods for our customers, Stratasys Direct Manufacturing has added Multi Jet Fusion to its suite of advanced manufacturing technologies.
Multi Jet Fusion became available in 2017, showcasing their cutting-edge printer with a distinctive build method and clean workflow process. Now, after months of careful validation of the technology in our robust manufacturing facilities, we’re excited to offer Multi Jet Fusion for production parts in Nylon 12 and announce our participation in the beta testing program for 3D High Reusability PA 11.
Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) technology allows for the fabrication of complex parts with powdered nylon material. The innovative technology offers thermoplastic materials well-suited for production applications and functional prototyping. MJF is ideal for parts like complex ductwork, connectors or non-appearance housings.
At Stratasys Direct we took months to validate Multi Jet Fusion to ensure perfect parts, every time. Our quality systems ensure consistent handling and recycling of materials along with machine maintenance and process control limits. Our controls provide material traceability, mechanical property verification, dimensional stability validation and other performance criteria checks to repeatedly deliver parts that meet customer specifications.
One of the key benefits of Multi Jet Fusion can be seen in the improved mechanical properties. The enhancements are achieved due to greater process and operations controls possible with the technology. Multi Jet Fusion’s unique build method results in parts with higher isotropic characteristics without increasing manufacturing cycle-time.
Another benefit is the chance to get to market faster with MJF’s unmatched builds speeds. The technology is up to 5 times faster than other 3D printing production technologies, per application requirements. Nesting parts together in a single batch is the best way to reduce the average turn-around times.
Low unit pricing is achieved with batch manufacturing and a faster process for 3D printed parts. Material costs are also reduced significantly when compared with other 3D printing technologies by recycling unused material, which results in cost savings for your business.
Multi Jet Fusion has had success from early adopters, and its impact on the 3D printing market has been significant, but how does it stack up in a production environment? With expert additive manufacturing engineers and decades of experience in aerospace, transportation and medical industries, Stratasys Direct put the technology to the test in a production environment.
The four month study explored the key claims about the technology and how it stood up to the quality standards, repeatability and mechanical properties Stratasys Direct maintains for production parts.
Over the course of 84 builds, we tested density, surface roughness (Ra), powder melt and recrystallization points, tensile properties in the XY and Z orientations, dimensional accuracy and stability.
The Multi Jet Fusion technology proved to have a significant advantage over other similar 3D printing technologies in both lead times and isotropic properties. In the Z orientation, the tensile testing showed roughly 10% better performance than the XY orientation across four builds on two different platforms. These results, among others, provided key insight into what is possible for production runs with Multi Jet Fusion.
Stratasys Direct is excited to see the range of production applications this cutting-edge technology serves with future customers. As material offerings expand, it’s sure to escalate to a major player in the 3D printing arena. In addition to Nylon 12 (PA 12), there are plans to roll out a PA 11 version of Nylon early in 2018, and that is just the beginning of what promises to be an extensive suite of material offerings. Stratasys Direct Manufacturing will be at the forefront of introducing new Multi Jet Fusion materials to our customers.
Multi Jet Fusion’s expanded capabilities are sure to position it as a key player across product development life cycles, from functional prototyping to pre-production and full production runs.
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