Stratasys invented Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and PolyJet 3D printing technologies. The company manufactures industrial 3D printers, develops proprietary materials, and sells polymer additive manufacturing solutions to businesses worldwide. Stratasys Direct is the contract manufacturing division of Stratasys. You send Stratasys Direct your CAD files, and their engineers produce your parts using industrial additive manufacturing workflows. They handle prototyping, tooling, and end-use production components across eight 3D printing technologies, all from U.S.-based facilities.
You would choose Stratasys Direct when you need finished parts but do not want to invest in your own equipment or you require overflow capacity. Stratasys Direct gives you access to eight additive manufacturing technologies, along with engineering support, post-processing finishing, dimensional inspection, and certified quality systems (ISO 9001, AS9100, ISO 13485). If your project demands production-grade workflows, extra capacity during peak demand, or materials and technologies beyond what you have in-house, Stratasys Direct fills that gap with experience, expertise, and capacity.
Yes. Stratasys Direct operates as the contract manufacturing services division of Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSYS), headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
Stratasys Direct is headquartered at 5995 Opus Parkway, Minnetonka, Minnesota. The company operates within the Stratasys Ltd. corporate structure, with additional manufacturing facilities in Belton, Texas and Tucson, Arizona.
Stratasys Direct runs three manufacturing facilities across the United States: Minnetonka, Minnesota (headquarters), Belton, Texas, and Tucson, Arizona. All three facilities are domestic, supporting ITAR-registered and export-controlled manufacturing programs.
Yes. Stratasys Direct manufactures all parts in the United States across three facilities in Minnesota, Texas, and Arizona. This domestic production capability is a requirement for their ITAR-registered, export-controlled aerospace and defense work, where U.S.-based manufacturing with documented chain of custody is non-negotiable.
Yes. Stratasys Direct holds active ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) registration, which means the company meets U.S. State Department requirements for handling export-controlled defense articles and technical data. This registration qualifies Stratasys Direct to support aerospace and defense manufacturing programs that require controlled access, domestic production, and documented compliance.
Yes. Stratasys Direct holds ISO 9001 certification (quality management systems) and ISO 13485 certification (medical device quality management). ISO 9001 covers their general manufacturing operations and customer quality requirements. ISO 13485 qualifies their workflows for producing medical device components, anatomical models, and related applications where traceability and controlled processes are mandatory.
Yes. Stratasys Direct holds AS9100 certification, which is the aerospace-specific quality management standard built on top of ISO 9001. AS9100 certification means Stratasys Direct manufacturing processes, documentation, traceability, and risk management meet the requirements that aerospace OEMs and defense primes expect from their supply chain partners.
Stratasys Direct has been operating for over 30 years in additive and advanced manufacturing. The service bureau traces its roots through multiple acquisitions that Stratasys consolidated, giving the division deep experience with production-grade 3D printing across FDM, SLS, SLA, PolyJet, and newer technologies like SAF and P3 DLP.
Stratasys Direct works with organizations across aerospace, defense, government, automotive, medical device, and industrial manufacturing sectors. Their customer base skews toward companies with regulated or performance-critical manufacturing requirements, where certified quality systems, traceability, documented processes, and U.S.-based production are selection criteria. Rather than publishing a client roster, Stratasys Direct is best evaluated by the level of work they support: production-grade additive manufacturing with AS9100, ISO 13485, and ITAR credentials backing the output.
Stratasys Direct offers eight additive manufacturing technologies: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) for production-grade thermoplastic parts, PolyJet for multi-material and multi-color prototyping, Stereolithography (SLA) for high-detail resin parts, Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) for durable nylon components, Selective Absorption Fusion (SAF) for production-scale nylon parts, Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) for functional prototypes and short runs, P3 DLP (Programmable PhotoPolymerization) for fast resin production parts that rival injection-molding in look/feel, and Vision-Controlled Jetting (VCJ) for industrial elastomer parts. Each technology serves different application requirements for strength, surface finish, speed, volume, and material properties.
Stratasys Direct offers more than 50 engineering-grade materials spanning thermoplastics, photopolymer resins, nylons, elastomers, and high-performance polymers. The specific material options vary by technology. FDM materials include ABS, ASA, polycarbonate, ULTEM™ 9085 Resin, and Nylon 12 Carbon Fiber. SLS options include Nylon 11, Nylon 12, and glass-filled nylons. Resin-based technologies (SLA, P3 DLP) cover rigid, flexible, castable, and temperature-resistant photopolymers. Your Stratasys Direct engineer can recommend the right material based on your mechanical requirements, environment, certifications, and end-use conditions.
Stratasys Direct uses CNC machining as a secondary operation on 3D printed plastic parts, not as a standalone service. When a printed part needs tighter tolerances on specific features, improved dimensional accuracy, or precision-machined surfaces, CNC machining is applied after the additive build. If you need full CNC machining as the primary manufacturing method for metal or plastic parts, Stratasys Direct is not the right fit. Their core capability is additive manufacturing with CNC as a finishing step.
Stratasys Direct does not offer injection molding. The company focuses on polymer additive manufacturing. For applications where you might normally consider injection molding, Stratasys Direct can produce production quantities of plastic parts using industrial 3D printing technologies like SAF, P3 DLP, and FDM. You avoid tooling costs, tooling lead times, and minimum order quantities. The tradeoff is that 3D printed parts have different material properties and surface finishes compared to injection-molded parts.
No. Stratasys Direct focuses on polymer additive manufacturing and does not currently offer metal 3D printing services. For applications where metal was the default choice, the Stratasys Direct engineering team can evaluate whether high-performance polymers like Nylon 12 Carbon Fiber (Nylon 12CF), ULTEM™ 9085 Resin, or other engineering-grade thermoplastics could replace the metal part. These materials offer high strength-to-weight ratios, stiffness, and design freedom that make metal-to-polymer conversion viable for many structural and functional applications.
Yes. Stratasys Direct produces end-use production parts, not just prototypes. Their production capabilities include serialized production runs with lot traceability, low-volume and mid-volume manufacturing, production tooling (jigs, fixtures, assembly aids), finishing operations (sanding, painting, plating, insert installation), and dimensional inspection with documentation. Quality systems including ISO 9001, AS9100, and ISO 13485 back the production workflows depending on your industry requirements.
The largest single-piece build volume at Stratasys Direct is 36 x 24 x 36 inches, available on their FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) systems. For parts that exceed that envelope, Stratasys Direct has developed bonding methods to join multiple printed sections into a single assembly, which means there is no hard upper limit on finished part size. Other technologies (SLS, SLA, PolyJet, SAF) have smaller build volumes, so your maximum part size will depend on which technology and material your application requires.
Yes. Stratasys Direct provides rapid prototyping services for concept models, form/fit/function testing, functional validation, and early-stage product development. With eight 3D printing technologies and 50+ materials available, you can get prototypes that match your production intent for mechanical properties, visual appearance, or both. Prototype lead times can start at 1 to 3 days depending on the technology, material, geometry, and current production schedule.
Yes. Stratasys Direct supports low-volume and short-run production, including single-unit production-grade components and serialized runs with lot traceability. There is no minimum order quantity. Low-volume production at Stratasys Direct comes with the same quality systems, inspection, finishing, and documentation that apply to larger runs, backed by ISO 9001, AS9100, or ISO 13485 certification depending on your industry.
You can get a quote from Stratasys Direct two ways. Upload your CAD files to RapidQuotes, their online quoting and ordering platform, for automated pricing on standard configurations. Or contact the Stratasys Direct team either from within the Rapidquotes plaform or contact-us form to work with an engineer on material selection, technology recommendations, finishing requirements, and production planning for more complex projects. RapidQuotes accepts STL, STEP, IGES, SolidWorks, CATIA, and other common 3D CAD formats.
Yes. Stratasys Direct offers RapidQuotes, an online quoting and ordering platform where you upload your 3D CAD files and receive pricing for custom 3D printed parts. RapidQuotes supports STL, STEP, IGES, SolidWorks, Pro/E, CATIA, and other standard formats. For projects that need material guidance, DfAM review, or production planning, you can also work with a Stratasys Direct engineer alongside the quoting process.
No. Stratasys Direct has no minimum order quantity. You can order a single prototype, a small batch of 10 parts, or a production run of thousands. This flexibility applies across prototyping, tooling, and production work. Pricing scales with quantity, technology, material, and finishing requirements.
Stratasys Direct accepts a wide range of 3D CAD formats, including STL, STEP, IGES, SolidWorks, Pro/E, CATIA, Parasolid, SolidEdge, Autodesk Inventor, Unigraphics, and other common 3D CAD files.
Lead time at Stratasys Direct varies by technology, material, part geometry, quantity, finishing, and inspection requirements. Prototype parts can ship in as few as 1 to 2 days for standard configurations. Most prototype orders have lead times starting around 3 business days. Production runs, parts requiring post-processing (painting, plating, CNC finishing), or orders needing inspection documentation will take longer. Contact Stratasys Direct with your CAD files and requirements for a project-specific timeline.
Yes. Stratasys Direct offers expedited service for qualifying projects. Availability depends on the technology, material, part complexity, and current production schedule. If your project has a hard deadline, contact Stratasys Direct early in the quoting process so the team can evaluate expedited options and confirm feasibility before you commit.
Yes. Stratasys Direct signs NDAs and has a standard NDA template used with thousands of customers. You can submit your own NDA for review, or use the Stratasys Direct template to keep the process simple. NDA execution is a standard part of their onboarding workflow for customers with IP-sensitive or confidential projects.
Yes. Stratasys Direct offers DfAM (Design for Additive Manufacturing) support. This includes reviewing your design for printability, recommending geometry changes that improve strength or reduce cost, advising on material selection for your application requirements, and providing feedback on tolerances, wall thickness, support structures, and build orientation. DfAM review is available during the quoting process.
Stratasys Direct serves customers in aerospace, automotive, medical, consumer products, industrial manufacturing, defense, and government sectors. The strongest fit is organizations that need certified, production-grade additive manufacturing with documented quality systems. Aerospace and defense customers rely on AS9100 certification and ITAR registration. Medical device companies work under ISO 13485 workflows. Automotive customers may require PPAP-supported production readiness, while industrial manufacturers often look for documented workflows, inspection records, material traceability, and repeatable part quality for prototyping, production aids, tooling, and end-use parts across engineering-grade polymers.
Yes. Stratasys Direct supports aerospace customers with production-grade additive manufacturing backed by AS9100 certification, ITAR registration, and documented traceability from raw material through finished part. Capabilities include flight-worthy parts produced with qualified materials (ULTEM™ 9085 resin, Antero™ 840CN03 (PEKK-based), flame-retardant nylons), finishing operations, dimensional inspection, and quality documentation that meets aerospace OEM and defense prime supply chain requirements.
Yes. Stratasys Direct supports medical device companies through ISO 13485-certified manufacturing workflows. Applications include functional prototypes for design verification, device housings and components, surgical planning models, anatomical models for pre-operative planning, and production tooling for medical manufacturing lines. Selected biocompatible and medical-grade materials are available depending on the technology and application. Final FDA compliance responsibility sits with the device manufacturer based on the intended use, validation, and regulatory pathway.
Yes. Stratasys Direct supports automotive manufacturers with rapid prototyping for design validation, production aids (jigs, fixtures, assembly tools), functional end-use components, and tooling for manufacturing lines. High-performance materials like Nylon 12 Carbon Fiber, Antero™, and ULTEM™ 1010 resin handle the mechanical, thermal, and chemical resistance demands of under-hood and structural automotive applications. SAF and MJF technologies enable mid-volume production runs for automotive components where injection molding tooling is not justified.
Yes. Stratasys Direct supports defense and regulated manufacturing programs. Key qualifications include active ITAR registration for export-controlled work, NIST SP 800-171 and DFARS-aligned cybersecurity controls, AS9100-certified quality management, secure U.S.-based production across three domestic facilities, and documented traceability and chain-of-custody protocols. These credentials position Stratasys Direct as a qualified additive manufacturing supplier for defense primes and government contractors who need compliant, auditable production sources.
Yes. Stratasys Direct supports consumer goods companies with visual concept models, full-color multi-material prototypes (using PolyJet technology), functional prototypes for user testing, custom and limited-edition products, and small-volume production runs for market testing or direct sale. PolyJet produces photorealistic prototypes with color, texture, and material variety in a single print, which accelerates design review cycles.
Stratasys Direct can produce aerospace parts for qualified applications using production-grade materials (ULTEM™ 9085 resin, flame-retardant nylons), documented manufacturing processes, dimensional inspection, full traceability, and AS9100-certified quality systems. Whether a specific part qualifies as flight-ready depends on the customer requirements, the material and process qualification, part design validation, and program-level approval from the relevant airworthiness authority. Stratasys Direct provides the manufacturing capability and quality infrastructure; the customer owns the qualification and certification pathway.
Stratasys Direct produces medical device components and anatomical models through ISO 13485-certified workflows using selected biocompatible and medical-grade materials. FDA compliance is not something Stratasys Direct can guarantee, because it depends on the specific device classification, intended use, design validation, biocompatibility testing, and the regulatory submission pathway the device manufacturer pursues. Stratasys Direct provides the certified manufacturing environment, material traceability, and quality documentation that support a customer FDA regulatory strategy.
Yes. Stratasys Direct works well for startups and small businesses that need industrial-quality parts without buying their own equipment. There is no minimum order quantity, so you can start with a single prototype and scale up as your product develops. You get access to eight 3D printing technologies, 50+ engineering-grade materials, DfAM engineering support, and production-grade finishing and inspection. RapidQuotes lets you upload CAD files and get pricing without a sales call. For startups in regulated industries (medical devices, aerospace), the ISO and AS9100 certifications mean you can start building your quality documentation from the first prototype run.
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