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Stratasys J55 3D printer: 5 simultaneously printed materials and a rotating build platform

The new Stratasys J55 3D printer gives designers affordable, office-friendly, full-color 3D printing to validate new product designs quickly. It's filled with neat features too, like the ability to print using five different materials at the same time, a rotating build platform, and a simplified design-to-print workflow with KeyShot and SOLIDWORKS integration.

"We developed this innovative new 3D printer to truly transform the product development process for product designers and engineers everywhere," said Omer Krieger, executive vice president of products at Stratasys. "Not only does the J55 fit the budget of virtually any product design team, but the quality of the parts you can 3D print are best in class. It's so simple that anyone can set it up and use it, and it's so quiet you'll forget it's running."

For starters, the J55 is unique because it features a patented rotating build platform with a fixed print head. This is designed to maximize reliability and simplify maintenance. The technology also means greater output from a small footprint while also eliminating most sound -- it's about as quiet as a home refrigerator. Combined with special ProAero filtration technology for odor-free operation, the J55 can be placed just about anywhere.

The J55 3D printer gives designers full CMF (color, material, finish) capabilities. It leverages high-performance PolyJet materials, including a full range of textures, transparency with VeroClear (VeroUltraClear availability later in 2020), X-Rite-based color profiles, and PANTONE Validated color. It prints incredibly lifelike textures.

The J55 features a maximum build volume size of 1,340 cubic in. and takes up a mere 4.6 sq. ft. of floor space. The five-material capacity (plus support material) means operators can load their most frequently used resins and avoid downtime associated with material changeovers.

Stratasys has also prioritized simplifying workflow. Fully supported by GrabCAD Print software, the J55 enables a smooth import of common CAD files (e.g., SOLIDWORKS, CATIA, PTC Creo, Siemens NX, Inventor) and the latest 3MF file format, a significant improvement over traditional STL, OBJ, and VRML files. For the first time, Stratasys is also adding support for 3MF color workflow with KeyShot 3D-rendering software from Luxion Inc., a capability now in beta and planned for late 2020.

"There is no way to validate 2D designs without a realistic 3D model; it's simply not possible," said Tony Guard, director of innovation and industrial design at Cincinnati-based Kinetic Vision. The 175-employee company develops products for startups to Fortune 50 companies in industries ranging from consumer electronics and packaged goods to aerospace and medical. Kinetic Vision has been deemed an "essential business" and has been open through the pandemic, but with few people in the office to get a new technology up and running.

Guard said they got the J55 set up with a single employee and only remote support from Stratasys. "My jaw dropped when I saw what the machine could do," he said. "We can validate products faster with form, color, finish, graphics, everything. We can offer our clients tangible 3D-printed models that represent a final retail product, faster than we ever could before. I'd love the J55 to be our secret strategic advantage, but I don't think it will be a secret for long."

Learn more at www.stratasys.com/3d-printers/j55.

Source: Stratasys

Published September 2020

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