Stratasys Jockeys for Leadership Position in AM 2.0 Polymers Market with The Launch of Three New Systems

Stratasys has introduced three new 3D printers at once: the Stratasys Origin One, H350, and F770. Together, these solutions address a large portion of the multibillion-dollar market for additively manufactured end-use parts by accelerating the shift from traditional manufacturing to additive manufacturing (AM) for low-to-mid-volume production applications. Example applications include parts such as covers, connectors, hinges, cable holders, electronics housing, and ducting.

The Stratasys Origin One (detailed in the ABI Research Insight: Stratasys to Acquire AM Startup Origin to Bolster Production Polymer Innovation and Improve Software and Service-Based Business Models (IN-6018)) is the first Stratasys-branded printer post acquisition and includes a number of feature enhancements, of which the most notable are a slightly larger build envelop and improved serviceability. A big part of the positioning is around fast time-to-part (15 min UV post-cure), open materials, high production capacity per square foot of manufacturing floorspace, and cloud connectivity (for monitoring and adding new features over time). The platform is a good fit for applications that require higher degrees of intricacy/accuracy (less than 50 micron) and/or specialized materials in production-oriented segments, including production parts and tooling in automotive, aerospace, defense, consumer goods, and medical industries. Stratasys estimates the TAM for Origin P3 systems will reach US$3.7 billion by 2025 and is also developing a dedicated dental version of the product.

The H350, for its part, uses a powder bed fusion (PBF) derivative–SAF (Selective Absorption Fusion) technology–to create polymer parts in the thousands of unit volumes. The system uses piezo-electric printheads, which are significantly more resilient than thermal printheads, for reliable and repeatable production. Key industries of focus include commercial goods, automotive, consumer goods, and electronics, in addition to service bureaus and contract manufacturers due to the importance of industrial-grade performance in their line of work (there are big benefits for first-time-right results). Like other recent printers, the H350 can integrate with manufacturing floor systems through MT Connect and customers have the option to use build prep software from third parties such as Materialise Magics, Siemens NX, and PTC Creo. Stratasys will also provide GrabCAD Print software support in the future.

The F770 extends the company’s F123 family of printers (F120, F170, F270, F370) to a new scale. The new system, available for less than US$100,000, is designed for prototyping, jigs and fixtures, and tooling applications that require standard thermoplastics. Aside from the price, the system is unique due to its large build envelop (13 cubic feet), which features the longest fully heated build chamber on the market.

The Stratasys Origin One is expected to ship in early Q4; the H350 in Q3; and the F770 in Q2 of 2021.

Stratasys is laser-focused on being the leading supplier of polymer additive manufacturing solutions. To that end, the company is aggressively updating and expanding its lineup to deliver a comprehensive and integrated portfolio of 3D printing hardware, software, materials, and services. Stratasys generated more than 25% of its revenue from manufacturing-related applications in 2020 and has a goal of more than 20% revenue growth for manufacturing-related applications starting in 2022. The expectation is that manufacturing-related applications (which are aided by the recent set of announcements) will grow faster than the prototyping parts of the business.

The Stratasys Origin One shows the company’s ability to execute on its promises and that it should be taken seriously when it comes to photopolymer solutions (e.g., Carbon, Desktop Health/EnvisionTEC). This AM technology category has true potential in terms of producing end use parts at scale and must be watched closely.

The H350 represents Stratasys’ foray into polymer binder jetting and is only the first such offering in this domain—ultimately the intention is to have a full lineup of SAF-based printers. The main attractions as a technology are material properties (e.g., surface quality), throughput (~12 seconds per layer), reliability/repeatability, and overall production economics (cost). The H350 uses a page-wide setup with two sleds, one for printing and one with a lamp that immediately follows to fuse the material before applying another layer of powder.

The F770 will be another home run, but for different reasons—namely, cost and size. This printer is a small fraction of the price paid for a top-of-the-line F900, meaning that customers can create jigs and fixtures as well as experiment with the same technology with which they are familiar without taking legacy or production-dedicated systems offline. It can also produce parts considered massive in size relative to the broader world of AM.

Part of the strategy is to make parts available through service bureaus (including Stratasys Direct) to seed demand for printers that can produce those parts (Stratasys Origin One, H350). The other part of the strategy is to add greater product line depth and solution flexibility (F770) to round out what has become an expansive portfolio of AM polymer solutions. Software is the final piece to keep an eye on. Software enables networking fleets of printers in addition to pre- and post-processing activities. It also allows Stratasys and companies like it to partner beyond traditional reseller channels and operate more broadly in the evolving AM2.0/Industry 4.0 landscape. The trend toward production-focused product innovation alongside modern software is only getting started.