Newsletter March 2010

In this issue:

• Scott Crump on Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM)

• Smoothing PPSF with PEEK

• Nestle Purina Pet Care Company

Scott Crump on Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM)

Scott Crump CEO Stratasys, Inc.

In an article for Time Compression magazine, our CEO Scott Crump writes about what manufacturers need to know about Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM).

"DDM can save tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on a single project. Using our own company's FDM additive fabrication process for DDM, Stratasys eliminated about $200,000 in tooling costs for one of our newer machines. We did this by directly manufacturing 32 components rather than having them produced via traditional means."

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Smoothing PPSF with PEEK

A prototype thermoforming mold created from PPSF.

PPSF (polyphenylsulfone) is a high-temperature, high-strength and chemically resistant FDM material.

And now, if PPSF is used to make tools or molds, there is a new, faster alternative for smoothing the part surface - thermoforming.

A thin sheet of plastic made from PEEK resin is drawn onto the surface of the PPSF part. While it conforms to the part’s shape, the plastic sheet does not transfer the layer lines to the outer surface.

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Nestlé Purina PetCare Company Decreases
Build Time by 75 Percent with FDM® Technology

"Had we done this in-house, it would have taken us half a year." said Stephen Wurth, Nestlé Designer.

Nestlé has rapid prototyping capabilities on site, but it could not meet the deadline for testing because each part would have taken more than 50 hours to build.

Designers needed nine copies of each of the designs, for a total of 45 products, in order to conduct tests in multiple cities. They also needed them quickly.

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