Partnership gives Stratasys Direct Manufacturing customers access to market’s most extensive offering of premium Somos® materials

VALENCIA, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — April 5, 2016 — Companies building 3D printed parts now have easier access to newer and more advanced Stereolithography (SL) materials than ever before. Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, an indirect subsidiary of Stratasys, Ltd . (Nasdaq: SSYS) and one of the largest providers of additive (3D printing) and conventional manufacturing services in North America, has further positioned itself as a market leader in SL technology through its partnership with DSM’s Somos®, the preferred materials for building SL parts. The move doubles Stratasys Direct Manufacturing’s SL production capacity, allowing the company to deliver large projects more rapidly, and accelerates material development.

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Stratasys Direct Manufacturing will use its 25 years of experience in SL technology to accelerate material development. The company's partnership with Somos® gives customers more choice and greater control over which materials to use for their SL projects. (Photo: Business Wire)

Stratasys Direct Manufacturing will apply 25 years of experience in SL from legacy companies Solid Concepts and Harvest Technologies, collaborating with the Somos® development team to beta test new Somos® materials before they hit the market. The agreement gives the market access to the industry’s most extensive Somos® materials offering, enabling a nearly limitless number of prototype applications.

“Together with Stratasys Direct Manufacturing we’ll accelerate Stereolithography material development like never before,” said Melissa Lutz, Business Director Somos®. “Stratasys Direct Manufacturing’s customers have already used Somos® materials in some exciting and potentially life-saving applications, like customized and intricate heart models that improve the safety and efficacy of surgical procedures, so we’re eager to see what incredible SL parts users develop next.”

The agreement gives customers more choice and greater control over which materials to use for their SL projects.

“We made this move to meet customers’ strong demand for Somos® materials that the rapid prototyping services industry wasn’t fulfilling,” said Chuck Alexander, Director of Product Management for Stratasys Direct Manufacturing. “We’re excited to build on Stratasys Direct Manufacturing’s legacy of Stereolithography excellence by giving customers materials that have the power to enable more life-changing innovations.”

Somos® materials available now at Stratasys Direct Manufacturing include:

• Somos® NeXt: Provides the accuracy of SL with the look, feel and performance of a thermoplastic. Ideal for large prototypes.
• Somos® ProtoGen 18420: Highly accurate and is humidity and temperature resistant
• Somos® WaterClear Ultra 10122: A colorless material suited for lenses and electronic covers
• Somos® WaterShed XC 11122. Produces highly detailed parts with great clarity and water-resistance

For more information about Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, please visit www.stratasysdirect.com and also its Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages.

Stratasys Direct Inc. is an indirect subsidiary of Stratasys Ltd., the 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions company. Stratasys Direct Manufacturing is one of the world’s largest providers of advanced manufacturing services that combines the latest technologies and decades of experience from three industry-leading pioneers—Solid Concepts, Harvest Technologies and RedEye. With a broad range of additive and conventional manufacturing services, Stratasys Direct Manufacturing assists companies at all stages of product development to bring better products to the market faster. Stratasys Direct Manufacturing has more than 600 employees across seven manufacturing facilities in the United States. Online at: www.stratasysdirect.com.

For more than 25 years, Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSYS) has been a defining force and dominant player in 3D printing and additive manufacturing – shaping the way things are made. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Rehovot, Israel, the company empowers customers across a broad range of vertical markets by enabling new paradigms for design and manufacturing. The company’s solutions provide customers with unmatched design freedom and manufacturing flexibility – reducing time-to-market and lowering development costs, while improving designs and communications. Stratasys subsidiaries include MakerBot and Solidscape, and the Stratasys ecosystem includes 3D printers for prototyping and production; a wide range of 3D printing materials; parts on-demand via Stratasys Direct Manufacturing; strategic consulting and professional services; and the Thingiverse and GrabCAD communities with over 2 million 3D printable files for free designs. With more than 2,700 employees and 800 granted or pending additive manufacturing patents, Stratasys has received more than 30 technology and leadership awards. Visit us online at: www.stratasys.com or http://blog.stratasys.com/ , and follow us on LinkedIn .