Design-to-print workflow simplified with KeyShot and SOLIDWORKS software integration
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. & REHOVOT, Israel — (BUSINESS WIRE) — April 29, 2020 — Making fast, full-color design realism accessible to designers and teams everywhere, Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSYS) today unveiled the new J55™ 3D Printer. At about a third the price of enterprise-class PolyJet™ printers, the J55 combines realism and productivity, including high fidelity and five simultaneously printed materials that enable nearly 500,000 colors, PANTONE™ Validation, realistic textures and transparency in one printed part. Set-up is easy, and remote monitoring means print jobs can be managed from home.
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The office-friendly Stratasys J55 3D printer makes full-color, high-fidelity realism affordable for design teams everywhere (Photo: Business Wire)
“There is no way to validate 2D designs without a realistic 3D model, it’s simply not possible,” said Director of Innovation and Industrial Design Tony Guard 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.
In fact, 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.”
Innovation at Every Turn
In operation, the Stratasys J55 is unique, featuring 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 Stratasys ProAero™ filtration technology for odor-free operation, the J55 is perfect for placing anywhere.
“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.”
Simplified 3MF Workflow With KeyShot and SOLIDWORKS
Helping make the J55 easy for designers, Stratasys is also prioritizing 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® file types) and the latest 3MF file format, a significant improvement over traditional STL, OBJ, and VRML files. And 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.
Tim Greene, a research director for 3D printing at global research firm IDC, said it’s clear that the product design process needs to change for today’s world, where disruption is always around the corner. “We know that the risk and time involved with traditional prototyping simply doesn’t work anymore, yet there’s no room for compromise on design,” he said. “Designers can and should do a lot more prototyping in-house, from initial concept modeling to highly realistic final prototypes. It’s just been a matter of bringing enterprise quality to a design shop’s price point and workspace. And now we’re there.”
Built as a smaller but equally capable complement to the Stratasys J8 series for enterprise shops, the J55 supports the full design process with same day send-to-print and minimal post-processing. It provides the same exceptional resolution and detail as J8-series 3D printers, with models matching the shape, material, color and finish of final products.
Enterprise-Quality Design Realism
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 - offering a universal language of color that ensures reliable, realistic decision-making across every stage of the design process.
The J55 3D Printer features a maximum build volume size of 1,340 cubic inches (22 liters) and takes up a mere 4.6 sq. ft. (.43 m2) 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.
The J55 is expected to ship in July 2020 and orders are being taken now. For more information on the power of 3D printed realism for designers and engineers, please visit the J55 web page.
Stratasys is a global leader in additive manufacturing or 3D printing technology and is the manufacturer of FDM®, PolyJet™, and stereolithography 3D printers. The company’s technologies are used to create prototypes, manufacturing tools, and production parts for industries, including aerospace, automotive, healthcare, consumer products and education. For more than 30 years, Stratasys products have helped manufacturers reduce product-development time, cost, and time-to-market, as well as reduce or eliminate tooling costs and improve product quality. The Stratasys 3D printing ecosystem of solutions and expertise includes 3D printers, materials, software, expert services, and on-demand parts production. Online at: www.stratasys.com.
To learn more about Stratasys, visit www.stratasys.com, the Stratasys blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook. Stratasys reserves the right to utilize any of the foregoing social media platforms, including the company's websites, to share material, non-public information pursuant to the SEC's Regulation FD. To the extent necessary and mandated by applicable law, Stratasys will also include such information in its public disclosure filings.
Stratasys, PolyJet, J55, and GrabCAD Print are trademarks of Stratasys Ltd. and/or its affiliates. SOLIDWORKS® is a registered trademark of Dassault Systémes SolidWorks Corporation. KeyShot is a registered trademark of Luxion, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners, and Stratasys assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of these non-Stratasys products.
Notice Regarding Forward Looking Statements
The statements in this press release relating to Stratasys’ beliefs regarding the benefits consumers will experience from the Stratasys J55 Printer and Stratasys' expectations regarding the time of the J55 availability and shipping are forward-looking statements reflecting management’s current expectations and beliefs. These forward-looking statements are based on current information that is, by its nature, subject to rapid and even abrupt change. Due to the risks and uncertainties associated with Stratasys’ business, actual results could differ materially from those projected or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk that consumers will not perceive the benefits of the Stratasys J55 Printer to be the same as Stratasys does; the risk that unforeseen technical difficulties will delay the availability and/or shipping of the J55; the risk that sales of the J55 Printer will be adversely impacted by reduced economic activity in worldwide markets as a result of the coronavirus outbreak; and other risk factors set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in Stratasys’ most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 26, 2020. Stratasys is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by the rules and regulations of the SEC.
