Additional Materials Support Growth of Direct Digital Manufacturing

MINNEAPOLIS — (BUSINESS WIRE) — August 18, 2009 — (NASDAQ: SSYS) Stratasys today announced it has made four more build materials and one more support material compatible with its Fortus 900mc^™ 3D Production System. The materials include ULTEM* 9085, PC-ABS, PC-ISO, and ABS-M30i.

These options more than double the number of materials compatible with the Fortus 900mc, and they provide an array of mechanical properties to chose from, such as FST (flame, smoke, toxicity) compliance, heat resistance, medical-sterilization capability, strength, and flexibility for prototyping and production. Stratasys materials previously compatible with the 900mc are ABS-M30, PC, and PPSF / PPSU (polyphenylsulfone).

“Stratasys built its leadership position in direct digital manufacturing and prototyping by helping customers build stable, strong, and durable parts for testing and end-use,” says Fortus Product Manager, Patrick Robb. “These additional materials make the Fortus 900mc a solution for more advanced applications in both prototyping and direct digital manufacturing for Aerospace, Medical, and other industries.” Direct digital manufacturing (DDM) is the process of producing parts directly from CAD data using additive fabrication. Performing DDM with Fortus 3D Production Systems brings great efficiencies to the production of manufacturing tools, such as jigs and fixtures, as well as low-volume manufacturing of end-use parts.

Build Materials: SABIC’s ULTEM 9085, and Stratasys PC-ABS, PC-ISO, ABS-M30i

SABIC’s ULTEM* 9085 is a strong and lightweight thermoplastic widely used in aircraft interiors and other transportation applications. The material is heat resistant to 320° F (160° C) and has full flame, smoke and toxicity (FST) compliance including OSU heat release of less than 55 kw min./sq. meter for heat release and 55 kw min./sq. meter for peak heat release (55/55). It offers a very high strength-to-weight ratio and flexibility, making it an ideal material for applications requiring advanced mechanical properties. In addition to aerospace applications, ULTEM 9085 benefits other industries requiring strong, lightweight and heat-resistant materials, including the marine-product and automotive industries.

PC-ABS is one of the most widely used industrial thermoplastic blends and is commonly used in automotive, electronics, and telecommunications applications. The material provides customers with the same strength and heat-resistance characteristics as previously available Stratasys PC material but has increased flexibility.

The addition of PC-ISO provides users with a tough polycarbonate material that can be sterilized for medical device or surgical jig and fixture production or prototyping. It is also useful in food and pharmaceutical handling applications. The material is ideal for applications requiring ISO 10993 certification or ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilization. It also has high impact and flexural strength, and can handle high temperatures.

Like PC-ISO, ABS-M30i is a biocompatible material ideal for direct digital manufacturing applications in the medical, food, and pharmaceutical equipment industries with ISO 10993 or ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilization requirements. ABS-M30i offers substantial improvements over standard Stratasys ABS, including tensile strength, impact strength, and flexural strength. ABS-M30i is up to 67 percent stronger than Stratasys’ previous ABS formulation. Bonding strength between layers is more than doubled, greatly expanding capabilities for functional testing or production parts.

Soluble Support Material Addition

Like other additive fabrication methods, the Stratasys FDM process requires a disposable material to support features such as overhangs. Soluble supports automate the support removal process because they are dissolved rather than manually removed. Compared with its predecessor, the optional SR-30 soluble support material delivers up to a 69 percent reduction in dissolve time in an agitation tank, and up to a 46 percent dissolve time reduction in an ultrasonic tank.

All new material-options are available for shipping immediately. Material upgrade packages are available immediately for purchase globally.

Stratasys, Inc., Minneapolis, manufactures additive fabrication machines for prototyping and manufacturing plastic parts. The company also operates a service for part prototyping and production. According to Wohlers Report 2009, Stratasys supplied 43 percent of all additive fabrication systems installed worldwide in 2008, making it the unit market leader for the seventh consecutive year. Stratasys patented and owns the process known as FDM.^® The process creates functional prototypes and manufactured goods directly from any 3D CAD program, using high-performance industrial thermoplastics. The company holds more than 250 granted or pending additive fabrication patents globally. Stratasys products are used in the aerospace, defense, automotive, medical, business & industrial equipment, education, architecture, and consumer-product industries.
Online at: www.Stratasys.com

Fortus is a brand of Stratasys, Inc., formerly known as the FDM Group. Fortus offers a line of 3D production systems used for direct digital manufacturing and precision rapid prototyping. Fortus systems create manufactured goods or prototypes from industrial thermoplastics, including ABS, polycarbonate, PPSF, blends, and ULTEM* 9085. Online at: www.Fortus.com

*ULTEM 9085 is a trademark of SABIC Innovative Plastics, IP BV. FDM is a registered trademark, and FDM 900mc is a trademark of Stratasys, Inc.