Biocompatible, High Strength Plastic Available for Direct Digital Manufacturing or Prototyping
Stratasys Introduces ABS-M30i for Medical, Food, and Pharmaceutical Equipment Prototyping or Production
MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
(NASDAQ: SSYS) Stratasys today announced the availability of ABS-M30i, a new biocompatible material for use with its FDM 400mc(TM) prototyping and production system. The announcement was made in conjunction with the MEDTEC Show in Stuttgart, where Stratasys is exhibiting at the alphacam stand, number 1838, in Halle 6.
Stratasys expects common prototyping and production applications to include surgical instruments, food processing and packaging systems, and pharmaceutical handling, processing, and packaging applications. ABS-M30i is FDA compatible and meets ISO 10993 standards. The material may be sterilized using either the gamma radiation or ethylene oxide (EtO) method.
In addition to being biocompatible, ABS-M30i offers substantial improvements over standard Stratasys ABS across a number of mechanical properties, including tensile strength, impact strength, and flexural strength. ABS-M30i mechanical properties for strength are up to 67 percent stronger than standard Stratasys ABS, and bonding strength between layers is more than doubled, greatly expanding capabilities for functional testing or manufacturing production parts.
"ABS-M30i opens up a variety of direct digital manufacturing possibilities for medical device and food and pharmaceutical companies interested in developing sterile, biocompatible parts in-house," says Stratasys FDM product manager Patrick Robb. "It gives users flexibility in choosing the best material to meet their needs. And it adds to a growing line of materials for FDM additive fabrication, including ABS, ABS-M30, ABSi, PC, PC-ABS, PC-ISO, and PPSF."
Build speeds using ABS-M30i on the Stratasys FDM 400mc are 29 percent faster, on average, than the same part built in ABS on a Stratasys FDM Titan, Vantage SE or Vantage S system. ABS-M30i also uses the new SR20 soluble support technology, enabling automated support-material removal. In addition, ABS-M30i parts can be built with 0.005, 0.007, 0.010, and 0.013 inch slices. It is initially available in "natural" off-white color.
Stratasys Inc., Minneapolis, manufactures additive fabrication machines for prototyping and direct digital manufacturing. It also offers prototype and part manufacturing services. According to Wohlers Report 2007, Stratasys supplied 41 percent of all additive fabrication systems installed worldwide in 2006, making it the unit market leader for the fifth consecutive year. Stratasys patented and owns the rapid prototyping process known as fused deposition modeling (FDM(R)). The process creates functional prototypes and end-use parts directly from any 3D CAD program, using ABS plastic, polycarbonate, PPSF, and blends. The company holds more than 180 granted or pending additive fabrication patents globally. Stratasys products are used in the aerospace, defense, automotive, medical, education, electronic, and consumer product industries. On the Web: www.stratasys.com
FDM 400mc, FDM Titan, FDM Vantage SE, FDM Vantage S are trademarks, and FDM is a registered trademark, of Stratasys, Inc.
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Source: Stratasys Inc.
Released March 11, 2008