Carbon Fiber Material for F123 Series 3D Printers Introduced by Stratasys

Stratasys Ltd. introduced a new ABS-based carbon fiber material for its line of F123 Series 3D printers, the first composite material for the platform.  Carbon fiber materials have proven extremely popular on Stratasys’ industrial-scale FDM 3D printers for a variety of end-use applications, such as jigs, fixtures, and tooling.  With FDM ABS-CF10, Stratasys now makes carbon fiber much more accessible to the engineering and manufacturing community with high-performance F170, F270, and F370 3D printers.

The material properties of FDM ABS-CF10, featuring 10% chopped carbon fiber, make it a compelling alternative to metal parts.  In fact, the material is 15% stronger and more than 50% stiffer than standard ABS, without the weight of metal, and can be printed with a high degree of accuracy.  QSR Support water-soluble material makes it possible to 3D print intricate and complex parts without time-consuming manual support removal.

Stratasys’ internal analysis suggests the additive manufacturing market for polymer jigs and fixtures is expected to grow at a 14.2% annual rate between 2019 and 2023, to nearly $600 million, double the growth rate of the prior four years.  With its FDM ABS-CF10 material, Stratasys is particularly focused on addressing applications in the aerospace, automotive, industrial, and recreational manufacturing industries.  Parts applications include end effectors used with industrial robots, ergonomic aids, such as lift assists and hand tools, and alignment fixtures on assembly lines.

The FDM ABS-CF10 material is scheduled to be available in April 2021, and orders are being taken now.