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3D PRINTING

Stratasys and Radford Collaborate to Create 500 3D-printed Parts for the Lotus Type 62-2 Coachbuilt Sports Car

Stratasys | February 17, 2022

Stratasys and Radford Collaborate
Stratasys Ltd., a company that makes polymer 3D printers, worked with luxury car brand Radford to make more than 500 parts for the Lotus Type 62-2 coach built. This is shown in the Discovery+ documentary Radford Returns.

Radford Returns, which is now available to view on Discovery+, chronicles the rebirth of coachbuilding craft via the use of 21st-century technology. The show has Ant Anstead as the host and Jenson Button as the former Formula One champion racing car driver. It chronicles the creation of the retro-modern Lotus Type 62-2 supercar. It's an ideal setup for cutting-edge 3D printing applications. Viewers get a behind-the-scenes look at the process, from design to prototype, tooling, and eventually, production components using 3D printing technologies from Stratasys FDM®, PolyJetTM, and stereolithography.

"Stratasys’ 3D printing technology gave us the design freedom and ability to easily create customized, one-off pieces and parts for these two prototype vehicles. It gave us the ability to fully embrace customized coachbuilding but with updated processes using 21st century technologies"

-host Ant Anstead.

Over 500 pieces were 3D-printed at the Radford Studio, automotive design and engineering business Aria Group, and Stratasys Direct Manufacturing to create the first two automobiles. The Radford team planned and monitored 3D prints across five global sites using Stratasys' GrabCAD ShopTM workflow software, utilizing a fleet of up to 20 different Stratasys 3D printers at any given moment—a genuine display of distributed manufacturing. Stratasys made a wide range of 3D printers, including the F900®, F770TM, Fortus 450mcTM, F370TM, and J55TM. Each of these printers was used for a different purpose.

"By integrating 3D printing technology into their shop, Radford has been able to bring 1960’s-style supercar automaking into the 21st century with the high-end, hyper-customized style and features that their customers expect in a vehicle of this caliber, It’s an extreme example of something we see every day in the auto industry. Everyone making investments in new vehicles wants a deeper level of customization, and 3D printing is helping make it possible."

-Pat Carey, Senior Vice President, Strategic Growth for Stratasys

The team constructed elements such as a substantial solid composite firewall sandwich core, produced in two halves on the Stratasys F900 printer using ULTEMTM 1010 resin. Without the assistance of a layup tool, the item was glued together into a single piece and then wrapped in carbon fiber. The firewall was intricately designed to accommodate inside speakers, a gasoline filler mount, and the baggage compartment. Furthermore, several external components, such as side mirror housings, radiator ducts, and body vents, were printed utilizing FDM® Nylon 12 Carbon Fiber and ASA materials. Many mounting brackets were printed in FDM Nylon 12 CF because of a variety of reasons, including the car's structural needs, the strict project timetable, and the freedom to be creative.

Anstead continued, When relaunching Radford, we set out to only work with world-class companies.”Lotus is a world-class company, Radford is a world-class company, so when we looked at 3D-printed parts, we looked to Stratasys.

Stratasys will continue to assist the Radford Lotus Type 62-2 project by providing 3D-printed manufacturing components using various 3D printing technologies, including FDM®, SAFTM, stereolithography, and P3TM Programmable PhotoPolymerization.

Visit www.stratasys.com/automobile to learn more about how Stratasys' additive manufacturing technology can help the automotive industry make better parts.

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Globenewswire | March 24, 2023

3D Systems today announced its collaboration with TE Connectivity, a world leader in connectors and sensors, to jointly develop an additive manufacturing solution to produce electrical connectors meeting stringent UL regulatory requirements. The solution comprising 3D Systems’ Figure 4® Modular, Figure 4 material, 3D Sprint® software, and services was designed to meet TE Connectivity’s unique requirements for material performance and high tolerance, reliable printing. The foundation of the solution is a newly developed photopolymer 3D Systems engineered specifically to meet TE Connectivity’s requirements. In addition to a world-class flammability rating at 0.4mm thickness, it is the first known printable photopolymer to complete a UL®1-recognized long-term thermal aging (RTI) study. This material combined with an optimized print process enables the necessary reliability and accuracy required for TE Connectivity’s products. Using 3D Systems’ Figure 4 technology, the combination of new material properties, speed, and accuracy allows the production of rugged industrial products for the first time, targeted at appliances, cellular and data-center applications. Additive manufacturing provides TE Connectivity freedom of design to create complex geometries that would be difficult to create using injection molding. It increases flexibility for low volume, quick turn production runs, and tooling avoidance, allowing TE to quickly demonstrate its capabilities and its customers to more efficiently meet demand. 3D Systems’ Application Innovation Group (AIG) collaborated with TE Connectivity’s team to develop a full production workflow from design to a finished connector. The program included the development and UL certification of a new Figure 4 material. UL regulatory approval has been obtained, including UL94 V0 flame rating at 0.4mm, Glow Wire Ignition (GWI) of 800°C, Comparative Tracking Index (CTI) of 600V (equivalent to a PLC of 0), and Relative Temperature Index (RTI) for long-term electrical and mechanical use of 150C and 130C, respectively. “As 3D printing technology evolves, we’re seeing more opportunities for using it to manufacture products for customers who need a low volume of parts in a short timeframe,” said Philip Gilchrist, VP and segment chief technology officer for Communications Solutions at TE Connectivity. “Our work with 3D Systems enables us to provide our customers with functional parts in just weeks instead of months.” “Customer-centric innovation is at the core of everything we do,” said Reji Puthenveetil, executive vice president, industrial solutions, 3D Systems. “The collaboration with TE Connectivity provided the understanding and requirements of the unique application being addressed and enabled the development of the solution. Our materials scientists and print process experts worked very closely with the TE team to formulate a material that, when used in conjunction with our Figure 4 technology, delivered on the high quality, high-reliability standards their customers have come to expect. This is yet another example of how 3D Systems is partnering with industry leaders to accelerate innovation and build competitive advantage through additive manufacturing solutions.” About 3D Systems More than 35 years ago, 3D Systems brought the innovation of 3D printing to the manufacturing industry. Today, as the leading additive manufacturing solutions partner, we bring innovation, performance, and reliability to every interaction - empowering our customers to create products and business models never before possible. Thanks to our unique offering of hardware, software, materials, and services, each application-specific solution is powered by the expertise of our application engineers who collaborate with customers to transform how they deliver their products and services. 3D Systems’ solutions address a variety of advanced applications in healthcare and industrial markets such as medical and dental, aerospace & defense, automotive, and durable goods. About TE Connectivity TE Connectivity is a global industrial technology leader creating a safer, sustainable, productive and connected future. Our broad range of connectivity and sensor solutions, proven in the harshest environments, enable advancements in transportation, industrial applications, medical technology, energy, data communications and the home. With more than 85,000 employees, including over 8,000 engineers, working alongside customers in approximately 140 countries, TE ensures that EVERY CONNECTION COUNTS.

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Stratasys Ltd., a leader in polymer 3D printing solutions, today announced it has completed the acquisition of the additive manufacturing materials business of Covestro AG (DAX: 1COV). The acquisition, which is immediately accretive, includes R&D facilities and activities, global development and sales teams across Europe, the U.S. and Asia, a portfolio of approximately 60 additive manufacturing materials, and an extensive IP portfolio comprised of hundreds of patents and patents pending. The materials, IP portfolio, and talent Stratasys acquired from Covestro will help Stratasys address new applications in key technology categories such as stereolithography, P3/DLP, and powder bed fusion, including SAF™ technology. They complement Stratasys’ existing deep materials expertise for PolyJet and FDM® technologies. “Today marks a significant milestone for us as we solidify our leadership in the polymer additive manufacturing industry,” said Stratasys CEO Dr. Yoav Zeif. “With this acquisition, we’re not just expanding our materials portfolio for our broad array of 3D printing technologies – we’re also paving the way for more new innovations. Additionally, our growing team of in-house materials experts will be in a stronger position to collaborate with our materials ecosystem partners. Together, we’ll be able to address more applications faster, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in additive manufacturing.” All materials are available through Stratasys and its global partners under the Somos® and Addigy® brands, benefiting customers with greater global sales, service and support infrastructure. Stratasys will continue to fully support customers whether the materials are used with Stratasys or third-party 3D printers. According to Hugo da Silva, previously Vice President of Covestro Additive Manufacturing and now Vice President of Strategy, M&A and Venturing at Stratasys, the acquisition advances Stratasys’ focus on complete solutions for specific use cases to grow 3D printing’s footprint further into manufacturing. “A new material can be as transformative to a market as a new 3D printer,” da Silva said. “Whether it’s flame, heat and smoke resistant materials for aerospace, new biocompatible materials for medical applications, or resilient materials with ESD properties for electric vehicles, we know that the more we bring new materials innovations to market as part of use case solutions, the more we can transform how everything is manufactured around the world.” About Stratasys Stratasys is leading the global shift to additive manufacturing with innovative 3D printing solutions for industries such as aerospace, automotive, consumer products and healthcare. Through smart and connected 3D printers, polymer materials, a software ecosystem, and parts on demand, Stratasys solutions deliver competitive advantages at every stage in the product value chain. The world’s leading organizations turn to Stratasys to transform product design, bring agility to manufacturing and supply chains, and improve patient care.

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Stratasys Ltd., a leader in polymer 3D printing solutions, today announced it has completed the acquisition of the additive manufacturing materials business of Covestro AG (DAX: 1COV). The acquisition, which is immediately accretive, includes R&D facilities and activities, global development and sales teams across Europe, the U.S. and Asia, a portfolio of approximately 60 additive manufacturing materials, and an extensive IP portfolio comprised of hundreds of patents and patents pending. The materials, IP portfolio, and talent Stratasys acquired from Covestro will help Stratasys address new applications in key technology categories such as stereolithography, P3/DLP, and powder bed fusion, including SAF™ technology. They complement Stratasys’ existing deep materials expertise for PolyJet and FDM® technologies. “Today marks a significant milestone for us as we solidify our leadership in the polymer additive manufacturing industry,” said Stratasys CEO Dr. Yoav Zeif. “With this acquisition, we’re not just expanding our materials portfolio for our broad array of 3D printing technologies – we’re also paving the way for more new innovations. Additionally, our growing team of in-house materials experts will be in a stronger position to collaborate with our materials ecosystem partners. Together, we’ll be able to address more applications faster, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in additive manufacturing.” All materials are available through Stratasys and its global partners under the Somos® and Addigy® brands, benefiting customers with greater global sales, service and support infrastructure. Stratasys will continue to fully support customers whether the materials are used with Stratasys or third-party 3D printers. According to Hugo da Silva, previously Vice President of Covestro Additive Manufacturing and now Vice President of Strategy, M&A and Venturing at Stratasys, the acquisition advances Stratasys’ focus on complete solutions for specific use cases to grow 3D printing’s footprint further into manufacturing. “A new material can be as transformative to a market as a new 3D printer,” da Silva said. “Whether it’s flame, heat and smoke resistant materials for aerospace, new biocompatible materials for medical applications, or resilient materials with ESD properties for electric vehicles, we know that the more we bring new materials innovations to market as part of use case solutions, the more we can transform how everything is manufactured around the world.” About Stratasys Stratasys is leading the global shift to additive manufacturing with innovative 3D printing solutions for industries such as aerospace, automotive, consumer products and healthcare. Through smart and connected 3D printers, polymer materials, a software ecosystem, and parts on demand, Stratasys solutions deliver competitive advantages at every stage in the product value chain. The world’s leading organizations turn to Stratasys to transform product design, bring agility to manufacturing and supply chains, and improve patient care.

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