Medical silicone: Stratasys expands 3D printing

Medical silicone: Stratasys expands 3D printing
Photo by Jakub Zerdzicki on Pexels

Overview

Stratasys rolls out a broader additive manufacturing push with the J850™ Core, a new software manufacturing app suite, and new materials intended to help manufacturers accelerate adoption and scale industrial 3D printing across production.1

The company also launched P3™ Silicone 25A with Shin-Etsu, describing the material as a high-performance silicone developed through a strategic collaboration and aimed at industrial-grade additive manufacturing applications.5

For readers searching for medical silicone, Stratasys also lists P3 MED Silicone 25A as a biocompatible silicone for medical 3D printing, with product imagery tied to an anesthesia mask, syringe, and human heart application examples.6

The combined news matters because Stratasys is positioning new printers, software, and materials around the same goal: moving more parts and tools from traditional methods into additive workflows.1

Platform update

Stratasys introduced additive manufacturing platform enhancements including the J850™ Core, new software manufacturing apps, and materials for manufacturers scaling industrial 3D printing.1

The company said these updates are meant to streamline design and ease of use, improve reliability, and expand materials and platform capabilities.1

Victor Gerdes, Vice President, Software at Stratasys, said transforming GrabCAD Print into a platform that guides engineers through automated, production-ready workflows makes additive manufacturing faster and more accessible across the factory floor.1

The software message is important for production users because Stratasys is presenting workflow guidance and automation as part of the path from design to production-ready output.1

Cost focus

Stratasys’ new SAF™ PA12 - Powered by Evonik offers up to 14% lower total cost of ownership compared with current SAF PA12 materials.1

The company described the SAF PA12 material as a cost-efficient PA12 solution for industrial production that does not require additional licenses, hardware, or process changes.1

That makes the stratasys rolls lower-cost printer angle more nuanced: the cited lower-cost detail in the latest rollout is tied to material total cost of ownership, while the broader platform update includes the J850™ Core.1

Stratasys has also used low-cost positioning in dental 3D printing, describing Stratasys CrownWorx and FrameWorx 3D Printers as a low-cost entry to advanced digital dentistry.10

Those dental systems were presented as allowing dental laboratories to produce wax-ups for crowns, bridges, and denture frameworks.10

Medical silicone

P3™ Silicone 25A was commercially launched as a high-performance material developed with Shin-Etsu, which Stratasys identifies as a global leader in silicone science.5

The material is designed exclusively for the Stratasys Origin® DLP platform, and Stratasys says it enables production of flexible parts that match the performance of traditionally molded silicone.5

Stratasys says P3™ DLP technology with P3 Silicone 25A, developed with Shin-Etsu, enables true silicone 3D printing without molds.9

The company says the material matches the thermal, chemical, and mechanical properties of conventional silicone.9

Stratasys also says the technology addresses challenges of viscosity, curing, and deformation while delivering durable, repeatable parts for automotive and other workflows.9

The medical version sits in a more specific lane because Stratasys labels P3 MED Silicone 25A as biocompatible silicone for medical 3D printing.6

Stratasys’ P3 MED Silicone 25A page includes visual examples titled as a 3D printed anesthesia mask, a syringe, and a 3D printed human heart.6

Industrial uses

The P3™ Silicone 25A launch targets demanding needs in automotive, healthcare, consumer goods, and industrial sectors.5

The material is presented as general-purpose silicone for the Origin® DLP platform rather than a material limited to one product category.5

Stratasys’ silicone 3D printing page frames real silicone printing as a way to accelerate manufacturing workflows with expert engineering support for additive manufacturing.9

For manufacturers comparing rolls lower-cost printer medical options, the current Stratasys messaging spans platform enhancements, cost-focused PA12 material, industrial silicone, and medical silicone material information.1

Market context

Medical device original equipment manufacturers are under pressure to deliver safe, effective, and cost-efficient medical devices.11

Stratasys identifies rising development costs, evolving regulatory demands, and other pressures as part of the environment facing medical device OEMs.11

That context helps explain why additive manufacturing updates that emphasize production workflows, material performance, and cost efficiency are closely watched by medical and industrial users.1

Stratasys states that its platform enhancements are intended to enable organizations to move more parts and tools from traditional methods into additive workflows.1

  • Printer and platform: J850™ Core appears in the latest platform enhancement rollout.1
  • Software: GrabCAD Print is being transformed into a platform for automated, production-ready workflows.1
  • Cost: SAF™ PA12 - Powered by Evonik is described as offering up to 14% lower total cost of ownership versus current SAF PA12 materials.1
  • Silicone: P3™ Silicone 25A is designed for the Stratasys Origin® DLP platform.5
  • Medical silicone: P3 MED Silicone 25A is presented as biocompatible silicone for medical 3D printing.6

What to watch

The next issue for buyers is how Stratasys’ J850™ Core, software manufacturing app suite, SAF™ PA12 material, P3™ Silicone 25A, and P3 MED Silicone 25A fit into production workflows that previously relied on traditional methods.1

Users focused on stratasys rolls lower-cost developments should separate hardware access, software workflow automation, and material total cost of ownership because the available details attach the explicit 14% cost figure to SAF™ PA12 - Powered by Evonik.1

Medical teams watching lower-cost printer medical developments should also track how biocompatible silicone for medical 3D printing is applied to device development workflows facing cost and regulatory pressure.6

See more: More materials

Sources / References

  1. Stratasys rolls out lower-cost 3D printer and medical silicone - Stock Titan (stocktitan.net)
  2. You Wouldn’t Download A Combustion Engine - Hackaday (hackaday.com)
  3. The FlashForge AD5X Is One of the Best Multi Material and Multi Color 3D Printers Priced Under $300 - IGN (ign.com)
  4. Stratasys and Shin-Etsu Launch P3™ Silicone 25A for Industrial-Grade Additive Manufacturing Applications :: Stratasys Ltd. (SSYS) (investors.stratasys.com)
  5. P3 MED Silicone 25A | Biocompatible Silicone for Medical 3D Printing | Stratasys (stratasys.com)
  6. Stratasys launches P3 Silicone 25A for Origin DLP 3D printer | VoxelMatters - The heart of additive manufacturing (voxelmatters.com)
  7. Stratasys P3 DLP Now Supports Silicone 25A - YouTube (youtube.com)
  8. Silicone 3D Printing: Can You Print Real Silicone? | Stratasys (stratasys.com)
  9. New Stratasys Dental 3D Printers Offer Low Cost Entry to Advanced Digital Dentistry :: Stratasys Ltd. (SSYS) (investors.stratasys.com)
  10. Future of 3D Printing for Medical Device OEMs (stratasys.com)