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 & Further Reading

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)