Banbury-based Laser Lines Ltd has sold the first two Stratasys F3300 fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3-D printers in the UK to BAE Systems for its Samlesbury site. The Stratasys F3300 employs new technology that provides a step change in print speed compared to other FDM printers. These advancements enable printing at rates up to twice those of current high-production FDM systems. This means users can produce up to twice the number of parts in the same time period, depending on part geometry.

The F3300 is designed to deliver superior results in FDM, providing increased part strength, higher throughput, enhanced machine reliability, and improved traceability, while enabling users to 3-D print parts in multiple colours and resolutions. These advances, together with the large build volume, makes the F3300 the ideal choice for production and high-end prototyping in the aerospace, automotive and defence industries.

Mark Tyrtania is the sales director at Laser Lines, the company that has supplied and supports the Stratasys 3-D printer range. He said: “We have been working with BAE Systems for over 15 years supplying Stratasys additive manufacturing (AM) hardware and software. We are always looking for the best technologies and solutions for BAE Systems’ manufacturing requirements. The formation of the FalconWorks business within BAE Systems has only improved things – with active encouragement to test and explore new solutions with pace and with an open mind.”

Rapidly prototype new parts
Steven Barnes, AM lead for BAE Systems Air, said: “As a business we are constantly looking for ways to improve how we do things. AM is revolutionary in that sense as it opens up potential in all sorts of ways. It allows us to rapidly prototype new parts, adapt our production capacities to different volumes and products more easily and in the support of platforms around the world, we can stand ready to produce one-off spares at the touch of a button. All of those possibilities are transforming the way we can approach design, manufacturing and support.”

The machines form part of BAE Systems’ broader strategy to drive production improvements and reduce costs and time to market across the company’s Air sector products.

Key advancements in the Stratasys F3300 to unlock more manufacturing applications include: best ever results using a next-generation print engine that has been redesigned from the ground up taking FDM to the next level; faster print speeds with increased gantry speeds, faster extrusion rates and automatic calibration; higher part quality and yields with up to a 25% increase in accuracy and repeatability, along with printer automatic calibration; maximised uptime with machine monitoring, extruder redundancy and an interface design that focuses on ease-of-use for human operators; lower costs with 25-45% savings versus other Stratasys FDM solutions; easy to operate with a 15.6in screen while GrabCAD Print and Insight software are included to simplify, speed up and improve builds.