04-01-2019: Stratasys announced the launch of F120 and V650 3D printers
V650 was its first-ever 3D printer based on SLA technology
On April 1, 2019, during the AMUG Conference in Chicago, Stratasys introduced two new 3D printers—both surprising in their own unique ways. The first was the FDM-based F120, a relatively small and affordable 3D printer that became part of the F123 ecosystem, originally introduced at SOLIDWORKS World 2017. The second was a sensation! The V650 was based on SLA technology, which Stratasys was exploring for the first time in its history.
The Stratasys F120 was the fourth machine in the F123 series, and its debut was a major event as it directly competed with the MakerBot Method, launched just four months earlier by a company owned by Stratasys.
The F120 was based on FDM technology and was the smallest in the F123 series, which also included the F170, F270, and F370. It had the same build volume as the F170 (25.4 x 25.4 x 25.4 cm). Its main differences were its significantly smaller overall size and a more limited selection of available materials—ABS-M30, ASA, and the QSR support material. The F120 did not have built-in filament compartments; instead, filaments were supplied from independent containers.
Unfortunately, this 3D printer is no longer available in the company's portfolio.
The second 3D printer, the V650 Flex, was a large industrial machine designed for printing truly big parts or low-volume production. Its build volume measured an impressive 50.8 x 58.4 x 50.8 cm. The resin was cured using a laser beam with a spot size ranging from 0.127 to 0.381 mm.
What made this release even more intriguing was that the V650 Flex was developed in collaboration with DSM, a company involved in stereolithography since 1999, when it acquired the 3D printing division from the chemical giant DuPont. Historically, DuPont was the world's second manufacturer of 3D printers and, between 1988 and 1989, engaged in an intense patent dispute with 3D Systems. As a result, Charles Hull—the inventor of SLA technology—temporarily lost his patent rights for a year.
Thirty years after the resolution of that dispute, Stratasys—the biggest rival of 3D Systems in the U.S. AM market—introduced a stereolithography machine based on technology originally developed by DuPont.
Additionally, the resins used in the V650 Flex carried the trade name Somos—the same name as the technology developed by DuPont in the 1980s and 1990s.
This 3D printer also did not stand the test of time. Today, Stratasys’ SLA systems are branded under the Neo name, with models such as the Neo800, Neo450s, and Neo450e.
Source: www.centrumdruku3d.pl
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