Think back to when you decided to invest in additive manufacturing. What was your first consideration? Did you lean toward inexpensive 3D printing equipment to minimize risk, or did you prioritize long-term performance by favoring a more robust choice? If you’re still weighing your options, this blog post will show you why the Fortus 450mc FDM printer remains a great investment.

Introducing the Best Tooling Solution for Professional, Industrial Printing: The New Fortus 450mc

Since its debut in 2014, an impressive 92% of all installed Fortus 450mc printers remain in operation today. Now, proving that some things only improve with time, the new edition arrives with a refreshed design, future-ready advancements, and expanded capabilities.

Here’s the scoop on the highlights of what makes the Fortus 450mc Factory Floor Ready:

• Bundled hardened components for carbon-fiber printing (no additional kits required)
• New application potential with recently launched materials PC-FR, VICTREX™ AM 200 (PEEK for oil and gas) and PC-ESD
• Advanced processing for even greater precision and productivity with included GrabCAD Print Pro software^*
• Faster printing capabilities for Nylon 12CF – coming soon
• New materials coming soon that include glass-filled, fire-resistant properties

Keeping Pace with Modern Manufacturing

A printer like the Fortus 450mc doesn’t enter its second decade of dependable performance by standing still. Numerous updates have kept it current with manufacturing’s evolving needs and made industrial 3D printing more accessible with capabilities typically found in premium, high-priced systems. 

For example, it offers a more generous build area than lower-cost introductory systems and prints a wide selection of thermoplastics, including high-temp polymers, an asset not found with low-cost 3D printers. To top things off, with the addition of OpenAM software, the Fortus 450mc becomes an open system capable of printing an even broader selection of materials, including third-party and customer-developed polymers.  

Some highlights of the consistent functional enhancements over the past decade include: 

• 2015: ULTEM™ 1010 resin’s addition gives customers another high-performance material 
• 2016: ULTEM™ 9085 resin Certified Grade for aerospace applications is added 
• 2016: GrabCAD Print file preparation software streamlines the CAD-to-print workflow 
• 2017: Nylon 12CF gives users the first carbon-fiber composite FDM material 
• 2018: Antero 800NA provides customers with a new high-performance PEKK-based material 
• 2020: MTConnect enables printer communication with other shop floor systems  
• 2022: ULTEM™ 9085 resin part quality improves with a new T16A print tip 
• 2022: The T20 tip provides faster printing with black ULTEM™ 9085 resin 
• 2022: A new T20F tip increases mechanical properties for Antero PEKK-based parts  
• 2022: OpenAM software lets users manipulate print parameters and use open materials 
• 2022: 13 new Validated Materials open new applications 
• 2023: GrabCAD Print Pro software provides more productivity-enhancing benefits 
• 2023: IPv6 internet protocol enables additional connectivity and security  
• 2024: 2 Validated Materials open the application space even further (VICTREX™ AM 200 and PC-ESD)
• 2025: The next decade of reliable Fortus 450mc performance begins with the launch of our factory floor ready additive manufacturing solution

“That’s all well and good, you say, but how does the Fortus 450mc perform?” To answer that question, let’s turn to a study conducted to determine the reliability and repeatability of Stratasys FDM technology. It evaluated several Stratasys FDM printers and characterized the performance of printed parts by analyzing mechanical properties, dimensional repeatability, and other print quality metrics. Not surprisingly, the Fortus 450mc demonstrated very high dimensional precision and print performance repeatability.  

Here’s the bottom line: you’ll be hard-pressed to find another FDM printer offering this degree of industrial-grade additive capabilities in a mid-level system that’s priced accordingly. The Fortus 450mc can cover many additive applications while providing more time- and cost-efficient solutions than traditional manufacturing methods.  

A 3D Printer Manufacturers Rely On

But if that’s not enough to validate the printer’s value for you, maybe the experiences of several Fortus 450mc customers will convince you.

For starters, Mecoval, a leading Spanish machining service provider, sees significant benefit from the Fortus 450mc‘s ability to replace some of the more time-consuming and costly operations. Antonio Enguix Lozano, Mecoval’s CEO, highlights a particular advantage of the Fortus 450mc.

Age is Just a Number

The fact that the Fortus 450mc is still going strong after 10 years is a testament to the value it gives manufacturers. It allows them to open new applications and enables more problem-solving options while providing reliable performance and an easy workflow. And the new Fortus 450mc will only continue that trend. 

Visit the Fortus 450mc product page to learn more about its benefits, applications, and software, and to access additional customer case studies. When you’re ready to discuss how the Fortus 450mc might benefit your organization, we’re here to answer your questions.  

^*GrabCAD Print Pro comes with a 1-year free license with every new printer purchase.