Stratasys and Siemens partner to incorporate AM into volume production

Stratasys and Siemens have announced a partnership to integrate Siemens’ Digital Factory solutions with Stratasys’ additive manufacturing (AM) solutions. The collaboration is intended to incorporate AM into the traditional manufacturing workflow, helping it to become a universally recognised production practice which can benefit multiple industries, including aerospace, automotive, transportation, energy and industrial tooling.

The companies have been collaborating on multiple projects including the direct link from Siemens’ NX software for CAD/CAM/CAE to Stratasys’ GrabCAD Print platform and the Stratasys Robotic Composite 3D Demonstrator that incorporates Siemens’ product lifecycle management (PLM) software and its motion control and CNC automation technologies, to produce strong, lightweight performance parts.

Arun Jain, VP of motion control, Siemens Digital Factory US, added: “Siemens’ capability and commitment to the digital enterprise vision, along with its close collaboration with Stratasys, can help many industries realise shorter time-to-market, achieve flexibility in operations and improve efficiency in workflows through horizontal and vertical integration.”

While AM technology has made great strides over the past years, additional criteria are required for it to take its place in volume production environments and become as commonplace as CNC. Ideally, AM solutions should deliver robust, repeatable and reliable operational performance with predictable properties across a broad portfolio of materials that are certifiable for specific applications and that are driven by a seamless, digital integration from design to production.

Dan Yalon, executive vice president, products, Stratasys, said: “Together, our companies are joining forces to create a cohesive, best-of-breed technology foundation that enables large-scale manufacturers to enjoy the benefits of additive manufacturing in traditional production environments.”