Stratasys and nTopology collaborate to simplify 3D-printed jigs and fixtures for manufacturing with DfAM
Stratasys and nTopology are collaborating to provide a series of accessible, customizable Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) workflows for their users. Stratasys manufactures FDM, PolyJet and stereolithography additive manufacturing systems. nTopology is an engineering software company that specializes in AM applications. The first release in the companies’ DfAM partnership is the FDM Assembly Fixture Generator.
The FDM Assembly Fixture Generator is designed to improve efficiency and increase productivity on the factory floor. The FDM Assembly Fixture Generator automates the design of jigs and fixtures and enables engineers to quickly turn a part file into a ready-to-print fixture with a simple drag-and-drop. It is available now via nTop Platform.
Stratasys FDM printers support advanced materials, like Nylon 12 Carbon Fiber, and reach levels of accuracy and reliability required for use on commercial airplanes and even the International Space Station. Designing products with existing engineering software tools still implies long lead times, which slows AM’s march toward widespread adoption. The Stratasys and nTopology collaboration incorporates Stratasys’s expertise with nTopology’s nTop Platform engineering software, which provides fast modeling, field-driven design and reusable workflows.
“nTopology’s software for additive design is a powerful pairing with our additive manufacturing systems, so it was clear we should work together,” said Stratasys Senior Vice President of Products and Solutions Pat Carey. “Our analysis shows manufacturing applications are currently seeing the most growth in our industry, from $2.8 billion in 2015 to $25 billion in 2025, so we focused our first Collaboration on serving that segment. Companies want to move faster – to be able to adapt to change – and pure digital manufacturing gives them that agility.”
“We look forward to super-charging the Stratasys additive community with nTop Platform by combining Stratasys expertise with our powerful platform, giving both of our users improved designs with faster time to manufacture,” said nTopology Founder and CEO Bradley Rothenberg . “Manufacturing is going through the most profound shift it has seen in 100 years, and the Stratasys and nTopology collaboration brings this unique combined innovation to accelerate that shift.”
The initial FDM Assembly Fixture Generator is now available on the nTop Platform through a free trial as part of the new collaboration. In addition to the workflow, Stratasys and nTopology are also providing a variety of training videos and resources.
