Stratasys Ltd., a leading manufacturer of 3D printers and production systems for prototyping and manufacturing, today announced details of some of the fun-packed 3D printing projects taking place at ACS Egham International School, based in Surrey, UK.
ACS Egham’s trailblazing Design and Technology department installed a Stratasys Objet24 3D Printer in summer 2012. Three members of staff – Mr. Belcher, Mr. Spicer and Mr. Weatherley – trained to use the easy-to-operate equipment and have since made the 3D printing technology available to classes across the Middle School – for children aged 11-14 – and the High School – for 14-18-year-olds.
“We want to open up the world of rapid prototyping to as many students as possible,” says Mr. Belcher, from the Design and Technology department. “The Objet24 is ideal for design students looking to produce highly accurate 3D printed models for visual aids, fit and assembly testing and functional applications.”
The 3D Printer was first used by Grade 8 students to design and print components for a robotic design assignment. Belcher enthuses, “Having a 3D printer in the school is fantastic for projects like these because the children can let their imagination run free in their designs. They’re not confined by difficulties with production, whatever geometry they can come up with in their design can be reproduced with 3D printing, and we can see if the design works in the real world.”
Board game designed and 3D printed with Objet24 technology in very fine detail by grade 10. Image courtesy Stratasys Ltd.
Grade 10 pupils have 3D printed molds and positive objects for jewelry design projects and also highly detailed pieces for board games.
“Models produced by the Objet24 are very versatile. They can be painted, drilled, machined, or used as molds for vacuum forming and casting, so we’re using it on a very wide variety of projects,” says Belcher. “Printing to an accuracy of 0.1mm, the Objet24 provides the high level of detail and precision required for this sort of work and the students get hands-on experience of why this is important and what the issues could be around both the design and manufacturing process. So it’s practical, educational, and the kids enjoy using it too.”
The Objet24 3D Printer also features in the popular and expanding Design Technology IB Diploma course, where students focus on the use of CAD software and CAM equipment to produce excellent functioning prototypes.
ACS Egham purchased the Stratasys Objet24 through UK distributor Tri-Tech3D. Tim Smith, Sales Manager at Tri-Tech, comments, “It’s fantastic to see the depth and breadth of the 3D printing projects at Egham school. The students really seem to be getting the most out of the fine detail, accuracy and versatility of the models printing with the Objet24 3D Printer.”
About Stratasys Ltd.
Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS) is the corporate entity formed in 2012 by the merger of 3D printing companies Stratasys Inc. and Objet Ltd., based in Minneapolis, Minn. and Rehovot, Israel. We manufacture 3D printers and materials for prototyping and production.
Our patented FDM® and PolyJet® processes produce prototypes and manufactured goods directly from 3D CAD files or other 3D content. Systems include affordable desktop 3D printers for idea development, a range of systems for prototyping, and large production systems for direct digital manufacturing. Since June 2012, our range of over 130 3D printing materials is the widest in the industry and includes in excess of 120 proprietary inkjet-based photopolymer materials and 10 proprietary FDM-based thermoplastic materials.
We also manufacture Solidscape 3D Printers and operate the RedEye On Demand digital-manufacturing service. Stratasys has more than 1100 employees, holds more than 500 granted or pending additive manufacturing patents globally, and has received more than 20 awards for its technology and leadership. Online at: www.stratasys.com or http://blog.stratasys.com.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Statements regarding Stratasys’ beliefs, intentions and expectations, including without limitation statements regarding the development and performance of our products, are forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the United States federal securities laws).
The statements involve risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Actual results may differ materially due to a number of factors, including the risk and uncertainty that the businesses of the two companies may not be integrated successfully; the risk that the merger may involve unexpected costs or unexpected liabilities; the risk that synergies from the merger may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; the risk that management’s focus on and disruptions arising from the merger make it more difficult to maintain relationships with customers, employees, or suppliers.
Stratasys’ ability to achieve the results presented in any forward-looking statement will depend on numerous factors, including its ability to penetrate the 3D printing market; its ability to achieve the growth rates experienced in preceding quarters; its ability to introduce, produce and market both existing and new consumable materials, and the market acceptance of these materials; the impact of competitive products and pricing; its timely development of new products and materials and market acceptance of those products and materials; the success of Stratasys’ recent R&D initiative to expand the DDM capabilities of its core FDM technology; and the success of Stratasys’ RedEye On DemandTM and other paid parts services.
This list is intended to identify only certain of the principal factors that could cause actual results to differ. These and other applicable factors are discussed in this presentation and in Stratasys’ Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2012, as well as other filings that Stratasys, Inc. has made with the SEC and that Stratasys Ltd. has made and will make with the SEC in the future.
Any forward-looking statements included in this presentation are as of the date they are given, and Stratasys is not obligated to update them if its views later change, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as may be required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Stratasys’ views as of any date subsequent to the date they are given.