Stratasys introduces H350 V1.5 and HighDef Printing

H350 hardware and firmware update

Stratasys has introduced the H350 Version 1.5 polymer 3D printer and HighDef Printing for its Selective Absorption Fusion (SAF) platform. The new hardware adds improved sensors and remote-service capabilities. HighDef is delivered through a firmware update for previous H350 models at no additional charge, while the V1.5 printer includes the update.

Torben Lange, vice president of SAF Research & Development, said the changes address customers’ performance requirements. Corporate applications manager Adam Ellis identified tighter tolerances and moving assemblies among the intended uses. Stratasys aims to expand applications in aerospace, automotive and healthcare. The company presents the anticipated benefits as management expectations.

The H Series platform

Stratasys introduced the original H350 on 27 April 2021 as the first printer in its H Series Production Platform. SAF technology powered that system. Beta testing had begun earlier in 2021 with service bureaux and contract manufacturers, including Stratasys Direct Manufacturing. Broader customer shipments were then expected in the third quarter of 2021.

At its introduction, the printer itself incorporated about a dozen SAF-printed parts. Stratasys designed the platform for production runs involving thousands of components, with consistency and predictable cost per part as its stated objectives. The initial end-use application range included:

Covers, connectors and hinges.
Cable holders and electronics housings.
Ducting.

PA12 material-supply development

On 8 November 2022, Stratasys selected Advanced Laser Materials (ALM) as the first provider of SAF PA12 powder for the H350. PA12 is also known as nylon 12. At that announcement, Stratasys expected to begin taking orders for the material before the end of 2022. That timetable was the company’s stated plan at the time.

Stratasys positioned PA12 for applications requiring geometric accuracy, chemical resistance and stiffness, including machine components, communications-industry uses and prototyping. ALM’s activities covered engineering, testing and manufacturing polymer materials. Its collaboration with Stratasys concerned powders tailored to specific applications and production processes, adding a material-supply relationship to the H350 platform’s development.