STRATASYS TO ADD SABIC’S ULTEM 9085 HIGH PERFORMANCE

Flight-Certified Material Can Benefit Aerospace and Other Manufacturers That Need Strong, Lightweight Plastic

Stratasys recently announced that it will offer SABIC’s ULTEM* 9085, a high performance thermoplastic for direct digital manufacturing and rapid prototyping. The material will be available from Stratasys for the FDM additive fabrication process in the first quarter of 2009.

ULTEM 9085 is a strong, light-weight, flame-retardant thermoplastic widely used in aircraft interiors. The material has a V-Ø rating for flame, smoke and toxicity (FST). Its availability for the FDM additive fabrication process will allow direct digital manufacturing and rapid prototyping with this material for the first time.

Because ULTEM 9085 is certified for use on commercial aircrafts, manufacturers can bypass a lengthy certification process. The material will be available for Stratasys’ top two additive fabrication machines – the FDM 900mc™ and FDM 400mc.™ Until today, ULTEM 9085 was available only for conventional manufacturing methods. The material was originally developed to help the aerospace industry boost fuel efficiency and safety. It offers strength and flexibility while producing 5 to 15 percent lighter interior parts than other aerospace plastics.