Israeli company Stratasys plans rapid expansion of 3D printing segment in India

3D printing is widely used to produce a wide range of products, from landform 3D prints used to develop defence strategies, to the production of automotive lights.

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This 3D printer, which functions like a regular inkjet printer but prints solid forms, uses an acrylic-based polymer material that is inserted into the cartridge. This is an entry level multi-material printer, where an in-built computer slices each layer of the inserted raw material to match the intended design.

What comes out in a few hours is not just a product, but also a solution that can reduce the industry's dependence on supply chains.

According to Guy Yair, EVP, EMEA and Asia, Stratasys, "The manufacturing sector is constantly changing, which is posing a problem for the supply chain. A time-honored innovation to replace conventional supply chains is 3D printing."

Automotive and consumer goods will benefit from the low cost of material and production for 3D printing, he added.

While an in-built AI software optimises printing to simplify processes, save time and raw material, over 5 lakh colours can be printed using a combination of materials. Stratasys says its 3D printers can produce any colour in the printed item, as long as the relevant code has been fed in.

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Yoav Zeif, CEO of Stratasys, told CNBCTV18 that the company has "worked with the US Navy's air wing to provide them with 25 sizeable industrial 3D printers. Using distributed manufacturing, the US Navy fabricates components for their aircraft using our 3D printers".

Aircraft parts are printed using 3D printers in Germany and Japan, with data being transferred over secure networks. Using this technology, items like the side lamp on a Mini Cooper can be customised, which will create countless design opportunities, he added.

Zeif added that 3D printing is used to create medical training models for doctors and automotive parts like the carbon fibre brake pedal, which can't be easily broken.

The market for 3D printing is currently worth around $15 million. According to Stratasys, 3D printing has a significant growth potential and soon may enable 24-hour production.

Increasingly more industries are using 3D printing. Future developments in the automotive, healthcare, and defence sectors will see greater use of the technology.

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