Stratasys' Origin Two DLP Printer Offers High Precision for Short Production Runs

Stratasys’ Origin Two digital light processing (DLP) printer works in tandem with its own Origin Cure postprocessing system to address manufacturers’ growing demand for injection-molding quality for short production runs. The system is designed to deliver a level of accuracy, repeatability and surface finish that the company says was previously unattainable with additive manufacturing (AM).

According to the company, traditional high-volume manufacturing is under pressure due to a myriad of challenges, such as supply chain disruptions, material shortages and changing consumer preferences. There is a growing demand for low-volume production solutions to offset the costs of mass production. AM with the Origin Two is designed to eliminate the high setup and tooling costs typical for low- to medium-volume production, while meeting customers’ most stringent precision requirements.

The Origin Two with Origin Cure aims to address key pain points by enabling manufacturers to:

• Ensure that end parts meet required properties by maintaining stringent quality controls
• Bring production in-house, thereby reducing reliance on third parties
• Improve inventory management and lower warehousing costs with on-demand delivery of spare parts
• Consolidate part manufacturing into a single process with better consistency

“Additive manufacturing has grown to be a critical component of production at any scale on the manufacturing floor,” says Rani Hagag, Stratasys Chief Health Care and Consumer Business Officer. “With the new Origin solution, manufacturers in need of low-volume, high-precision parts now have an alternative to mass production that can meet their most stringent requirements, something which was not possible with additive before.”

The solution is designed to achieve consistently higher accuracy of ±50 µm, which is critical for industries such as connectors, aerospace and automotive.

For applications such as seals and gaskets, housings and window parts, it provides additional essential features including:

• Achieving repeatability of more than 93% within ±50 µm across Origin Two printers, and surface finish smoothness of up to RA 3 µm, while maintaining high print speeds up to 20 mm/hr.
• The heated chamber enables reliable printing of materials with a HDT of up to 300°C, making it suitable for a wide range of high-performance applications
• Running on a 385-nm wavelength, the Origin Two system supports a broad range of high-performance materials, from high-temperature resins to high-viscosity formulations.

“Additive manufacturing is becoming increasingly valuable for low production volumes in the manufacturing sector,” says Ryan Martin, ABI Research senior research director. “Manufacturers are using 3D printing for low-volume and custom parts, which helps reduce lead times and waste. This allows for greater flexibility and cost efficiency, supporting both prototyping and on-demand production. As a result, additive manufacturing is proving to be a practical solution for companies looking to adapt quickly to market needs and reduce inventory costs."