Stratasys: more than a builder of 3D printers

Stratasys is well-known for building 3D printing equipment and inventing one of the original additive technologies: FDM (fused deposition modeling). Less well-known is that the 30-year-old company also builds parts—lots of parts—for customers.

It launched the Stratasys Direct Manufacturing division about five years, said marketing manager Lewis Simms, and serves more than 40,000 customers annually at its eight U.S. service centers. And, according to its website, Direct Manufacturing has logged 1.7 million-plus engineering hours and shipped more than 20 million parts.

“We do everything from your basic one-off prototyping to full-scale production,” said Simms, adding that the division operates more than 200 3D printers and performs CNC machining, injection molding, and urethane casting.

Lewis Simms (left) tells Additive Report Editor Don Nelson that Stratasys Direct Manufacturing produces parts for 40,000-plus customers annually.