Stratasys has launched a software strategy designed to make 3D printing significantly easier, more intuitive and highly accessible. The approach is powered by a new, open architecture “design-to-3D print” workflow application, GrabCAD Print* – residing on the popular GrabCAD SaaS platform and supported by a community of more than 3 million designers, engineers and students.
Unified Platform for Job Preparation, Scheduling and Monitoring
3D printing techniques are typically characterized by significant “model fixing” time which forces businesses to devise costly, manual solutions to construct an acceptable workflow. GrabCAD Print is designed to make 3D printing fast and easy-to-use, while reducing errors by eliminating requirements to translate and repair computer-aided design (CAD) files. Product designers, engineers, and 3D printer operators can now send native CAD files to a Stratasys 3D Printer or service bureau directly from their familiar CAD environments. Further bolstered by an extensive new business intelligence environment, the application also accelerates data-driven decision-making.
An Open Environment for 3D Printing Expansion
GrabCAD Print works with a variety of Stratasys FDM and PolyJet 3D Printers and can natively read several popular CAD formats from PTC Creo, Dassault Systèmes’ SOLIDWORKS, Siemens PLM Software’s NX software, CATIA and Autodesk Inventor. The application also facilitates data sharing related to job scheduling, print queue status, material usage and historical usage. All information is readily available via standard Web browsers, mobile applications or locally installed clients while securely managed through the GrabCAD Platform.
Committed to architecting an open and partner-friendly solution, Stratasys is making full use of a powerful 3D design ecosystem, creating additional value-added applications based on the GrabCAD Platform. Industry leading CAD solution providers such as PTC, Dassault Systèmes’ SOLIDWORKS, and Siemens PLM Software will be collaborating with Stratasys to further simplify key functions in CAD-to-3D print workflow. Users of these offerings will be able to access Stratasys 3D printing solutions, analyze designs for 3D printability, and prepare and print jobs from their native CAD environment.
