Stratasys, in collaboration with Automation Intelligence, has opened a new additive manufacturing center in Flint, Michigan. The North American Stratasys Tooling Center (NASTC) is designed to give manufacturers practical access to industrial 3D printing and support the development, testing, and deployment of application-oriented tooling. The focus is on components such as jigs, end-of-arm tooling, and fixtures compliant with NAAMS standards for the automotive sector.
The Stratasys F3300 and F900 systems are being used at the facility, both of which operate using polymer-based Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). These printers are capable of producing large-format parts with high repeatability. According to Stratasys, the center offers not only technical infrastructure but also engineering support to help integrate 3D-printed tooling into existing production workflows. The goal is to reduce tooling development time and improve responsiveness to process changes.
“This Center of Excellence will have a significant impact for manufacturers showing how additive fits into their production environment,” said Fadi Abro, Director of Global Automotive & Mobility at Stratasys. “With the launch of the NASTC, we are addressing real-world challenges at this new center. This incubator for advanced manufacturing is designed to enable teams to iterate, validate and scale tooling applications – rapidly. It sets the stage for designing solutions to meet the growing demand for localized, on-demand production solutions worldwide.”
“Tooling is the heartbeat of manufacturing,” said Jeff McGarry, Managing Partner at Automation Intelligence. “The NASTC offers an environment where manufacturers can see for themselves how additive tools can address today’s challenges with faster turnaround times, digital flexibility, and lower costs. We believe this partnership will demonstrate the positive impact additive can have across production.”
In addition to application development, the center will also serve as a training and demonstration platform. Stratasys plans to replicate the NASTC concept in other regions to establish comparable industrial additive manufacturing hubs globally.
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