SYS Systems expands Stratasys portfolio to include metal and ceramic 3D printing

The British Stratasys partner SYS Systems is expanding its offering to include industrial metal and ceramic 3D printing, explicitly targeting series production and mission-critical applications. The basis is a new agreement between Stratasys and Tritone Technologies, through which SYS Systems will now, in addition to the existing polymer systems, also supply systems for metallic and ceramic materials. The target group includes, among others, customers from the aerospace, defense, medical technology, and precision manufacturing sectors who require components with demanding requirements for strength, conductivity, or temperature resistance.

At the center is Tritone’s MoldJet process, a powder-free approach to additive manufacturing of metal and ceramic components. The system works with pre-modeled molds into which pasty metal or ceramic materials are introduced and then sintered. This enables the production of complex geometries with high density and mechanical properties at an industrial level.

“Applications for 3D printing are evolving so quickly, and we need to ensure we are offering technology that meets the different requirements of our customers, who are spread across multiple sectors, including aerospace, defence, medical devices and precision engineering,” explained Chris Fulton, Managing Director of SYS Systems. “The relationship that Stratasys has agreed with Tritone is a massive boost to our UK clients and means we can now add metal and ceramic technology to our core polymer offer, which is already producing parts for some of the world’s most critical applications.”

For users, the focus on series production is particularly interesting: the MoldJet system is designed for high throughput, and short changeover times allow switching between different geometries and applications within a single batch. SYS Systems explicitly positions the new systems as a complement to the existing FDM, PolyJet, P3, and SAF systems from Stratasys, which are demonstrated at the company’s Advanced Innovation Centre in Foston. There, the company works with customers to identify use cases in which additive manufacturing can complement conventional processes in terms of lead time or tooling costs.

He continued: “MoldJet is at the heart of the new range and is the only powder-free AM technology that enables a high throughput production of metal and ceramic parts at industrial scale and speed that has eliminated previous challenges. It is designed for producing complex geometric components, with high density and industry standard mechanical properties. Changeovers are quick and parts of different geometries and applications can be manufactured in the same batch.”

Fulton sees the market clearly divided into two segments: low-cost prosumer devices and industrial platforms with demands for process stability, repeatability, and support. SYS Systems intends to remain firmly in the latter area and to expand its role as a systems integrator. With the expansion into metal and ceramic 3D printing, the UK market gains an additional option for mapping series and spare-part production additively without relying on separate technology silos for polymer and metal processes.

Chris continued: “The industry is really splitting into two areas – low end ‘prosumer’ machines and ‘high-end industrial’. SYS Systems is firmly in the industrial area where clients require reliability, repeatability and real support from humans! It’s an approach that is really paying off. We have enjoyed significant growth in aerospace, defence, medical and the dental sectors, with the latter being transformed by a combination of the Stratasys J5 DentaJet printer and our patented TrueDentTM resin.”