Editor’s Pick: Additive Manufacturing Process Management 

Stratasys introduces a new Pro version of GrabCAD Print, the company’s software for managing 3D printing processes. The company says this new version, now named GrabCAD Print Pro, is designed for manufacturers who need to produce end use parts and move to production-scale volumes. The original GrabCAD Print is also available separately. 

Stratasys says GrabCAD Print Pro is specifically designed to improve printed-part accuracy, reduce waste and shorten time to printed part. The company says it is designed for users who are moving into short-run and production-volume printing.

GrabCAD Print Pro software includes all the features of GrabCAD Print standard, plus new features based on the Stratasys acquisition of Riven, a quality assurance software specialist. The addition of Riven brings such features as geometry analysis, correction and optimization capabilities to the software. 

Another new feature from Riven is Warp Additive Model (WAMTM) automatic warp correction to ensure part accuracy through 3D scanning and warp correction.

There are also new features for controlling throughput, managing part cost and quality, part design optimization, reproducibility and traceability. There is also intelligent auto-arrange, manual rotation, splicing and support material options. The software also includes tools for analyzing, managing and optimizing print queues, print jobs and printers, enabling users to track and control the printing process remotely.

Other features of the new release include: 

• Ability to develop standardized manufacturing templates allowing customers to prepare builds quickly 
• Improved per-part cost estimation, with reduction in time estimating multi-customer trays
• Label generation, including coding, serialization and placement for SAF
• 3D Array to arrange parts on the Z axis, allowing stacking of parts, to reduce build times and increase throughput

GrabCAD Print Pro now provides third-party partner plug-ins, with initial plug-in partners to include AlphaSTAR and Castor. AlphaSTAR provides toolpath-driven analysis and quality assessment of print parameters and toolpaths, as well as thermal process simulation to help improve design cycles and produce higher quality parts with less iteration. Castor’s decision-support software automatically analyzes thousands of parts at once to identify opportunities for additive manufacturing.

The company says this update to GrabCAD Print Pro means most Stratasys users can eliminate the need for third-party print management and analysis software. 

Stratasys GrabCAD Print Pro is expected to be available beginning May 16 for customers using Stratasys printers based on SAF and FDM technologies. The software is available as an annual per-user subscription licensed product. The company says there will be optional monthly updates with additional features. For more information, visit the GrabCAD print Pro home page: https://grabcad.com/print

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website. 

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