Toyota and Rivian adopt Stratasys' new F870 to accelerate factory floor manufacturing applications at scale

Stratasys has launched the new F870 FDM system, a large format additive manufacturing platform designed for industrial manufacturers, automotive OEMs, aerospace and ddefence production lines, looking to scale production on the factory floor.

Extending the production grade FDM portfolio, the F870 combines large format capabilities in a heated chamber backed by a suite of the strongest, most durable materials, all with a lower total cost of ownership so manufacturers can expand additive across manufacturing applications.

Manufacturers increasingly demand larger, production ready systems capable of producing tooling, fixtures, manufacturing aids and end use parts at the size, throughput, and reliability needed for factory floor deployment. The F870 FDM machine addresses this need.

Systems are currently being adopted by leading manufacturers, including Toyota Production Engineering in Georgetown, Kentucky, and Rivian Automotive in Plymouth, Michigan. These organisations are assessing the platform across a range of applications, from factory floor tooling and manufacturing aids to advanced prototyping workflows, ahead of commercial availability.

Early deployments address customer needs for automotive tooling, manufacturing aids, and other production support applications, including large fixtures, assembly tools, and inspection gauges that traditionally require lengthy machining lead times.

‘Manufacturers are looking for proven solutions to speed up production, reduce cost, and respond in real time to ever changing supply chain and manufacturing requirements,’ said Rich Garrity, chief business unit officer, Stratasys. ‘The F870 is a very unique solution, demonstrating our advanced manufacturing expertise and our deep understanding of customer demand for additive manufacturing solutions that produce larger tooling, fixtures, and manufacturing aids on the factory floor. The new platform is geared towards real manufacturing environments, delivering our leading industrial scale capabilities with increased build capacity, combined with Stratasys’ proven materials, and production reliability at a competitive price point.’

‘We have already seen the value Stratasys additive manufacturing can deliver,’ said Dallas Martin, additive manufacturing engineer at Toyota North America. ‘The next challenge is expanding its use across more applications. The F870's combination of build size, material performance and industrial features aligns with the kinds of manufacturing needs we are looking to address.’

Designed for production support applications, the F870 features a build volume of 1000 x 610 x 610 mm and combines the market's longest build capacity in a fully heated chamber with a portfolio of industrial grade materials, including Nylon 12CF, ASA, ABS and the new FDM ABS Draft (grey). In particular, Nylon 12CF Carbon Fibre provides the strength, stiffness and durability required for demanding manufacturing floor tooling and fixture applications. The platform enables manufacturers to produce larger tooling, fixtures, manufacturing aids and end use parts with the repeatability, durability and throughput required for factory floor deployment.

Built on Stratasys' industrial FDM foundation, the F870 expands the portfolio of production focused additive manufacturing solutions, helping manufacturers reduce production costs, improve responsiveness and scale additive manufacturing across manufacturing operations.