The J35™ Pro was released by Stratasys in the Summer of 2021, using the same rotating platform as the J55 Prime. This office-friendly system offers the lowest price point of any multi-material capable PolyJet printer that we’ve seen yet. There are two print heads with two channels each (vs. three print heads on the J55 and four on the J8 series) allowing users to print with up to three different model materials and one support material simultaneously.
Let’s explore the different materials and configurations available on the J35 Pro and how Stratasys uses GrabCAD Print to help you manage the material levels.
J35 Pro Available Materials
The J35 Pro has nine different model materials to select from and one support material available in 1.1kg cartridges.
Rigid and Clear (Vero family):
- VeroUltra™ WhiteS
- VeroUltra™ BlackS
- VeroUltra™ ClearS
- DraftGrey (50% cost of other materials)
- Elastico™ Clear
- Elastico™ Black
- RGD531 (Ivory) + RGD515+
Support:
- SUP710™
- Vero™ ContactClear
Digital Materials
The J35 Pro can blend up to three materials simultaneously. When we blend materials with PolyJet, we call these new material combinations “Digital Materials”. Below are a few of the most popular Digital Materials created on the J35 Pro:
- Digital ABS (least brittle rigid material with the best HDT)
- RGD531 + RGD 515
- Shore 50A, 60A, 70A, 85A, and 95A (varying durometers of flexible materials)
- Elastico + Any Vero material
- Elastico + RGD531 + RGD515
- Polypropylene-like (simulated Polypropylene flexibility)
- Elastico + Any Vero material
- Elastico + RGD531 + RGD515
- Grayscale (rigid grayscale color vs. single material DraftGrey)
- VeroUltraWhite + VeroUltraBlack
- VeroUltraWhite + VeroUltraBlack
Material Configurations
Now that you are aware of the different materials (digital and stand alone), you can use this information to select the best material configuration for your J35 Pro.
The J35 Pro has four clearly labeled material slots available, one of which must always be loaded with Support material, leaving you three to choose model materials that best fit your workflow.
J35 Pro Material Bay: 4 material slots, 1 waste cartridge in the middle
Below are a few of the configurations AdvancedTek and Stratasys would recommend:
Functional Engineering Material Set Up:
Digital ABS components (RGD531 and RGD515+) occupy the first 2 material channels and Elastico occupies the last channel.
The higher strength Digital ABS + flexible Elastico combination allows for soft touch parts, overmolds, and more durable rigid materials.
Design Configuration:
Black, White, and Clear are some of the most popular color choices used in the prototyping and design world. Black and White also allow for grayscale color options.
Low Cost DraftGrey Configuration:
This DraftGrey and Support only configuration has the lowest operating cost. Since both materials occupy two channels each, they can perform auto changeovers and are “hot swappable” during printing vs. inserting a new cartridge when the first is empty.
“Full Cycle” Configuration:
VeroUltraWhite, Elastico, and VeroUltraClearS give a wide range of capabilities from flexible, to rigid, grayscale, overmold, polypropylene-like, and clear materials.
Camera lens printed on a Stratasys J35 Pro
Material Configurations
A unique feature of the J35 Pro is the warning GrabCAD Print will provide ahead of your build if it will run out of material so that you are able to schedule a pause at a convenient time for you to replace the cartridge. There is also an alarm function to warn you about empty material during a print as a back up option. If you have 2 bays loaded with the same material, you can freely “hot swap” and replace the material during a build without worrying about running out of material or interrupting the printer operations.
Companies all over the world are utilizing PolyJet for quick iterative prototyping work and limited functional testing to quickly align their stakeholders and accelerate their product’s time to market. The new Stratasys J35 Pro PolyJet 3D Printer offers the lowest barrier to entry for multi-material 3D printing and is an incredibly powerful tool for product development and designers.
Reach out to your AdvancedTek sales rep to learn more or contact us at sales@advancedtek/651-489-6990.
Published by David Kadlec, Application Engineer