It’s no secret that there is a gap between design software programs and additive manufacturing systems that challenges design engineers on printing the part they really designed. This issue is also one reason for the somewhat slow adoption of additive manufacturing in more industries.

One step in addressing this gap is the recent news announcement that Stratasys Ltd., has joined the PTC^® PartnerAdvantage™ Program at the Platinum Tier. This move should help create integrated, collaborative solutions that help those of you who use PTC Creo^® design software to optimize your designs and streamline workflows for 3D printing.

According to the press release, “Stratasys and PTC share a vision of enabling optimized design for additive manufacturing and helping enterprise customers reap the benefits of production using additive manufacturing.”

The two companies will participate in joint technical, educational and go-to-market activities. The initial focus will include prototyping, manufacturing tools, temporary parts, and end-use parts. Designers, engineers, and manufacturers may benefit from efficient, accurate and user-friendly design-to-print workflows, and be able to create lighter and stronger products that have been designed with additive manufacturing in mind.

This is a good move on the part of both companies. And both seem eager about this collaboration.

“PTC is excited about collaborating with Stratasys to help transform the way our joint customers create great products,” said Michael Campbell, Executive Vice President – CAD Segment, PTC Inc. “Our shared vision will not only support our customers as they embrace additive manufacturing but also allow them to exploit new technologies. Collaborating with Stratasys allows us to accelerate our ability to help customers create stronger, lighter, more differentiated products by truly optimizing their designs for 3D printing.”

“Working closely with our customers has shown us that there is a gap between design software programs and additive manufacturing technologies, which we are now bridging through key industry partnerships,” said Dan Yalon, Executive VP of Business Development, Marketing and Vertical Solutions at Stratasys.  “We are therefore pleased to announce this collaboration between two industry leaders, which is designed to create a streamlined experience between PTC and Stratasys solutions. The tools and knowledge we will provide are aimed to allow our customers to save significant time, effort and resources throughout their design and manufacturing cycle and improve the quality of the final products.”

Design engineers are the big winners here. This is a key step in developing features and capabilities in CAD programs. In the same way that CAD programs have a “design for manufacturing” function for traditional subtractive and injection molding processes, soon you should see similar features that help you design for additive manufacturing.

Leslie Langnau
llangnau@wtwhmedia.com