Stratasys Introduces FDM Vantage - Rapid Prototyping System Designed for Extended Life

Asset Caption: The FDM Vantage rapid prototyping system allows users to protect their investment through future upgrades to a larger modeling chamber, additional material bays, and new modeling materials, when developed.

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    National Plastics Expo 2003
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    MINNEAPOLIS--June 23, 2003-- Stratasys today unveiled a new rapid prototyping system -- the FDM Vantage(TM) -- at NPE (National Plastics Expo), Chicago. The FDM Vantage was designed to allow future upgrades to a larger modeling chamber, more material bays, and new modeling materials when developed, extending its life span.
    The FDM Vantage is built on what the company calls its T-Class high-performance platform. This platform allows the use of high-temperature, high-performance engineering thermoplastics. The T-Class platform was commercialized in 2001 with the company's FDM Titan.(TM) The combination of a robust platform and high-temperature engineering plastics has been successful for Stratasys. "The introduction of the FDM Vantage brings this proven technology to a mid-priced system at the center of our product line," says FDM product manager, Patrick Robb. "And the ability to upgrade helps protect the user's investment."
    The system comes standard with two thermoplastic modeling materials: ABS and Polycarbonate. Both are widely used in manufacturers' end-products -- an advantage for the design engineer. Both materials are durable, stable, and will not warp, shrink, or absorb moisture, enabling high accuracy. Polycarbonate offers high tensile strength and flex strength, a hardness exceeding ABS, a high heat-distortion temperature, superior dimensional stability, and durability sufficient for rapid manufacturing applications.
    The FDM Vantage is quiet and safe enough for an office environment. It requires no special facilities or venting and involves no hazardous materials or by-products. It comes standard with the company's WaterWorks(TM) water-soluble supports for ABS modeling, which lets users dissolve model-support material rather than remove them by hand. It has model-chamber dimensions of 14 x 10 x 10 in. (355.6 x 254 x 254 mm). User selectable model-layer thickness settings for polycarbonate are 0.007 in. (0.178 mm) and 0.010 in. (0.254 mm). ABS layer thickness is 0.010 in. (0.254 mm). The machine will begin shipping in August.

    Stratasys Inc, Minneapolis, manufactured 31% of all rapid prototyping systems installed worldwide last year, the highest percentage of any manufacturer, according to Wohlers Report 2003. The company patented the rapid prototyping process known as fused deposition modeling (FDM(R)). The process creates solid models directly from 3D CAD files using ABS plastic, polycarbonate, PPSF or other materials. Stratasys manufactures rapid prototyping systems for OEMs such as aerospace, automotive, defense, consumer, and medical product makers.

    This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Introduction of new products and materials are subject to timely completion of development and timely manufacture, and the success of new products is subject to their operation in the field as well as customer acceptance. Other risks are detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC Reports, including the report on Form 10-Q for June 2003 and Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002.

    FDM Vantage, FDM Titan, and WaterWorks are trademarks, of Stratasys Inc.

    Attention Editors: If you wish to publish reader-contact information, please use: Toni Brown, info@stratasys.com, ph: 952.937.3000, toll-free: 1.888.480.3548, www.stratasys.com.

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