Stratasys Unveils Upgraded Fortus 450mc 3D Printer, Celebrating a Decade of Manufacturing Excellence with a Factory-Floor-Ready Solution
Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSYS), a global leader in polymer 3D printing solutions, has announced a major milestone: the 10-year anniversary of its acclaimed Fortus® 450mc 3D printer. To commemorate the occasion and reinforce its leadership in industrial additive manufacturing, the company has launched a newly enhanced version of the Fortus 450mc, tailored for factory-floor-readiness and designed to meet the evolving demands of industrial production environments.
Since its debut in 2014, the Fortus 450mc has earned a distinguished reputation as a robust, versatile, and dependable fused deposition modeling (FDM®) platform. Engineered specifically for mid-level production needs, it has become a trusted solution across numerous sectors, including aerospace, automotive, defense, heavy equipment, and general manufacturing. Its ability to deliver highly accurate and durable parts has made it a staple for critical applications such as jigs, fixtures, tooling, and even end-use components.
A testament to the system’s enduring quality is its longevity in the field. According to Stratasys, an impressive 92% of all Fortus 450mc printers ever installed are still actively in service today, delivering reliable part production across factory floors worldwide. This remarkable figure reflects both the quality of the system and the continued relevance of FDM technology in demanding manufacturing environments.
New Enhancements to Elevate Industrial Additive Manufacturing
With the launch of the new version, Stratasys is building upon the strengths that made the Fortus 450mc a favorite among engineers and production specialists. The upgraded platform introduces a suite of enhancements designed to expand application possibilities, increase production efficiency, boost cybersecurity, and improve software-driven workflows. The aim is to ensure that the Fortus 450mc continues to meet modern manufacturing requirements while maintaining the dependability it’s known for.
Key upgrades in the latest version include:
- Hardened Machine Components: The printer now includes reinforced components capable of supporting high-performance and abrasive materials like FDM Nylon 12CF—a carbon fiber-reinforced material—and Antero®, a PEKK-based high-performance thermoplastic. These materials are ideal for producing lightweight, high-strength parts that can withstand extreme chemical, thermal, or mechanical conditions, further expanding the scope of viable applications.
- All-Materials License: This license grants customers unrestricted access to the full Fortus 450mc material portfolio, unlocking greater flexibility in part design and material selection. This move aligns with the growing industry trend toward versatile, application-specific material usage in additive manufacturing.
- GrabCAD Software Integration: The updated printer comes with a one-year license for both GrabCAD Streamline Pro™ and GrabCAD Print Pro™—advanced software platforms developed by Stratasys to enhance productivity, network security, and print accuracy.
- GrabCAD Streamline Pro offers enterprise-grade cybersecurity protections, a critical feature in today’s manufacturing landscape where digital connectivity introduces significant risk of cyber threats. The software ensures that both the 3D printer and connected networks are shielded from potential intrusions or operational disruptions.
- GrabCAD Print Pro, on the other hand, enables improved print management through real-time monitoring, enhanced slicing accuracy, and detailed analytics. Additionally, it includes fixturemate by trinckle, a powerful design automation tool that significantly reduces the time and complexity involved in designing custom fixtures—an essential component in streamlined production workflows.
More Capabilities on the Horizon
Stratasys is not stopping with the current upgrades. The company has revealed that additional features are slated for release later in 2025, including:
- Support for New Glass-Filled, Fire-Resistant Materials: These next-generation materials will cater to industries such as aerospace, railway, and automotive that require flame-retardant performance standards. Their introduction will further broaden the types of parts that can be safely manufactured using the Fortus 450mc.
- Faster Build Capabilities for Select Materials: Speed continues to be a critical metric in additive manufacturing, especially for production-scale operations. Stratasys is optimizing the printer’s firmware and process parameters to enable quicker part fabrication times for certain high-demand materials—without compromising part quality or dimensional accuracy.
These upcoming enhancements solidify the Fortus 450mc’s position as a future-proof manufacturing asset, adaptable to the shifting priorities and performance criteria of global manufacturers.
A Legacy of Reliability, Reinvented for the Modern Factory
Reflecting on the journey of the Fortus 450mc over the past decade, Rich Garrity, Chief Business Unit Officer at Stratasys, emphasized the product’s exceptional track record and enduring value to customers.
An incredible testament to the system’s reliability is that 10 years after installation, 92% of Fortus 450mc printers are still producing parts,” said Garrity. “With this new factory-floor-ready tooling solution, we’ve taken everything our customers already trust and enhanced it to deliver even greater manufacturing value. It’s another example of how Stratasys continues to build on our foundation of success and lead innovation in the FDM space.”
Indeed, this innovation fits into a broader strategy by Stratasys to reinforce its leadership in polymer additive manufacturing by offering tailored solutions for industrial-scale use cases. The company’s FDM portfolio—including the Fortus 450mc, F770™, and the F900™—is widely recognized for combining material diversity, dimensional repeatability, and engineering-grade performance. Together, they enable manufacturers to replace traditional subtractive methods in many applications with faster, more cost-effective additive approaches.
Strengthening Industry Partnerships and Real-World Applications
The Fortus 450mc is currently in use at some of the world’s leading manufacturing companies, many of which operate in high-stakes environments. In aerospace, for example, the system is leveraged for producing tooling and lightweight composite components that must withstand harsh in-flight conditions. In automotive, it is frequently employed to develop ergonomic assembly fixtures and durable test prototypes. In heavy equipment manufacturing, it supports on-demand part production, helping reduce inventory costs and lead times.
By continually evolving the Fortus 450mc to keep pace with these sectors’ needs, Stratasys is not only ensuring the printer’s relevance, but also reinforcing additive manufacturing’s role as a core enabler of digital transformation in manufacturing.
Visit and Learn More
To explore the Fortus 450mc in greater detail—including its full material portfolio, new software capabilities, and upcoming enhancements—Stratasys invites customers and industry professionals to visit the official anniversary page:
With the refreshed Fortus 450mc, Stratasys is not merely celebrating a product milestone—it’s delivering a next-generation additive manufacturing solution that builds on a decade of trusted performance. By combining advanced material support, upgraded software, enterprise-level cybersecurity, and a roadmap for future improvements, the company has positioned the Fortus 450mc as a pivotal solution for today’s digitally connected, performance-driven manufacturing landscape. This latest announcement reflects Stratasys’ ongoing commitment to driving innovation, optimizing workflows, and meeting the dynamic needs of industrial customers around the world.
About Stratasys
Stratasys is leading the global shift to additive manufacturing with innovative 3D printing solutions for industries such as aerospace, automotive, consumer products and healthcare. Through smart and connected 3D printers, polymer materials, a software ecosystem, and parts on demand, Stratasys solutions deliver competitive advantages at every stage in the product value chain. The world’s leading organizations turn to Stratasys to transform product design, bring agility to manufacturing and supply chains, and improve patient care.
To learn more about Stratasys, visit www.stratasys.com, the Stratasys blog, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook. Stratasys reserves the right to utilize any of the foregoing social media platforms, including Stratasys’ websites, to share material, non-public information pursuant to the SEC’s Regulation FD. To the extent necessary and mandated by applicable law, Stratasys will also include such information in its public disclosure filings.
Stratasys, Fortus, Fortus 450mc, FDM, Antero, GrabCAD, GrabCAD Print Pro and are trademarks or registered trademarks of Stratasys Ltd. and/or its affiliates. Fixturemate is a trademark of trinckle 3D GmbH.
