Revolutionizing Sacrificial Tooling with Stratasys FDM Soluble Materials

For operators of production‑grade FDM printers such as the Stratasys Fortus System, soluble support materials have become a game‑changer. They unlock complex, hollow geometries and enable new manufacturing pathways that were previously impossible with conventional tooling.

What Is Sacrificial Tooling?

Sacrificial tooling is a specialized FDM process that prints a component entirely in a soluble material. Once the part is wrapped or embedded in a resin or fiber matrix, the soluble core is dissolved away, leaving a precise, hollow cavity. This technique is critical for high‑performance sectors—particularly advanced automotive—where part quality and intricate geometry are paramount.

Why It Matters

Industry demand for more sophisticated sacrificial tooling has driven Stratasys to develop a dedicated material, ST‑130. Unlike generic soluble supports, ST‑130 is engineered to deliver superior dissolution times, mechanical strength, and thermal stability, making it ideal for large‑scale, high‑volume production.

ST‑130 pairs with the T20B printer tip—designed for faster build speeds—and a new fill pattern that optimizes fluid flow during post‑processing. The combination can withstand typical cure temperatures without compromising the integrity of the surrounding matrix.

Available on the Fortus 450mc and 900mc, ST‑130 delivers the optimal balance of speed, dissolution time, and structural strength for sacrificial tooling applications.

While other soluble materials can achieve comparable results, ST‑130’s tailored chemistry reduces post‑processing effort and improves part consistency, especially for large or highly complex features.

Who Benefits?

Champion Motorsport—a leader in high‑performance automotive manufacturing—has successfully integrated ST‑130 into their production line. By using sacrificial tooling, they produced carbon‑fiber turbo inlet ducts that meet factory dimensional tolerances and surface finish standards, all while eliminating the need for multi‑piece molds.

With this technology, Champion maintained their renowned surface quality and expanded part functionality without added labor.

Lead Mechanical Engineer Chris Lyew noted, “The soluble tooling approach allowed me to design and fabricate parts that would have been impossible with traditional methods.”

Technical Director Louis Milone added, “There’s really no downside to this technology for us.”

Tags: 3D Printers, FDM Stratasys, Sacrificial Tooling, Soluble Support Materials