Stratasys Launches North American Tooling Center to Advance Additive Manufacturing in Production

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Stratasys Ltd. announced the launch of the North American Stratasys Tooling Center (NASTC), a new collaboration with Automation Intelligence, LLC (AI), at AI’s manufacturing site in Flint, Michigan. This dedicated tooling hub is designed to assist manufacturers validate and scale practical applications for additive manufacturing in production environments.

The NASTC operates both the Stratasys F3300® and F900® 3D printers, providing hands-on access to engineering resources, and create applications focused on critical tooling solutions such as jigs, fixtures, end-of-arm tooling, and North American Automotive Metric Standards (NAAMS) blocks. Automotive and industrial customers can now explore how additive can streamline operations, reduce cost, and respond faster to manufacturing challenges.

“This Center of Excellence will have a significant impact for manufacturers showing how additive fits into their production environment,” said Fadi Abro, Director of Global Automotive & Mobility at Stratasys. “With the launch of the NASTC, we are addressing real-world challenges at this new center. This incubator for advanced manufacturing is designed to enable teams to iterate, validate and scale tooling applications - rapidly. It sets the stage for designing solutions to meet the growing demand for localized, on-demand production solutions worldwide.”

Tooling often determines how quickly and cost-effectively products get to market. The NASTC will give manufacturers validated proof that additive polymer tooling is both viable and an ideal choice for production. With manufacturers and suppliers under constant pressure to become more efficient, the NASTC is structured to deliver speed, flexibility, and confidence, combining additive manufacturing technologies with traditional capabilities. Key capabilities include:

• Demonstrations of how AM works within a manufacturing ecosystem using the Stratasys F3300 and F900 printers
• Additive tooling applications, including jigs, fixtures, end-of-arm tooling, and NAAMS components
• Evaluate use cases with Automation Intelligence
• Support for customer tours, validation work, and application-focused events
• A curated display of sample parts to spark new ideas and projects

“Tooling is the heartbeat of manufacturing,” said Jeff McGarry, Managing Partner at Automation Intelligence. “The NASTC offers an environment where manufacturers can see for themselves how additive tools can address today’s challenges with faster turnaround times, digital flexibility, and lower costs. We believe this partnership will demonstrate the positive impact additive can have across production.”

Automation Intelligence helps manufacturers accelerate their adoption of advanced technologies. Currently working with several large manufacturers, AI helps bring focus on practical implementation, and production experience to customers navigating digital transformation. Additionally, the NASTC will also serve as a blueprint for similar tooling hubs worldwide.