Stratasys Patents Low-Temperature PolyJet — Print at 35°C Instead of 70°C

A Hot Problem Gets a Cool Solution

PolyJet 3D printing has always run hot — really hot. The technology jets photopolymers through tiny nozzles, and to keep those materials flowing, printers typically need to maintain temperatures around 70C or higher. That heat requirement has been a fundamental bottleneck, limiting what you can print and where you can print it.

But Stratasys just threw a cold splash of water on that limitation. A newly granted patent describes formulations for low-temperature PolyJet materials that jettable at just 35C — roughly half the temperature of conventional systems.

Why 35C Matters

The patent filing reveals several compelling applications for this breakthrough:

• Embedded components: At lower temperatures, you can print around temperature-sensitive electronics, sensors, and other components without damaging them
• Volatile additives: Lower temperatures mean more formulations are stable and printable
• Biomolecules: The patent specifically calls out biomolecule printing — think lab-grown tissues or drug delivery structures — which require gentle temperature control

The Numbers Behind the Patent

According to the patent data, the new formulations achieve viscosities in the mid-teens cPs at 35C while maintaining heat deflection temperature (HDT) and impact properties comparable to existing rigid and Digital ABS-style materials. That's a remarkable combination — low viscosity for jetting, but strong properties after curing.

For elastomeric materials, the patent shows elongation figures above 290% with significantly lower viscosity than current elastomeric PolyJet formulations. That means softer, more flexible parts could become more reliable to print.

What This Means for the Industry

This patent positions Stratasys to address markets they've historically been locked out of:

• Electronics integration: Print functional cases and housings with embedded circuits
• Medical devices: Create patient-specific medical devices with embedded sensors or drug reservoirs
• Research applications: Enable new categories of bioprinting and lab-on-a-chip devices

Whether this technology appears in upcoming Stratasys printers — or stays locked in the patent vault as a competitive moat — remains to be seen. But it's clear the company is thinking well beyond prototype models.