J.W. Speaker, a Germantown, Wisconsin-based manufacturer of high-performance LED lighting systems, has overhauled its additive manufacturing workflow by pairing a Stratasys F3300 fused deposition modeling (FDM) printer with the PostProcess Technologies BASE automated support removal system. The combination has reduced turnaround times from weeks to hours, eliminated manual bottlenecks, and delivered annual cost savings estimated at up to $75,000.
Founded in 1935, J.W. Speaker designs, engineers, and assembles lighting for automotive, powersports, transportation, and industrial applications. The company has relied on 3D printing for more than a decade, producing between 10 and 50 parts per week. Its equipment portfolio includes Stratasys F370CR, Origin One, and HP Multi Jet Fusion machines, but FDM remains the most frequently used process. Until recently, post-printing was entirely manual. Operators removed support material by hand, cleared threaded holes and complex geometries, soaked parts in sodium hydroxide, rinsed them thoroughly, and dried them overnight in ovens. This multi-step process created delays that limited throughput. Larger fixtures added further complications, as drying stations forced engineers to build parts in sections, extend processing times, and later assemble the pieces.
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To address these constraints, J.W. Speaker introduced the Stratasys F3300 alongside PostProcess BASE, a spray-based support removal system designed for high-throughput FDM. The F3300 enabled the transition of tooling applications such as pallets and fixtures from machining to 3D printing, while BASE automated cleaning and drying. Together, the two systems removed prolonged soak and dry cycles, producing consistent results with limited operator input. “With our old machine, we would have to put the parts in an oven overnight to dry out. Now, we have the parts cleaned and ready to be delivered in just a couple of hours,” said Michael Speaker, Lead Additive Manufacturing Specialist at J.W. Speaker. Parts that once required more than a day to finish are now ready in minutes, giving technicians faster access and allowing engineers to redirect time toward design and process optimization.
PostProcess Technologies, founded in 2014 in Buffalo, New York, develops automated post-printing solutions that combine hardware, chemistry, and software to remove supports, clean resin, and finish surfaces across additive processes. Its BASE system has enabled J.W. Speaker to scale efficiently by consolidating fixtures up to 18 by 18 inches into single builds, avoiding segmented assemblies and improving structural integrity. Over the past five years, J.W. Speaker has grown from two to six additive machines, with post-processing automation seen as essential to sustaining this expansion. The integration of BASE with the Stratasys F3300 has also reduced material waste, cut outsourcing, and simplified fixture design.
The results have been substantial. By replacing machining with additive production and automating post-processing, J.W. Speaker achieved a 78 percent reduction in lead time compared to in-house machining, shrinking turnaround from one week to nine hours. Against outsourced machining, the improvement rises to 89 percent, cutting two weeks of waiting to the same nine-hour period. Annual savings of $60,000 to $75,000 come from reduced outsourcing, less labor, and lower material costs. With faster turnaround and greater consistency, engineers can meet deadlines more reliably while technicians dedicate time to process improvement. The company has positioned additive manufacturing not as a supplementary tool but as a core production resource, creating a workflow prepared to meet evolving demand with speed and precision.
3D printing gains ground in U.S.
In Ohio, the Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI), a non-profit accelerator founded in 1995, has expanded its additive manufacturing capacity with the acquisition of an XJet Carmel 1400M. The metal 3D printer, which uses XJet’s NanoParticle Jetting process, will be installed at Humtown Products, an America Makes member based in Columbiana. The move builds on YBI’s earlier adoption of XJet’s ceramic platform and positions the Youngstown region as an emerging hub for high-precision additive production. The collaboration with Humtown and America Makes broadens regional capabilities for aerospace, defense, medical, and electronics sectors.
In Virginia, Austal USA, a shipbuilder that operates the U.S. Navy’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence, has acquired an ARCEMY Small Edition system from Australian OEM AML3D. The compact, containerized wire-based printer will be deployed at the Danville facility to accelerate the production of small components and serve as a testbed for fully deployable systems. The purchase follows the installation of AML3D’s larger ARCEMY X-Edition 6700 earlier in 2024 and comes amid a broader U.S. Navy initiative to expand additive use across its industrial base. A recent Letter of Intent outlined plans to procure around 1,600 3D printed components annually by 2030 and install up to 100 large-format machines, with output expected to reach 400 parts in fiscal year 2026.
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Featured photo shows PostProcess BASE automated support removal system. Photo via PostProcess Technologies.
