Case Study: Thermos K.K. achieves faster, lower-cost prototyping and improved product design with Stratasys 3D printing

3D Printing Helps Thermos Lead it's Industry

Thermos K.K., the long‑established maker of insulated food and beverage containers, faced the challenge of rapidly iterating tactile, ergonomic parts (caps, seals, internal threads and pouring surfaces) where look, feel and fit are critical. To speed development and reduce costs, Thermos integrated Stratasys 3D printing into its Niigata R&D center, initially using FDM with a Dimension 3D Printer and later adding PolyJet on an Objet260 Connex.

Using Stratasys systems, Thermos cut prototype turnaround from 3–5 days of outsourcing to hours or minutes in‑house and reduced prototyping cost to roughly one‑fifth of outsourcing. The Stratasys solution produced high‑detail, multi‑material models for pouring and seal testing, enabled more design iterations, improved cap fit and pouring performance, supported custom FDM tooling for production, and helped Thermos sustain rapid innovation and market success.

Thermos K.K.

Shin Matsuyama

Manager of R&D