Breakaway Support for Stratasys FDM Printers: FDM EasyBreak vs. Breakaway Support Technology (BST - the OG of FDM Support)

Short answer: If you want breakaway support on a Stratasys FDM printer, you have two options. Stratasys’ new FDM EasyBreak software feature makes soluble support (SR-30, SR-100, SR-110) easier to snap off. Argyle Materials' BST is a HIPS material that peels off by hand, skips the solvent tank entirely, and costs $160 less per spool than SR soluble support on average.

What is Stratasys FDM EasyBreak?

FDM EasyBreak is a support-generation feature Stratasys added to GrabCAD Print and Insight in summer 2026. It builds planned breakpoints into the support structure so you can snap large sections of soluble support off by hand before the part goes in the wash. Stratasys says this:

• Speeds up support removal
• Reduces the risk of damaging the part
• Extends the life of your support removal solution, since less material goes into the tank

In Stratasys’ own testing, at least 85% of the support could be removed by hand.

Why is SR soluble support so hard to remove?

Long-time Stratasys FDM users know the pain EasyBreak is trying to fix. SR-30, SR-100 and SR-110 soluble support is brittle. When you try to break it away, it shatters, the shards can cut your fingers, and you still wait hours for the rest to dissolve in the solvent bath.

Soluble support is still the right call for some parts. Internal channels, enclosed cavities and fine features that you can’t physically reach need support that dissolves. EasyBreak makes that workflow less painful.

Is there a breakaway support option for Stratasys FDM that skips the solvent tank?

Yes. It use to be that BST was the only Support available from Stratasys until they intorduced an "upgrade" to Soluble. Which was more a downgrade in our opinion. SInce 2009 Argyle Materials has supplied Stratasys FDM users with BST breakaway support, made from HIPS (high-impact polystyrene). It needs no special software settings and peels away from the part like a bandage. IE. it holds the part well but doesn't melt into the bottom of the part like Soluble so you get a better bottom facing surface and faster support removal.

• No solvent step: no wash tank, no waiting for support to dissolve, no spent solution to dispose of
• No shattering: HIPS is tough, so it comes off in clean pieces instead of sharp shards
• Faster turnaround: parts can come off the printer and ship the same day
• Lower cost: $160 less per spool than SR soluble support ($1.73/cubic inch less going into the garbage)

Many of our service bureau customers run BST on roughly 90% of their parts. They save soluble support for the geometries that truly need it.

See how easy it is in the video below (turn sound on!)

FDM EasyBreak vs. BST breakaway support at a glance

When should you use breakaway support vs. soluble support?

Use breakaway support (BST) when support touches surfaces you can reach by hand, you need fast turnaround, or you want to cut solvent and labor costs.

Use soluble support (SR series, with or without EasyBreak) when the part has internal channels, closed cavities or delicate features that can’t be reached.

Many shops stock both and choose per job or dedicate a machine to each type of support.

FAQ

Does breakaway support work on Stratasys Fortus printers? Yes. BST breakaway support is built for Stratasys FDM systems. Our BST is sold for F123, F120/770/870, Fortus 360mc, 400mc, 380mc, 450mc, 900mc, F900, 250mc, uPrint, Dimension

What is BST support made of? BST is made from HIPS (high-impact polystyrene), a tough material that separates cleanly from the model material.

Do I need to change software settings to use BST? No. BST requires no special support-generation settings like EasyBreak. The eeprom we supply calls on existing SR processing parameters.

Does FDM EasyBreak eliminate the solvent wash? No. EasyBreak lets you remove most soluble support by hand first, but the remaining support still dissolves in a wash tank.

How much cheaper is BST than SR-30 or SR-110? BST costs $160 less per spool than SR soluble support.

Try BST breakaway support on your Stratasys FDM printer

Want faster post-processing and no more shattered SR? Contact Pivot AM to talk about adding BST breakaway support to your process, or to request a sample spool.

Stratasys, FDM, EasyBreak, GrabCAD Print, Insight and Fortus are trademarks of Stratasys Ltd. Pivot AM is not affiliated with Stratasys.