Formlabs
At Formnext 2023 in Frankfurt, Formlabs announced that it is ‘reinventing’ post processing for SLS 3D printing with the launch of Fuse Blast, a fully automated part cleaning and polishing solution. The newest addition to the Formlabs SLS 3D printing ecosystem lowers labour and overhead costs, and reduces post processing time by 80% according to the company.
Formlabs says that the Fuse Blast delivers consistent, customer-grade parts in 15 minutes. The company also claims that its Fuse 1 Series printers account for nearly half of the worldwide powder bed fusion printers sold since the Fuse 1 launched in 2020.
The Fuse Blast features automatic tumbling for ‘completely’ hands off cleaning that quickly removes semi-sintered and loose powder according to Formlabs, as well as an in-line ionizer that prevents dust from re-settling on parts to ensure parts are always clean-to-the-touch.
Formlabs says the Fuse Blast simplifies, improves, and streamlines post processing with pre-programmed routines. These settings are compatible with multi-material cycles, and are included to eliminate guesswork and deliver consistent results says the company. Formlabs says that while most parts can be cleaned with the Standard setting, users can also use the Nylon 12GF Powder setting to get rid of strong surface armour, and Delicate for a more gently tumble cycle.
Another feature of the Fuse Blast is the manual assisted and hand-held cleaning options. Formlabs says that users can choose the ergonomic manual assisted cleaning option for larger parts while holding it with both hands, or the manual hand-held option to clean intricate features that require line of sight with precision.
Formlabs also highlighted the Fuse Blast polishing system, an upgrade that it says goes beyond cleaning to surface finishing, delivering clean parts that are also smooth, scuff-resistant, and dye-ready with a professional semi-gloss finish.
“The Fuse Blast is a huge step forward for the Formlabs SLS ecosystem, bringing the same ease-of-use and accessibility that we are known for in the SLA space by enabling users to get clean-to-the-touch, industrial-grade SLS parts in as little as 15 minutes after printing,” said Dávid Lakatos, Chief Product Officer at Formlabs. “Combined with our newest software updates, we’re continuing to streamline the SLS 3D printing process so Formlabs users can print high-quality parts faster.”
Chris Haak, Operations Lead at Autotiv, a contract manufacturer with customers in industries such as robotics, automotive, consumer goods and more said: “Adding this system to any new or existing SLS workflow is a massive improvement over a manual cleaning and post processing workflow. The Blast also takes stress off of our bodies due to removing the repetitive movement of manual cleaning.”
In addition to the announcement of Fuse Blast, Formlabs also shipped a software update to all of its existing Fuse Series printers to enhance its capabilities, with faster job setup, printing, and pre and post processing workstreams. The updates include a 30% increase in print speeds for Nylon 12 Powder on Fuse 1+ 30W 2D printers; improved packing algorithm for better packing density, reducing powder waste by 42% on average; and better part resolution for Nylon 12 Powder on the Fuse1+ 30W.
The Fuse Blast can be seen in action at the Formlabs booth at Formnext 2023, Hall 11.1, Stand E11.
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