Formlabs' launches new Flexible and Elastic, BioMed, and Dental materials.
Formlabs has announced new additions to its collection of proprietary 3D printing resins today, aimed at engineering, healthcare and dental applications.
Developed in-house, the six materials include new families of Flexible and Elastic resins, BioMed resins, and Dental Resins which build on the company's partnership with implant dentistry specialist BEGO.
Addressing engineering, product design, and manufacturing applications, the Flexible and Elastic range is Formlabs' second engineering-focused family and designed for the production of - you guessed it - flexible parts. Flexible 80A is a reformulation of Formlabs' current Flexible Resin (V2) and the most stiff, soft-touch material in its library with a 80A Shore durometer to simulate the flexibility of rubber or TPU and withstand bending, flexing, and compression. Suggested application areas include handles, overmoulds, seals, gaskets, shock absorption and even simulation of cartilage, tendon, and ligament anatomy. Elastic 50A is, in fact, Formlabs existing Elastic Resin material, renamed due to its 50A Shore durometer. As its softest material to date, it's an ideal option for prototyping silicone parts that need to withstand bending and stretching and can spring back to their original shape like wearables, compression buttons and stretchable enclosures or casings.
In the BioMed range, new BioMed Clear and BioMed Amber are designed for healthcare applications such as surgical planning, device manufacture and research. BioMed Clear is a strong, hard biocompatible resin targeted to applications requiring long-term skin or mucosal membrane contact. It is USP Class VI certified for use in applications that necessitate wear resistance and low water absorption over time, and can also be sterilised to CDC standards. 3D printing applications include surgical guides, drug delivery devices, bioprocessing equipment and other medical equipment. For BioMed Amber, this rigid material is suitable for more short term contact devices such as implant guides and drilling templates. It is similarly compatible with common solvent disinfection and sterilisation methods.
Finally, Formlabs is expanding its commitment to dental, solidified with the launch of its dental business unit and Form 3B printer earlier this year, with three Dental Resin updates including a second generation of its Dental LT Clear material, a long-term biocompatible material for the creation of splints and occlusal guards. A new Custom Tray resin has also been developed for direct printing of custom trays used for crown and bridge, implant and dentures, and gives technicians the ability to print one tray in less than an hour. Lastly, a durable Temporary CB resin has been introduced, developed in partnership with BEGO, and designed for directly printing temporary crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays, and veneers. This resin can generate up to seven unit bridges and temporary restorations for up to 12 months. Both Custom Tray and Temporary CB resins were developed at Formlabs' in-house ISO 13485 facility.
Formlabs' machines have proven a good fit for the dental industry and boasts one of the largest 3D printer install bases for small to large dental labs. Last year, Brooklyn-based Voodoo Manufacturing announced a move into the clear aligners market with the launch of a B2B additive manufacturing service powered by Formlabs technology, and named Smilelove as its first public direct-to-consumer partner.
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