Formlabs
Formlabs has announced the launch of its Open Platform offering which will allow users of its Form SLA 3D printing systems to benefit from third-party materials and custom print settings.
The company has also announced the launch of its Silicone 40A and Alumina 4N resins, both also developers for its Form SLA range.
Since being established in 2011, Formlabs has preferred to keep control over the resins printed on its Form series of SLA system, with 45 proprietary resins now being offered to its extensive user base. This approach has its strengths in ensuring quality, for example, but also its limitations - users sometimes prefer to source their materials from trusted third-party companies, for example.
Open Platform includes three new solutions that are said to expand the capabilities of Formlabs SLA printers and provide users with more versatility. ‘Certified Materials’ offers users a curated selection of best-in-class third party resins, starting with resins from Kulzer GmbH to enable dental biocompatible applications for Formlabs customers in the APAC region. ‘Print Settings Editor’, meanwhile, is a new PreForm feature that enables advanced users to modify print settings to tailor their print performance. And ‘Open Material License’ is an optional, paid software license that allows expert users to print with any 405 nm photopolymer resin.
Formlabs
Parts printed with Formlabs Silicone 40 Resin.
According to Formlabs, the Silicone 40N Resin combines the material properties of cast silicone with the flexibility of 3D printing. Backed by Formlabs patent-pending Pure Silicone Technology, users can print 100% silicone parts with complex geometries that are not possible with traditional methods. The material is said to generate parts with excellent chemical and thermal resistance, and is able to produce parts that can withstand repeated cycles of stretching, flexing and compression. Suitable for the automotive, industrial, medical and consumer products markets, Formlabs believes the material can be used for both functional prototyping and end-use part production.
“Silicone 40A Resin gives me the flexibility to do designs that previously could only be done with a very expensive and time-consuming moulding process, allowing us to explore new markets and manufacture products that would have been prohibitively expensive or complicated before,” said Guy Cardwell, director of research and development at HGM Automotive Electronics. “Other 3D printing solutions can print some kinds of elastics, but only the SLA Formlabs printer using Silicone 40A Resin can create soft connector seals that match the quality and durability of a silicone or TPU moulded part.”
Formlabs
Parts printed with Formlabs Alumina 4N Resin.
Formlabs’ Alumina 4N Resin can be printed on Form 3+ printers and is said to boast 98.6% relative density and 99.99% purity. The company believes it to be reliable in extreme conditions for parts that are thermally resistant, abrasion resistance, mechanically strong, and chemically inert. Alumina 4N is suitable for application in the defence, foundry, chemical, automotive and semiconductor industries, per Formlabs.
“Alumina 4N Resin is remarkably easy to work with and plugs into our workflow seamlessly,” said Benjamin Lam, Materials Research Engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory. “It fits a need in the market, with a low barrier of entry that allows us to rapidly iterate on designs and produce parts at a comparably low cost.”
Formlabs has also announced the Fuse Starter Package enabled by its Fuse Depowdering Kit, which are being offered to help make the adoption of its SLS 3D printing technology more affordable.
With the Fuse 1+30W 3D printer at its core, the Starter Package can be acquired for 24,999 USD. Within this offering, the Fuse Depowdering Kit provides an all-in-one depowdering solution for low-volume production and multiple materials.
“So much attention in the additive industry is focused on hardware, but materials are just as essential for delivering on our mission to create user-friendly 3D printing solutions so that anyone can make anything,” commented Formlabs co-founder and CEO Max Lobovsky. “That’s why we continue to innovate relentlessly in the material space, creating high-performance materials that unlock new possibilities in manufacturing, healthcare and other industries. With Silicone 40A and Alumina 4N, we’re combining the flexibility and efficiency of 3D printing and the performance of silicones and ceramics, at a price point that anyone can afford. We’re thrilled to both expand our ecosystem and make our Fuse 3D printers more accessible so our customers and new users can truly create anything at an affordable price.”
Silicone 40A, Alumina 4N, and Fuse Starter Package are now available to purchase. PreForm Print Settings Editor will be released in early October. Open Material License will be available in early Q1 2024.
