Formlabs is kickstarting 2022 with the launch of two new 3D printers, said to be its fastest machines to date.
The Form 3+ and Form 3B+ represent the next generation of the additive manufacturing company’s Low Force Stereolithography technology, first unveiled in 2019. Key enhancements include higher-intensity leasers and material settings which are said to optimise laser exposure and increase print speeds by up to 40%. Both machines (the latter, a dental-oriented machine), also come equipped with Formlabs’ upgraded Build Platform 2, which makes toolless removable of parts from the build platform more efficient, thanks to its Quick Release Technology and flexible print surface.
Matt Lewis, Product Marketing Manager at Formlabs, told TCT: “These new capabilities will enable Formlabs to open up new applications in automotive, dental, healthcare, engineering, and other industries, as well as facilitate higher-volume printing for mass customisation applications.”
Formlabs has confirmed that previous iterations of its Form 3 systems will no longer be available for direct purchase but the company will continue to support former Form 3 and Form 3B models, and will be adding firmware and hardware updates to increase functionality.
To support its new hardware, Formlabs has also introduced a new material, ESD Resin, its first static-dissipative material, designed for the 3D printing of ESD-safe parts. The company says the new material will open up applications in electronics, automotive and aerospace.
Lewis said: “ESD resin will specifically enable makers in electronics manufacturing, automotive, and aerospace industries to quickly and affordably print parts in-house that are sensitive to static discharge, rather than outsourcing or machining them.
“Form 3+ and Form 3B+ will continue to open up previously unattainable material profiles. ESD Resin has unique properties that make it the first material that is only compatible with our LFS line of printers.”
The new machines and ESD Resin are being shown for the first time at CES in Las Vegas this week. While the presence of 3D printing has lessened in recent years at the consumer electronics event as 3D printers, particularly desktop machines, have transitioned away from consumer-focused hype towards more industrial-focused users, Formlabs shared with TCT that this remains an important platform for the company, reinforcing comments made by CEO Max Lobovsky back in 2019 that its technology is increasingly deployed in the development of new consumer-facing products.
Lewis explained: “Formlabs 3D printers are used by many of the inventors, engineers, and innovators who create new consumer products that are introduced at CES. By enabling faster and more affordable prototyping and alternative manufacturing, Formlabs enables startups to invent and innovate new products.”
The company said that’s also true of its new material’s ability to “enable new ways for consumer products to be manufactured,” specifically those that require ESD-safe parts to protect objects and electronics.
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