If you want to be meticulous about considering all of your options, you can test out different types of printers at your local 3D Hubs or makerspaces, but there are plenty of resources online to help you understand the pros and cons of each kind of 3D printing technology, and which will best suit your needs. A webinar is a great tool for educating yourself about a topic like 3D printing, whether or not you’re currently in the market for a printer yourself.
Formlabs, which currently sells two printer models: the Form 1+ and the Form 2, not only brought SLA technology to the desktop, but further adapted it for a wider range of applications. Their resin materials have expanded from standard offerings to flexible and castable resins to even biocompatible dental materials, introduced recently and another first for desktop 3D printing. All of this is to say that if you’re looking for expert information on SLA technology, Formlabs can provide just the expertise you seek.
So what’s so great about SLA? Plenty of things, including speed, resolution, and versatility – but like any technology, it’s not ideal for every application. Then there’s the fact that other technologies like FDM (fused deposition modeling) and SLS (selective laser sintering) look very similar, but possess certain key differences that make one method superior to the others in some areas, but inferior in others.
It’s confusing, and can be overwhelming, so Formlabs aims to clear things up for you in the August 4th webinar. They’ll be thoroughly comparing and contrasting SLA, FDM and SLS technologies, so even if you’re pretty well-versed in one or all of them already, there’s still more to learn. The framework of the class will be broken down into the following areas of focus:
- History of SLA, FDM and SLS printing technologies
- Suggested usage for each method
- Design guidelines and tips for making the most of each technology
- Example case studies and applications
The live webinar will be kicking off at 1 PM EST on August 4, and you can register here. If you’re unavailable during that time period, register anyway, and Formlabs will email you a recording of the webinar after it wraps up. And – like the last webinar we hosted – it’s free! Discuss further in the 3DPrint.com/Formlabs Webinar forum over at 3DPB.com.