At last year’s CES 2021 event, top 3D printing company Formlabs released Castable Wax 40 Resin, the 30th material in its ever-growing library and the 12th in 2021 alone. Today, right before the start of CES 2022 in Las Vegas, the double unicorn announced the launch of a new resin, as well as its two fastest SLA 3D printers yet. Formlabs says that its new Form 3+ and Form 3B+ printers use powerful, higher-intensity lasers, as well as new material settings, to optimize the exposure of the lasers and ensure 40% faster speed than its previous printer models.
Formlabs has spent three years working to make its trademarked Low Force Stereolithography (LFS) technology even better than when it was first introduced in 2019 with the professional Form 3 and dental Form 3B systems. These two new LFS 3D printers, in addition to supposedly being faster, higher-quality, and easier to use than Formlabs’ flagship desktop system, also include the company’s next-generation Build Platform 2, featuring patented Quick Release technology.
“Formlabs created the professional desktop printer market, and our Form 3 has become a best-seller. The Form 3+ is the next iteration designed to help users go from idea to part in hand as quickly and easily as possible,” said Max Lobovsky, the CEO and Co-Founder of Formlabs. “With Build Platform 2, we’ve improved the entire 3D printing workflow to make it easier than ever to create. The adoption of 3D printing relies on the technology’s ability to be easy to use and fast. Every piece of hardware we create is held to that standard to ensure anyone can walk up to a printer and start creating.”
The Build Platform 2 has a flexible print surface that releases 3D printed parts instantly, which helps streamline the post-processing workflow and make it much more efficient. Now, users can easily remove their parts—in just seconds—and avoid potential damage, as they won’t have to scrape them off the platform with tools.
With improvement, better user experience, and increased access to digital fabrication at the forefront of the development process, Formlabs worked to make its new Form 3+ and Form 3B+ printers much more efficient with software updates and better hardware components that are said to majorly enhance print quality and speed and the support removal process.
In addition to its two new SLA printers, Formlabs is also launching the latest addition to its materials library with the new ESD Resin. Developed specifically for AM applications that need parts safe from electrostatic discharge (ESD) in order to protect objects and electronics that are sensitive to unregulated static discharge, this is the company’s first static-dissipative material. With the introduction of this latest material, the company should now be able to work with SLA applications in aerospace, automotive, and electronics manufacturing industries that require high-quality, tough, low-cost, ESD-safe materials.
The new Form 3+ and Form 3B+ printers, launching at CES 2022, are now available for purchase and global shipping.
(Source/Images: Formlabs)