Formlabs Adds Materials, Post-Processing Tools to SLA & SLS 3D Printing Ecosystem

3D printing double unicorn Formlabs is making it easier, and more efficient, for users to print final, consumer-ready parts by streamlining post-processing, and opening up new workflows. Today, the company announced an expansion of its stereolithography (SLA) and selective laser sintering (SLS) ecosystem with the addition of two new materials to its library, as well as post-processing tools that should usher in new 3D printing applications.

First, Formlabs recently released a software add-on that makes it possible for any of its SLA printers to use any 405nm Resin. This Open Material Mode was originally meant for the Form 3 generation of printers as part of an Open Platform solutions suite, but is now available for the Form 4 generation. But now, the company has also launched the versatile BEGO VarseoSmile TriniQ Resin, its first third-party Certified Material. This ceramic-filled, biocompatible resin is for 3D printing permanent and provisional restorations and bridges, and its high accuracy and efficiency should help grow dental 3D printing applications for the Form 4B.

Another new Formlabs material that should expand applications is Clear Cast Resin for investment casting. This material is said to be accurate within 0.25 mm, so it can print reliable casting shells with only minimal cracking. Plus, with its excellent thermal expansion, foundries can use Clear Cast Resin by Formlabs to cast designs in-house much faster, which will help lower both costs and turnaround times.

“The whole [Formlabs] ecosystem and support system made sense to us. The fit and finish of the printers, the software, it seems better than everything else in the price point by a long-shot. The Clear Cast parts slotted straight into the workflow, [and] the amount of time saved with 3D printing where I push a button and go off to do something else, then skip the machining and hand-work after the cast, will make up for the cost of 3D printed patterns,” John Farr, VP of Technology at Diversified Metalsmiths, stated in a Formlabs press release.

According to the “Post-Processing for Additive Manufacturing: Market Analysis and Forecast” report by AM Research, post-processing for AM should reach $1.8 billion in 2031. This sector encompasses everything from cleaning, coloring, and surface finishing to curing and heat treating. Formlabs is further optimizing its SLA and SLS 3D printing workflows with new post-processing tools, starting with the Formlabs Resin Washing Solution. Safe for all workspaces, this non-flammable solution is used for cleaning resin off of 3D printed parts. The company says that when compared to IPA, its new solution dissolves twice as much resin before becoming saturated, and also decreases the need for frequent top-offs. Both of these features help reduce the cost per washed 3D printed part.

At formnext 2023, Formlabs introduced its automated Fuse Blast post-processing machine, and now the company has released the Fuse Blast Polishing System. A drop-in upgrade for the Fuse Blast, the system can be used to clean and polish SLS 3D printed parts right out of the Fuse Sift, so users can easily add a smooth, scuff-resistant, dye-ready, and semi-gloss surface to their parts.

Formlabs once said that its Fuse Blast, when paired with the compact Fuse Sift powder management system, can consistently take a part from printed to finished in just 15 minutes. The final new post-processing tool that the company announced today is the Fuse Sift Glovebox Bundle, which pairs the Fuse Parts Carrier and Fuse Sift Glovebox Panel. The company says this bundle is easy to install, and minimizes powder exposure, which is always a plus. The new Fuse Sift Glovebox Bundle is also said to streamline part extraction, which helps improve both operator and workplace cleanliness for a better workflow.

To learn more about its latest offerings, visit Formlabs next week at IMTS in Chicago. The company will be located in the West Building of McCormick Place at Booth #433219.