
Above: The Formlabs’ “Form Cell” – an automated 3D printing system which automates repetitive processes/Image Credit: Formlabs
Formlabs, the designer and manufacturer of 3D printing systems announced in an official release that it will, for the first time, showcase its fully automated 3D printing platform – the Form Cell at the LMT Lab Day – the largest dental laboratory event in the USA.
Form Cell, is the company’s first commercially available automated 3D printing system, which will be shipped to initial customers such as New England Orthodontic Lab and Recigno Lab in the first half of 2018. The two customers will be using this automated 3D printing system to scale up their production, reduce labour costs and enable 24/7, lights-out manufacturing.
The Form Cell automated 3D printing system has been built on the strong foundation of Form 2 3D printer, the company’s flagship 3D printer which has already been adopted by a large number of dental users. The Form 2 3D printers by Formlabs offer remarkable 3D printing advantages for dentists, which include high print success rate and 3D printing of a variety of dental applications. Right from thermoformed aligners, models, surgical guides, and splints, the Form 2 3D printer offers a reliable and cost-effective platform for traditionally expensive technology.
Speaking about how the new automated system can help the company remain competitive in the future, Christain Saurman of New England Orthodontic Lab said, “Digital is my future. I’m constantly looking at what my business is going to need in the next 2-5 years, and staying ahead of those trends. 3D printing with the Form 2 and automating this process with the Form Cell is a huge part of remaining competitive as a lab”.
“Formlabs has done an amazing job with all of the automated systems under the hood, they’ve made reliable 3D printing something that I can now take for granted,” said David Recigno of Recigno Labs. “We’re already scaling up production with the Form 2, and are looking towards further streamlining production costs with the Form Cell. Recigno Labs has for over 60 years utilized advanced technology to advance the practices of dentists throughout the U.S.”
“To date, Form 2 users have completed more than 100,000 surgeries with Dental SG, made more than 20,000 splints and printed more than 1 million 3D printed dental parts,” said Gideon Balloch, Dental Product Lead at Formlabs.
“The Form 2 is powerful for dental businesses of any size, and the Form Cell is a strong next step for labs to consider as they look to scale. Our customers have seen a huge improvement in printing with Form 2 for high-quality, reliable, cost-effective and diverse material option prints,” concluded Balloch.