Formlabs, the leader in 3D printing, today announced its new blazing fast, large-format Form 4L and Form 4BL 3D printers as well as the much-anticipated opening of its SLS and SLA platforms to enable users to bring their ideas to life regardless of scale, application, or complexity.
Additionally, Formlabs introduced new printer accessories, two new SLS materials, five new highly requested PreForm features, and new post-processing solutions to empower users with more scale, throughput, affordability, performance, and control.
Form 4L: Fastest Large-Format SLA 3D Printer
Formlabs brings the high speeds of Form 4 to a larger format with Form 4L and the biocompatible version, Form 4BL, to unlock extreme speed, reliability, and print quality at any scale—from prototyping to production.
Built on the company’s next-generation Low Force Display™ (LFD) print engine, Form 4 delivers unmatched reliability with a 99% print success rate compared to other SLA 3D printers. These benefits, combined with a build volume nearly 5x the size of Form 4, allow Form 4L users to solve big problems and print smaller parts at high volume. Form 4L features:
- Blazing fast print speeds: Large-scale prints in under six hours, at up to 80 mm/hour printing speeds
- Large parts: Nearly five times larger build volume than Form 4
- High volume: Form 4L’s scale and speed enable users to print thousands of small parts per day at a low cost.
- Low waste: The new cartridge design reduces plastic waste by 63% and delivers faster resin dispensing.
- Industry-leading materials: Compatible with 23+ materials offering durable, rigid, biocompatible, flame retardant, and more application-specific properties.
- New accessories: Resin Mixer, Resin Tank, Build Platform, Resin Pumping System, and Finish Kit and Form Wash L for post-processing round out the ecosystem.
“We believe in driving innovation forward by providing the freedom and flexibility users need to bring their ideas to life. Form 4L will enable users to solve bigger problems and bring big ideas to life at lightning-fast speeds, regardless of scale or complexity.”
– Dávid Lakatos, CPO, Formlabs
According to Agostino LoBello, a Product Design Engineer at Radio Flyer, “One of the first things we printed on the 4L as soon as we got it was a seat for the Stingray Ride-On, and we used that exact 3D print in a vendor meeting. The speed and dimensional accuracy have made a big difference in our shop.
Formlabs’ Developer Platform
Formlabs is officially opening up its platform to empower users with more control, and flexibility. To complement the company’s library of industry-leading materials, new software, integration options, and material pricing puts users in control to transform how they bring ideas to life. With the Developer Platform, users have new freedom and flexibility to tap into any material with the best 3D printers for professionals.
With Developer Platform, Formlabs introduces new software and material pricing, including:
- Open Material Mode (OMM): Use any material you want with a license, no restrictions
- Print Settings Editor (PSE): Adjust print settings for maximum performance, free with every machine
- API & Integrations: Work the way you want, connect any software that you use to get a print started
“Formlabs started with a clear mission to make professional 3D printing more accessible, and opening our platform is the beginning of a new chapter for Formlabs, where we enable users to help make 3D printing better for everybody. Developer Platform represents a transformation for our entire platform that will unlock the benefits of user control and unique properties of third-party SLS and SLA materials. This shift will break down barriers, welcoming innovators at every level to explore endless new possibilities and bring their ideas to life.”
– Max Lobovsky, Co-founder and CEO, Formlabs
New, Highly-Requested PreForm Features
As Formlabs opens its platform, the company is also launching new PreForm software with highly requested features for job and model preparation, including:
Shareable print settings: Unlocks collaboration so users can share and apply fine-tuned print settings as FPS files.
Job and model preparation features: For faster and more reliable prototyping, users can create:
- Model hollowing
- Drain holes
- Part texturing
- Part labelling
- Part cages
New SLS Powders
Formlabs also introduced new advanced SLS materials, Nylon 12 White Powder and Nylon 12 Tough Powder, to expand end-use part applications and empower Fuse users to take on even more demanding projects.
- Nylon 12 White Powder: Delivers the versatile and biocompatible material properties of Nylon 12 Powder in a formulation that produces high contrast and customisable white parts
- Nylon 12 Tough Powder: Offers best-in-class refresh rate among Formlabs’ Nylons combined with excellent ductility and dimensional accuracy making it perfect for producing highly resistant parts with reduced warpage
With the introduction of Form 4 in April 2024, Formlabs’ new print engine drastically increased 3D printing speeds, ushering in a new era of additive manufacturing. Users have doubled resin usage with Form 4, and the fast print speeds, lower cost per part, and Form 4L’s large build platform will increase production among existing users as well as expand 3D printing into new industries and use cases.
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