Formlabs chief executive Max Lobosky says that his Somerville startup is working hard to make 3-D printing objects more like printing out a two-dimensional document. After each new layer is created, the Form 2 performs a “slide peel” to detach the newly-formed layer from the print bed, and then runs a wiper blade through the resin tray to remove any hardened particulate that may have been left behind.
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Quantity is nothing without quality, of course, and fortunately Formlabs has upped the game on that front too, with a 50% more powerful laser which is able to deliver better print resolution.
The company’s new Form2 printer, being unveiled this morning at an event at Boston’s Museum of Science, tries to simplify 3-D printing in several ways: the software automatically arranges multiple items and the necessary support structures to hold them; files can be sent to print over Wi-Fi; the printer uses resin in cartridges, rather than requiring users to refill a reservoir with drippy bottles; and there’s a Web-based view of the machine’s current status, including the jobs waiting to be printed.
The Form 2 also adds connected printing capabilities.
An industry leader and a respected manufacturer of 3D printers and more, they continue to raise the bar in terms of standards for professionals in industries such as engineering, medical, film-making, both big and small business, and art and design. A typical consumer wouldn’t think it is practical to spend that much for a printer that is meant for personal use. Form 1 owners will get $400 off the new machine, and backers of the company’s original Kickstarter campaign can get $600 off.
That’s apparently the goal with the Form 2, to make 3D printing as simple as operating a desktop PC or smartphone, thus supercharging the adoption of the technology beyond high-level designers and hobbyists and into the hands of those less familiar with the devices.
With a powerful 3D printer, commercial businesses can produce large amounts of prints a lot faster than any other printer.
It’s estimated that the 3D printing market will grow to .2 billion by 2018, a compounded annual growth rate of 45.7 percent over the five year period.
According to The Verge, 3D printers developed by Formlabs works differently compared to other printers in the marker.
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All of Formlabs’ machines utilize stereolithography (SL) technology for 3D printing, which is something typically found in higher-end printers. It includes Formlabs’s PreForm software, one liter of resin for printing, and a finish kit for post-processing the parts. Need updating on how a print’s going?
