Just a few days into the new year – when many of us were still on vacation – Formlabs launched its newest SLA printer at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
It is not called the Form 4, which is what you’d expect from an upgrade that enables 40% faster printing. Instead, Formlabs put a + at the end of its existing model names and quietly replaced its Form 3 and Form 3B (designed for dental and healthcare applications) with the new Form 3+ and the Form 3B+.
Perhaps Formlabs is hesitant to completely rename the new version because the software changes that enable the faster printing are also retroactive to the older Form 3 and 3B versions already in use. Quite a bonus for existing Formlabs customers. By upgrading your version of PreForm and the firmware on your Form 3B, you will be able to experience many of the improvements of the Form 3B+.
Two other enhancements also contribute to faster printing on the Form 3+. One is the company’s “expansion” of a feature called Adaptive Layer Thickness that analyzes the geometry of parts and assigns layer heights throughout the sliced model, using thicker layers to maximize print speeds in some areas of the print while using smaller layers to preserve fine details in other areas. This feature is now available to use with all Formlabs resins.
The second speed-enhancing upgrade is a hardware and manufacturing process that enables tighter alignment between the light processing unit (LPU) and the build platform. This enables the printer to deliver less laser exposure to early layers, reducing print times by five to 15 minutes in the first few layers of the print.
Although not improving print speed, the new preheat feature speeds up the overall time it takes to produce parts. Previously, preheating the build chamber would only begin once a user confirmed a print on the touchscreen. But now, preheating will begin once the printer receives a job.
In addition to speed, Formlabs says new hardware on the + models advances the company’s version of stereolithography, called Low Force Stereolithography (LFS), to refine part quality. An updated stabilization component for the LPU results in smoother travel and improved alignment between layers, the company says. This improvement promises to enhance the “optical clarity” of translucent resins.
Better Support & Build Platform Removal
Formlabs also fixed some issues with its break-off supports first introduced on the Form 3 and 3B. These “light touch” support tips – designed to minimize post-processing effort – in some instances were also removing some surface material. This has been fixed with the “completely redesigned” support tips, the company says, that also enable easier removal than before.
Another issue Formlabs engineers tackled in the latest edition that likely began as a customer complaint is the performance of the printers in cold environments. “Now, you’ll spend less time heating the build chamber in cooler environments and start printing more quickly,” the company says in describing a change in the thermal measurement system that reads temperature closer to the print bed, making it less affected by ambient air temperatures.
Yet another convenient new feature that contributes to faster part production is a build platform that enables a quick, clean snap-release of prints from the plate. You can put away your spatulas and scrapers, the patented Quick Release Technology and the Build Platform 2 is the easiest part removal system we’ve seen from Formlabs yet. Also sold separately, the new build plate will fit in your Form 3 and Form 3B printers although it is not approved for use as part of a biocompatible workflow.
Rounding out its new product news so far this year is the company’s ESD Resin, which is a static-dissipative material, developed for applications that require ESD-safe parts to protect objects and electronics sensitive to unregulated static discharge. With this new resin, Formlabs opens up new 3D printing applications in electronics manufacturing, automotive, and aerospace industries with an affordable, ESD-safe material.
