Formlabs, the designer and manufacturer of stereolithography (SLA) 3D-printing systems including the Form 1+, today announced the launch of Form 2, the company's second-generation high-resolution, desktop SLA 3D printer.
The Form 2 brings bigger prints, connected capabilities, and a simplified, intuitive printing experience to artists, engineers, product designers, and other professionals.
Those upgrades add $200 to the price, but also a lot of value. (We recently saw a demonstration of the Form 2, and look forward to bringing you a review in the near future.) Its build volume is more than 40 percent larger than the Form 1+ — 6.9 by 5.7 by 5.7 inches instead of 6.5 by 4.9 by 4.9 inches.
The new model also has a 50 percent more powerful laser, yielding better print resolution. A color touch screen makes it easy to manage print queues and view print status.
The Form 2 introduces new features aimed at team collaboration, simpler workflows, and time savings. A new sliding peel mechanism, wiper, and heated resin tank reduces wear on the resin tank, improves print consistency by removing particles from the build area, and maintains consistent internal temperature for optimal print conditions. That resin system has been automated, and new resin cartridges will automatically refill the resin tank during the printing process.
Formlabs Form 2Formlabs's PreForm Software has also undergone a renovation. A newly introduced 1click print feature will prepare prints and simplify the printing process. The Form 2 offers wireless printing via Wi-Fi, with custom notifications and mobile alerts. The new dashboard enables print progress to be monitored across multiple printers on desktop, mobile or tablet.
In stereolithography, the first 3D-printing technique to be developed, an ultraviolet (UV) laser shines into a vat of UV-curable liquid resin, tracing a cross section of the object to be printed on the resin and in the process, solidifying it layer by layer into the printed model.
Stereolithography 3D printers, which offer higher resolution and better print quality than 3D printers that use plastic filament, have traditionally been very expensive, sometimes in the six figures. In 2012, Formlabs introduced the Form 1, a stereolithography printer at a breakthrough ($3,000) price, putting it in range of designers and small businesses.
The Form 2 is now available for purchase directly from Formlabs for $3,499. It includes Formlabs's PreForm software, one liter of resin for printing, and a finish kit for post-processing the parts.
Those who already own a Form 1 or Form 1+ can can get a $400 discount on the Form 2, and original Kickstarter backers get a $600 discount. That offer expires at the end of the year; fill out this form to see if you qualify.
Source: pcmag.com
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