![]() ![]() ![]() When the 20-minute rinse cycle is done, the user can remove the object and place it in the Form Cure. Once the top of the Form Wash is closed and the user starts a wash by pressing a button at the bottom, the machine will churn the alcohol, rinsing the object. Both the printer (when the hood is in place) and the Form Wash (when closed) are well-sealed, so I hardly ever noticed fumes from either the resin or alcohol during the printing process. Alternatively, you can place an object that has already been removed from the build plate in the wire basket, as shown in the photo below, for the wash process. When a print is completed, the build plate ascends to the top of the printer, and the build plate with its object still attached can be unlatched and placed in a holder at the top of the Form Wash, which holds approximately two gallons of IPA. Formlabs sells the Complete Package for $4,249 directly, but you should check with your preferred 3D printing supplier to see if a lower negotiated price is available. That's everything found in the Basic Package, while our test unit is the Complete Package, which adds washing and curing units (which Formlabs calls Form Wash and Form Cure). In addition to the printer and build plate, the Form 3+ includes a finishing kit containing two small tanks for dunking prints, plus tools and nitrile gloves for handling the resin and isopropyl alcohol (IPA). LFS is said to produce smooth parts with fine details and sharp points. It does this by combining a flexible resin tank with an improved light processing unit (LPU) where the laser beam is generated. LFS is an SLA variant that drastically reduces the forces exerted on parts during the print process, according to Formlabs. While the Formlabs Form 1+ and Form 2 are traditional SLA printers, printers in the Form 3 series-including the Form 3, Form 3+, Form 3B, and Form 3BL (the latter two geared to the healthcare industry)-use low-force stereolithography (LFS). The build plate-the surface to which the object being printed adheres during the printing process-is suspended upside-down from an arm above the resin tank, into which it is dipped time and again as each layer is printed. (One can briefly open the cover, say to remove or attach the build plate, without any apparent ill effects to the resin.)Ĭompared with filament-based printers-also known as fused filament fabrication (FFF) or fused deposition modeling (FDM) printers-the printing process for SLA models is inverted. A translucent (but opaque to ultraviolet light) orange hood covers the Form 3+, preventing the resin from being accidentally cured through any appreciable exposure to sunlight. In an SLA printer, an ultraviolet 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 curing (solidifying) the resin layer by layer until it forms the printed model. Stereolithography was the first 3D printing technology to be developed. My experience with it convinced me of the promise of stereolithography in terms of print quality and resolution, while also revealing this method's many challenges. It seemed to me that Formlabs was on to something special, and the Form 1+ was one of the first 3D printers-and the first SLA printer-that I reviewed. I remember a representative showing me a 3D-printed chess set made on the Form 1 the print quality of the pieces was impressive, especially compared with the rough-hewn look of prints from many of the mostly filament-based printers typical of its day. I first encountered Formlabs at World Maker Faire New York more than a decade ago, when the company's first 3D printer, the Form 1, was in crowdfunding. Formlabs' customer service is responsive, though, and helps to resolve problems as they crop up, which means the Form 3+ can be a powerful and reliable tool for your workbench. You may find that there is a considerable learning curve in mastering the Form 3+, however. Indeed, it is capable of printing high-quality parts, and the Complete Package that we tested provides a full 3D printing solution (except for resin and sandpaper). Formlabs describes the Form 3+ (starts at $2,499 $4,249 as tested) as an industrial-quality desktop 3D printer, particularly good for rapid prototyping by product designers, as well as parts production. The Formlabs Form 3+ is a stereolithography (SLA) 3D printer geared to professionals. ![]()
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