Jun 11, 2014
Formlabs, an MIT Media Labs spin-out and the creator of Form 1 SLA 3D printer, has announced the Form 1+ on Tuesday.
The Form 1 3D printer were launched on Kickstarter in 2012, and pulled in nearly $3 million in crowdfunding. Later it has also closed a $19 million Series A, led by DFJ Growth. After over a year of successful printer sales, Formlabs has now launched its newest printer, the Form 1+, hoping to become one of the key players in desktop 3D printing.
"The Form 1+ incorporates everything that we've learned in the past year," said Ian Ferguson, Lead Engineer at Formlabs. "We've given every part of the machine another look, updating it for better performance and reliability: a new laser, a new control system, and upgraded precision and quality for dozens of components."
The Form 1+ has a second-generation laser system that is four times more powerful than its predecessor, allowing it to print up to 50% faster. It also has a redesigned galvanometer control system, so it produces models with finer detail and a smoother surface finish. Numerous other components have been overhauled to provide a more reliable printing experience.
A reinforced peel motor assembly and an all-new light-blocking injection-molded resin tank – allowing resin to be easily stored — ensure repeatable, dependable prints, and better materials care. Along with these improvements.
The machines' price remains the same $3,299 (€2,799), available directly from formlabs' online store. Formlabs is also offering a 1 year warranty, at no extra cost.
Along with the new printer, Formlabs has also made several announcement:
Factory Upgrade Program
Owners of the original Form 1 will have the opportunity to participate in a factory upgrade program that will bring their printer to Form 1+ specifications and grant them a new 1-year warranty. The Form 1+ Upgrade is available for $749 (€599).
Black Resin Released
Formlabs also announced the release of a new material. Black resin joins White, Clear, and Grey in the company's growing materials library. Michal Firstenberg, a Formlabs Materials Scientist, said, "Our black resin captures details amazingly well, and has a beautiful finish and rich color. We're excited to see what people will make." The resin is available for $149 (€125) per liter.
New Website & Software
Formlabs also updated its software, PreForm 1.5. The software introduces manual support controls, a much-requested feature. Formlabs also rolled-out a revamped, internationalized web store, website, and support center, to offer better service to customers.
Expansion to Europe
Formlabs is also announcing an expanded European presence on Tuesday. The Boston-based company now offers EU-based sales, shipping and servicing, dramatically reducing the shipping costs and servicing time that international customers experience. "This is the first stage of greater expansion to come," said Luke Winston, Operations Lead at Formlabs. The Form 1+ printer is available for €2,799 and the first of the Form 1+s will ship in Europe starting in July.
Formlabs has partnered with UK-based Express Group to sell and service Formlabs' desktop stereolithographic 3D printing technology to the European market. Express Group has operated for three decades in sales, distribution, maintenance and logistics in Europe, and has offices in France, Belgium, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Greece.
Check out the video below the introduction of the Form 1+ SLA 3D printer and images of 3D prints made on Form 1+.
Posted in 3D Printers
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Bill, these photopolymers are acrylates, so they will be brittle. All the photopolymers for Form1, B9, mUVe, etc. that I've seen are acrylic based. I can't think of anything in that price class that can give strong, high-detailed parts, FFF printers don't seem to be able to do nearly the fine detail as these "budget" stereo-lithography machines. Maybe 10x the price.
Bill wrote at 6/12/2014 6:33:16 PM:
Thats good to hear. I owned a first gen machine sold it after returning it twice because it would not cure the parts. Looks like the design problem was an underpowered laser. Should be an awesome machine now for small non-functional parts. Their resin cures to be a bit on the brittle side.
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