Formlabs has launched a second technology curing system and Powerful 1500 Resin geared toward levelling up 3D printing with injection moulding.
The 3D printing firm says its up to date Kind Remedy is ready to post-cure components printed from common objective resins in 60 seconds – or below quarter-hour for engineering-grade resins – making it as much as eight occasions quicker than the primary technology Kind Remedy when utilized in tandem with its newest Kind 4 Sequence desktop stereolithography techniques. It might probably additionally warmth to 60°C in simply 60 seconds. In keeping with early person suggestions, the velocity of the brand new curing system is permitting customers working in excessive print volumes to course of extra components utilizing fewer curing stations.
Powerful 1500 Resin, launched alongside, is a practical resin mentioned to rival the mechanical properties of injection moulded plastics like polypropylene for purposes like rugged enclosures with practical parts like self-tapping screw bosses and snap suits, and affect resistant jigs and fixtures. In a press launch, Formlabs mentioned this model 2 Powerful 1500 Resin offers 10x larger fracture toughness, 3x larger Gardner affect energy in comparison with model 1, and an elongation at break of over 150%, leading to excessive resistance to fractures, impacts, and shattering.
“For 3D printing to compete with injection moulding it must take a large step by way of materials properties,” mentioned Formlabs CEO and co-founder Max Lobovsky. “With our new Powerful 1500 Resin, we’ve got made a large step change that brings us considerably nearer to having 3D printed components compete with injection moulded components by way of toughness and longevity, however with way more design freedom and manufacturing flexibility.”
Formlabs has additionally launched a few new options to its on-line print administration platform Dashboard, together with a new ‘Group Queues’ function for automated print project, and ‘Cloud Slicing’ for quicker processing. The corporate has additionally introduced a number of updates to its PreForm software program together with an ‘Add to a Working Job’ operate for its selective laser sintering expertise, which permits components to be added to an in-progress print job; a mannequin grouping choice to simplify the administration of a number of components; ‘Bulk Mannequin Import’ to enhance organisation and effectivity in excessive quantity amenities akin to dental labs and repair bureaus; and 7 language choices in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, and Chinese language.
These newest updates are mentioned to all be geared in direction of Formlabs’ – and the broader polymer 3D printing business’s – ambitions for 3D printing to compete with the holy grail of injection moulding. The launch of its Kind 4 and bigger Kind 4L printers final yr have been described by TCT Corridor of Famer Lobovsky as a “large leap not just for Formlabs … but additionally for the complete 3D printing world” resulting from velocity and value per half enhancements, boosted by a new proprietary Low Drive Show (LFD) print engine. These {hardware} and supplies additions are thought to make SLA 3D printing a extra aggressive possibility for end-use manufacturing purposes, the place injection moulding has lengthy been the go-to manufacturing course of, however enhanced by 3D printing’s distinctive benefits akin to flexibility of design and mass customisation, tool-less manufacturing and time compression.
In a keynote presentation unveiling Kind Remedy and Powerful 1500 Resin, Lobovsky suggests robust inflexible plastics are one of many greatest areas the place 3D printing wants to enhance with a purpose to absolutely compete with injection moulding. As you’ll be able to see within the video beneath, which places Powerful 1500 Resin V2 via its paces in a collection of checks, even when blasted via a blender, components printed in Powerful 1500 Resin V2 stay largely in tact in comparison with model 1 and PLA.
