At under $5K, the new Form 4 from Formlabs aims to set a new benchmark in resin 3D printing accessibility for professionals. You can see it live in action at the Rapid + TCT show, booth 1829, in Los Angeles, June 25-27.
Undeniably one of the most reliable and affordable makers of professional-level resin 3D printers for prototypes and production parts, Formlabs today released a new machine that’s a significant shift in technology, boosting speed and overall productivity.
US-based Formlabs’ fourth-generation desktop resin 3D printer, Form 4, does not rely on laser-based stereolithography (SLA) like all of its previous resin 3D printers. The Form 4 is LCD (liquid-crystal display), also known as masked stereolithography (mSLA).
Instead of a laser tracing out each layer point-by-point, the Form 4 features an array of LED lights shining through an LCD screen to cure an entire layer of resin at once. Why the shift in technology? Speed.
Form 4’s vastly improved print time, which the company says is up to 5 times faster than Form 3+ depending on the material, wasn’t possible on a single-laser SLA.
Formlabs has sold more than 130,000 3D printers since it launched the Form 1 in 2012, making it one of the best-selling professional 3D printer makers. Widely adopted by product design firms for prototypes, Formlabs’ machines have successfully expanded to the medical and dental market as well as low-volume production of end-use parts for automotive, light-manufacturing, and consumer products.
Form 4 Tech Specs & Price
- Technology: LCD (Formlabs is calling its take on LCD “Low Force Display, LFD”)
- Build Volume: 200 x 125 x 210 mm
- Layer thickness (Z resolution): 25 – 300 microns
- XY resolution: 50 microns
- Print Speed: up to 100 mm / hour
- Camera: Built-in
- Materials: 23 validated, optional license for open material platform
- Price: The Form 4: $4,500, Form 4B: $6,300
- Shipping: May 1, 2024
For more on everything happening at Rapid + TCT, including new product launches and events, visit the All3DP Rapid + TCT Special Coverage.
License: The text of "Formlabs at Rapid + TCT: See the New Form 4 in Action" by All3DP Pro is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.