Formlabs showed off its second generation of high-resolution desktop printers today at CE Week in New York City. The Form 1+, first released a few months ago, is being touted as a significant upgrade from their original model, the Form 1, with a faster printing speed and a longer extended warranty.
"It's a much more robust model," sales specialist Kevin Gautier told Tech Times at the CE Week Formlabs booth, "which is able to print with high-performance resins."
The SLA 3D printer works like this: a high-precision optical system runs a laser across a tank of liquid resin and solidifies the compound, while a build platform raises the model out of the tank.
The Form 1+ utilizes stereolithography (SLA) technology as opposed to fused deposit modeling (FDM) -- otherwise known as plastic extrusion -- to create models. SLA printers tend to be more precise in detailing their end products, but FDM printers are usually cheaper, and therefore easier to purchase. However, Formlabs is attempting to edge out the competition: the company boasts that their model is the most affordable SLA printer to date. The printer can be set up and start printing in as little as fifteen minutes.
Also announced on June 23rd was Formlabs' Tough Resin, already being lauded for its durability, with properties comparable to ABS plastic. It's also "ideal for snap-fit joints and other rugged prototypes," according to the Formlabs website.
You can order the Form 1+, Tough Resin, and other Formlabs products here.
[Update 7-29-15: This story has been corrected to reflect the fact that the Form 1+ printer was unveiled prior to last week's event.]
