Formlabs’ Form 4L, 4BL Designed for Reliable, High-Speed SLA 3D Printing

Formlabs offers the high speeds of its Form 4 3D printer in a larger format with the Form 4L and the Form 4BL biocompatible version to enable speed, reliability and print quality at any scale — from prototyping to production. The Form 4 is designed to deliver most parts in less than two hours, enabling users to bring their ideas to life at fast speeds with excellent reliability, print quality and ease of use.

Built on the company’s Low Force Display (LFD) print engine, Form 4 is said to offer reliability with a 99% print success rate compared to other stereolithography (SLA) 3D printers. With a build volume nearly 5 times the size of the Form 4, it is said Form 4L users can solve bigger problems and print smaller parts at a high volume.

Form 4L features:

• Fast Print Speeds: System creates larger prints in under six hours, at up to 80 mm/hr. printing speeds
• Large Parts: It offers nearly five times larger build volume than the Form 4.
• High Volume: Form 4L’s scale and speed enable users to print thousands of small parts per day at a low cost. 
• Low Waste: New cartridge design reduces plastic waste by 63% and delivers faster resin dispensing. 
• Diverse Materials: Compatible with more than 23 materials, offering durable, rigid, biocompatible, flame-retardant and more application-specific properties. 
• Useful Accessories: Resin Mixer, Resin Tank, Build Platform, Resin Pumping System and Finish Kit, and Form Wash L for postprocessing complete the ecosystem.

“We believe in driving innovation forward by providing the freedom and flexibility users need to bring their ideas to life,” says Dávid Lakatos, Formlabs CPO. “Form 4L will enable users to solve bigger problems and bring big ideas to life at lightning-fast speeds, regardless of scale or complexity.” 

Developer Platform

Formlabs has also opened up its Developer Platform to give users more control and flexibility. To complement the company’s library of materials, Formlabs offers its latest software, integration options and materials to enable users to transform how they bring ideas to life. With the Developer Platform, users have new freedom and flexibility to tap into almost any material. 

With the Developer Platform, Formlabs introduces new software and material pricing, including:

• Open Material Mode (OMM) – Use any material you want with a license, no restrictions
• Print Settings Editor (PSE) – Adjust print settings for maximum performance, free with every machine
• API & Integrations – Work the way you want, connect any software that you use to get a print started
• Lowered material pricing – $79 general purpose materials enables an even broader range of applications
• Bulk pricing for production – Bulk material pricing for SLA resin and SLS powders, and Resin Pumping System are desigend to make high-quality 3D printing more affordable and scalable.

“Formlabs started with a clear mission to make professional 3D printing more accessible, and opening our platform is the beginning of a new chapter for Formlabs, where we enable users to help make 3D printing better for everybody,” says Max Lobovsky, Formlabs co-founder and CEO. “Developer Platform represents a transformation for our entire platform that will unlock the benefits of user control and unique properties of third-party SLS and SLA materials. This shift will break down barriers, welcoming innovators at every level to explore endless new possibilities and bring their ideas to life.”

SLS Powders

Formlabs also offers its latest advanced SLS materials — Nylon 12 White Powder and Nylon 12 Tough Powder — to expand end-use part applications and enable users to take on even more demanding projects. 

• Nylon 12 White Powder has versatile and biocompatible material properties in a formulation that produces high contrast and customizable white parts
• Nylon 12 Tough Powder has a best-in-class refresh rate among Formlabs’ nylons combined with excellent ductility and dimensional accuracy making it well suited for producing highly resistant parts with reduced warpage.

PreForm Features

The company’s PreForm software comes with user-requested features for job and model preparation, including:

• Shareable Print Settings to unlock collaboration so users can share and apply fine-tuned print settings as FPS files.
• Job and Model Preparation features for faster and more reliable prototyping. Users can create model hollowing, Drain holes, Part texturing, Part labeling and Part cages

With these latest solutions, the company says it aims to empower users with more scale, throughput, affordability, performance  and control.