Easy-To-Use Desktop 3D Printer Can Produce Life-Saving Medical Materials Quickly
Formlabs is a firm known for developing 3D printers and software that can produce items usable in the medical and engineering fields, among others.
At this year’s CES event, the company announced a duo of new and improved printers, the Form 3+ and 3B+, which are said to boast vast improvements from its 2019 models in terms of speed and power. And, they are so compact that they can fit on top of a desk, to be used by anyone.
The devices run on the company’s proprietary Low Force Stereolithography (LFS) technology, which utilizes a flexible resin tank to “significantly reduce peel forces during printing,” as well as a Light Processing Unit (LPU), a laser system that assists printing. Together, these produce “consistent, accurate prints” with great detail and finish.
Some uses for the Form 3+ include rapid prototyping, manufacturing aid, and model making. Think a bike yoke, or chess rook.
But the 3B+ has more potential for handling medical and dental devices, capable of printing things like customized anatomical models and surgical instruments, or surgical planning models for diagnostic use.
A few examples of potential products include an implantology model, splenic artery, or the skeletal structure of a foot.
The capacity to quickly produce detailed and accurate parts in a matter of hours could have life-saving implications, especially in the field of surgery.
When compared to the previous Form 3 and 3B models, the new printers reportedly print up to 40% faster. This, the company claims, makes the products better as well—the less time is spent going from “ideation to finished part,” the more time can be spent on bettering its design.
Additionally, the 3+ and 3B+ will come with lasers of higher intensity for the resin curing process. The LPU’s laser system moves below the resin tank and delivers a consistently perpendicular laser path to the print plane, working alongside a plethora of mirrors to ensure “a consistently perpendicular, round laser spot no matter where on the print bed the laser is aiming.”
In a press release, Formlabs co-founder and CEO Max Lobovsky states that the “adoption of 3D printing relies on the technology’s ability to be easy to use and fast.”
“Every piece of hardware we create is held to that standard to ensure anyone can walk up to a printer and start creating,” he continues.
We are excited to announce 3 new products at #CES2022 this week.
— Formlabs (@formlabs) January 4, 2022
1ï¸âƒ£ Form 3+/Form 3B+
2ï¸âƒ£ Build Platform 2
Full announcement: https://t.co/ZN8IvVIx35
3ï¸âƒ£ ESD Resin: https://t.co/MBhE3xPcOK pic.twitter.com/czczQuYxLh
[via TechCrunch and TCT Magazine, images via Formlabs]
