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The Formlabs Form 2 is our summer 2019 pick for the \u201cBest Resin 3D Printer\u201d. Check out our review to find out why it was the best SLA 3D printer at this time.<\/em><\/p>\n

When it comes to 3D printing, FDM printers take all the glory; Ultimakers, Prusas, and Crealitys are talked about constantly. Their machines offer makers, hobbyists, and semi-pros great creative tools.\u00a0But FDM printers aren\u2019t the only choice when it comes to 3D printing.<\/p>\n

If you are looking for professional printers that can deliver stunning details, stereolithography (SLA) machines are the right choice. They work with resin instead of thermoplastics. As of 2018, there are cheap SLA machines targeting\u00a0hobbyist \u2013 and then there\u2019s the category of SLA 3D printers that can be found in labs, professional fabs, universities,\u00a0and engineering spaces.<\/p>\n

Formlabs holds the number 1 position for several years now. At $3,500 \/ \u20ac3,925, their flagship\u00a03D printer Form 2\u00a0doesn\u2019t come cheap. But it\u2019s a fraction of the price you would pay for a 3D Systems ProJet 6000 HD.<\/p>\n

Also for a desktop machine, the Formlabs Form 2 has a quite powerful optical engine. The 250mW violet laser is guided by custom-built galvanometers, delivering prints in impressive quality. For the purposes of this Formlabs Form 2 review, we didn\u2019t encounter a single misprint.<\/p>\n

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Formlabs Form 2 Review: Pros<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Print quality is brilliant
\nEasy to set up and maintain
\nGreat interplay of hard- and software
\nReliable and predictable results
\nGood software slicer
\nGreat user interface
\nRelatively silent operation<\/p>\n
Formlabs Form 2 Review: Cons<\/strong><\/h2>\n
No print without post-processing
\nNot faster than FFF\u00a03D printers
\nStandard support structures are very dense
\nChanging resin is easier than with the Form 1+, but still no trivial task
\nConsumables (resin and tank) and the printer are expensive<\/p>\n
Formlabs Form 2 Review: The Verdict<\/strong><\/h2>\n
If you\u2019re looking for a reliable, professional, high-quality SLA 3D printer, look no further. The Formlabs Form 2 is a workhorse that delivers stunning results.<\/p>\n
This high-class SLA 3D printer isn\u2019t aimed at the regular consumer who wants to dabble in\u00a03D printing. It\u2019s for people who have a clear use case and a budget \u2014 so we\u2019re talking about semi-professional and professional users.<\/p>\n
However, this SLA 3D printer\u00a0is an excellent machine for prototyping. The Formlabs Form 2 can be a valuable addition to an engineer\u2019s office, a dental lab or a jewelry designer \u2014 it really does turn your ideas into reality. It even can be used to manufacture (very) small batches.<\/p>\n
What makes this SLA 3D printer interesting is the consistent\u00a0quality. While FFF\u00a0printers need a constant balancing of parameters, temperatures, filaments, and extruders, the Formlabs Form 2 just delivers without you having to worry about quality. If you remember the old \u201cGet a Mac\u201d Apple Ads<\/a>\u00a0 pointing out the differences between Apple and Windows-PCs \u2014 that pretty much sums it up.<\/p>\n
But there are drawbacks, and they have to do with SLA technology itself. First of all, working with resin means you will have to do some post-processing. Formlabs offers a special post-production kit for the Form 2, which we found expensive but invaluable.<\/p>\n
Secondly, neither the printer nor the resins are a steal. For most people, the price\u00a0of $150 for a liter of resin is too high, and over the longer term\u00a0the cost of consumables will add up. Thirdly, the print dimensions are limited to 125 \u00d7 125 \u00d7 165 mm \u2014 if you are prototyping in bigger dimensions, you have to search for alternative solutions.<\/p>\n
But if you are looking for a 3D printer that just delivers with (nearly) every single print, you have found your match.<\/p>\n
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Formlabs Form 2 Review: The Long Read<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Before we dig deeper in this Formlabs Form 2<\/a> review, here\u2019s a short preamble on the differences between an SLA 3D printer and FFF\u00a03D printer.<\/p>\n
Fused Filament Fabrication\u00a0(FFF) is the most common desktop 3D printer technology. A FFF printer feeds plastic filament into a heated extruder and prints layers with the molten material. FFF\u00a03D printers are versatile machines and can use different materials. But most of them lack predictability when it comes to results.<\/p>\n
Exactly this predictability is one of the strengths of SLA 3D printers like the Formlabs Form 2. It points a high precision laser on a tray of liquid resin, which causes a thin layer to solidify. This chemical reaction allows for the creation of water-tight printed parts. The 3D printing speed is comparable to FFF\u00a0machines when comparing layer thickness and density. SLA printers are also known for printing high-detailed objects.<\/p>\n
Formlabs Form 2 Review: Unboxing and Setup<\/strong><\/h3>\nSetting up the Form 2 was a breeze. Our Formlabs Form 2 review sample came securely\u00a0packaged. We found every part nicely labeled. There\u2019s a helpful setup guide<\/a> on the Formlabs website. Even if you\u2019ve never assembled a printer before, you can do this in no time.<\/p>\n
Just put the printer on a\u00a0flat and sturdy surface (a.k.a. \u201ctable\u201d). The dimensions of the printer are 35 \u00d7 33 \u00d7 52 cm, which is big, but not huge compared to other 3D printers.<\/p>\n
Next, you open the orange cover and attach the build platform. If you are new to SLA 3D printers, you might be surprised to find that the build platform of the Formlabs Form 2 hangs upside down\u2026 that\u2018s because the object is \u201cdrawn out\u201d of the resin, so to speak.<\/p>\n
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After that, you put the resin tray in place and click in the tray wiper. The latter is an improvement over the previous generation Form 1-series. Every time a layer is finished, the print bed moves up a little. Then the wiper moves and makes sure the resin is spread equally on the tray. The result? You\u2019ll get fewer misprints.<\/p>\n
After this step, you slide the Form 2 resin tank into the printer, plug in the power cord, and start the printer. The tray is automatically filled with resin. We didn\u2019t have to do any calibration (unlike with the Form 1 and Form 1+).<\/p>\n
Last stop is adding the Formlabs Form 2 to your wireless network. As an alternative, you can use the USB- or Ethernet ports to transfer files.<\/p>\n
All in all, setting up the Formlabs Form 2 didn\u2019t take us more than 1 hour.<\/p>\n
Formlabs Form 2 Review: Available Resin Types<\/strong><\/h3>\n $\"Formlabs$ <\/a><\/p>\n
There are several resin types to choose from. The resins consist of methacrylic acid esters, photoinitiators, proprietary pigment, and other secret ingredients. If you are planning to use your own resins, you will run into problems \u2014 the cartridge system of the Formlabs Form 2 is proprietary.<\/p>\n
Formlabs offers two flavors of standard resins.\u00a0The standard resins come in clear, white, gray, and black. A liter of these \u201cbread and butter\u201d resins costs \u20ac160 \/ $150 \u2014 that\u2019s not exactly cheap.<\/p>\n
The second type of resins for the Formlabs Form 2 are functional resins. They also come in different flavors.<\/p>\n
Tough Resin is good\u00a0if you want to have more durable or resilient prototypes. The standard resin isn\u2019t strong enough for daily use. They break easily. So this is the one you should order if you\u2019re building functional parts. A 1-liter tank costs \u20ac160 \/ $175.
\nFlexible resin is bendable and compressible. You pay $199 for a liter.
\nCastable resin is made with jewelers in mind. The resin burns out without ash or residue. The price is $300.
\nDental resin is Class 1 biocompatible. It\u2019s designed to directly print surgical or pilot drill guides. If you don\u2019t have a clue what that is, you\u2019ll probably never need to\u00a0order it. Price is a whopping $399.<\/p>\n
But wait, there are other consumables! First, there\u2019s the resin tank, which \u2014 according to Formlabs \u2014 should be switched out every 2 liters of resin. A tank will cost you \u20ac66. It also comes with the wiper.<\/p>\n
You can also buy a second build platform if you want to speed up the workflow in an intensive use case scenario.<\/p>\n
Formlabs Form 2 Review: Software<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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In our Formlabs Form 2 review process, we found the interplay between the software and hardware to be the real beauty of the 3D Printer.<\/p>\n
For 3D printing, you need a software slicer to tell the 3D printer what to do. Formlabs have developed their own tool called PreForm<\/a>. As with other 3D slicers<\/a>, it lets you import STL files, which are placed on the print bed and displayed in the software. PreForm also auto-repairs broken meshes.<\/p>\n
In most cases, you don\u2019t want to 3D print your object directly on\u00a0the build plate, as you might accidentally scratch it when you try to remove it. To prevent this, Preform invites\u00a0you to add supports, which are customizable in density and strength. The support structures on the build plate\u00a0are bent slightly upwards, so you can slide a removal tool under them \u2014 that\u2019s clever!<\/p>\n
There\u2018s also a \u201cOne Click Print\u201d button, which should be sufficient for most use cases. Unless your 3D object doesn\u2019t fit the printer, you will probably not adjust\u00a0the size. It\u2019s also possible to place several objects onto the build plate and have it 3D printed in one go.<\/p>\n
The software auto-rotates the object and adds support structures where needed. If you\u2019re happy with your results, the software will calculate the layers and give you an estimate on how many layers will be printed and how much resin you\u2019ll need for it. One thing that was somewhat annoying; Preform only shows you the estimated printing time if you click on the field\u2026 this should be an easy option to add.<\/p>\n
The print is now transferred wirelessly to the 3D printer. If you\u2018re printing a highly complex and large\u00a0model, calculating and transferring can take up a few minutes.<\/p>\n
To start the print, you have to press a button on the printer itself.<\/p>\n
The Formlabs Form 2 will retain most of the 3D prints you\u2019ve already made, so you can start a new print without having to run to the computer again. It\u2019s the little things like these that make this 3D printer a joy to use.<\/p>\n
The software can also notify you by mail when the print is finished \u2014 that\u2018s a thing you\u2019d love to see as standard in many FFF 3D printers.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re designing 3D objects, you should know that the minimum supported wall thickness is 0.4 mm, and the unsupported wall thickness is 0.6 mm. A proper design guide<\/a> can be found at the Formlabs site.<\/p>\n
Formlabs Form 2 Review: Printing<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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It takes the Formlabs Form 2 considerable time to heat up the resin tray to 30 degrees Celsius \/ 95 degrees Fahrenheit. If you place the printer in a very hot or very cold environment, you might reconsider taking the printer to a more \u201cmoderate climate\u201d. When the resin is at the right temperature, the build plate lowers itself into the resin-filled tray.<\/p>\n
You can keep track of your print on the touchscreen, on your computer, or even on a smartphone. Formlabs uses\u00a0a ring in lieu of a progress bar. The outer ring shows the layers, the inner one the progress of the current layer. Also, there\u2019s a constant time estimate of remaining print time.<\/p>\n
Over the course of our Formlabs Form 2 review, we found the graphical user interface of the printer to be extremely clear, helpful, and easy to understand. We also liked the LCD touch screen \u2014 it\u2019s bright and responsive. The menu isn\u2019t overloaded with information and displays the right choices at the right time. There\u2019s only one button which is used for confirming actions and also serves as the power switch.<\/p>\n
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The build speed is comparable to FFF machines when comparing layer thickness and density. It\u2019s roughly 1-3 cm\/hour along the Z axis when printing at 100 microns. The Formlabs Form 2 can 3D print in 25, 50, and 100 microns.<\/p>\n
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Formlabs Form 2 Review: Post-Production<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Post-production is where SLA printing becomes ugly. If you\u2018re using an FFF printer, you just pluck the model\u00a0from the build plate, and you\u2019re usually ready to go. For SLA 3D printers like the Formlabs Form 2, that\u2018s not the case.<\/p>\n
As you\u2019re printing with liquid resin, you will have to remove the print from the plate, immerse\u00a0it in chemicals, then remove the supports. This can take up a\u00a0considerable amount of\u00a0time.<\/p>\n
Formlabs offers a finishing kit<\/a>, which we found extremely helpful. It consists of a rinse station with two buckets, which you partially \ufb01ll with isopropyl alcohol (IPA).<\/p>\n
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Before\u00a0you begin post-processing, you should wear protective gloves and eye protection. Avoid breathing in gas, mists, vapors or spray of resin \u2014 or any other chemicals \u2014 and wash your skin thoroughly after handling. Working with resin is considered to be relatively safe, but in some rare cases, skin irritations and allergic reactions have been reported.<\/p>\n
First, you should put on some rubber\u00a0gloves. Be careful when removing the build plate. As it\u2019s still covered with liquid resin, the \u201cgoo\u201d has a tendency to drip. Next, you need the removal tool to slide it under the \u201cquick release tabs\u201d generated by the PreForm software. With larger prints, you\u2019ll need to pry them firmly from the build platform.<\/p>\n
Next you rinse the print; drop it in the tank and leave it there for roughly 20 minutes. For smaller parts, reduce the soak time accordingly. A rinse bottle will help you clean any internal channels of your print.<\/p>\n
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Allow the (still sticky) print to dry for several hours. As a\u00a0final step, you remove the support structures with a pair of \u201cflush\u201d cutters. This can be demanding, as the Preform software has the tendency to make the supports a little stronger than needed in order to provide a good print.<\/p>\n
In our Formlabs Form 2 review process, we found that too many supports can leave\u00a0ugly dots on your final print \u2014 if you want perfect results, you\u2019ll have to experiment with the support structure settings and also clean them after removing the support. Also, we found it quite hard to remove supports that lie in the inner structures of a delicate print.<\/p>\n
You could even break some delicate pieces from your print, as we did in this example.<\/p>\n
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You can then finish your prints by spraying them with acrylic paint, or post-cure them in UV lightboxes. Formlabs provide good support information<\/a>\u00a0on priming prints.<\/p>\n
Formlabs Form 2 Review: Wrapping up<\/strong><\/h2>\n
As we\u2019ve stated several times in our\u00a0Formlabs Form 2 review \u2014 this is a stunning machine! We were very impressed with the quality of results this SLA 3D printer delivered, and it did it\u00a0constantly.<\/p>\n
There are some challengers to their crown. If you consult this list of competitors<\/a>, you\u2019ll find that most rival machines start at $5000 \u2014 so for small budgets, the Formlabs Form 2 stays \u201cbest in class.\u201d The cheapest alternative we can recommend is the Peopoly Moai<\/a>, which just costs a third, but offers a more bumpy workflow.<\/p>\n
If you just want to print out high detail models only occasionally, you might be better off ordering from a 3D printing service<\/a>. The costs of\u00a0the consumables (trays, resin) for the Formlabs Form 2 add up and will dent a hole in a non-professional budget.<\/p>\n
But if you are looking for a reliable, professional, high-quality SLA 3D printer you can use on a daily basis, then look no further. The Formlabs Form 2 is a premium printer\u00a0that delivers stunning results.<\/p>\n
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The post Formlabs Form 2 Review: Great Resin 3D Printer<\/a> appeared first on All3DP<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\nSource: all3d
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