Boston Micro Fabrication (BMF), a company that sells 3D printer co-founded in 2016, specializes in the field of micro-precision 3D printing. BMF has developed a new method of DLP 3D printing called PμSL (Projection Micro-Stereolithography), which can produce light-weighted parts with high resolution and high precision, targeted to pioneer microscale 3D prints for industrial short-run use.
The 3D printers microArch P130 and S130 launched by BMF have reached an exposure resolution of 2μm and XY resolution of 2μm~10μm, and the layer thickness is controlled in 5μm~20μm. They have become promising competitors against injection molding and CNC machining in industries like electrical connectors, tiny medical devices, lab on a chip, and tiny electronics packaging. The cost of starting a complex molding can be over $200,000, in contrast, the investment in 3D printers is quite acceptable.
Their CEO John Kawola believes the next frontier of high-end additive manufacturing is producing tiny and accurate parts. “We’re seeing a convergence of major trends as the lines between additive manufacturing and miniaturization begin to dissolve. There’s no question that additive manufacturing starts to lose its appeal as parts get smaller. Challenges with precision and accuracy have stymied innovation for engineers and manufacturers looking to develop small, high-resolution parts. That’s all about to change with the introduction of MicroArch.”