With a low profile newsletter mailing and a video update on the company’s website, Formlabs has finally released the Formlabs Fuse1 benchtop SLS 3D printer for general commercial availability. Originally presented in 2017, the system’s launch was delayed by a number of events, including the latest COVD-19 pandemic but it now appears ready to enter the market for affordable, benchtop SLS technology, currently dominated by Sinterit.
The Fuse1 3D printer’s price will be starting from $18,499, with the complete setup starting from $31,845. It will come with Formlabs PreForm print preparation software (free to download and try) to import STL or OBJ part files, orient and arrange models, estimate print times, monitor your printers, and upload job files. PreForm’s part packing algorithms can automatically arrange many models in a build.
Manufacturing on Demand
During setup and printing, an intuitive Touch UI walks the user through every step. The touchscreen displays a live stream of the print bed so the user can watch each new layer take shape. This camera view is also available from the PreForm software so users can monitor prints without leaving the desk, also tracking printers, teams, and supplies via the cloud-based Dashboard.
You might also like:
The importance of a broad SLS powder range: Looking specifically at selective laser sintering (SLS), the technology was initially associated with a wide range of materials, as well as high-accuracy prints and the ability to produce complex geometries without supports. This was when SLS was a highly exclusive process—largely because of its high cost and industrial nature. However, this started to change in 2014, when the SLS patent expired and companies, such as Sinterit, entered the market with more affordable benchtop systems. These new systems, while over ten times cheaper compared to industrial SLS printers, did not have the same degree of material compatibility. But why?
* This article is reprinted from 3D Printing Media Network. If you are involved in infringement, please contact us to delete it.
Author: Davide Sher
Leave A Comment