Introduction and design
FormLabs is established as the leading manufacturer of Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printers. SLA printers use a resin rather than a filament that hardens when exposed to ultraviolet light.
Although the technology of the SLA printers is quite different to that used by fused filament modelling (FFM) printers, the basic principle – building layer upon layer to create the print – is the same.
At £3,120 (around $4,580, or AU$6,350), the Form 2’s price is at the top-end of the consumer market and the basic cost is almost double that of the high-end FFM printers such as the Ultimaker 2.
The design differences between an SLA and FFM printer are instantly obvious. The main build platform of an SLA printer is suspended over a resin tank so as the print is mapped out by the laser, the print is built bottom-down rather than bottom-up as with an FFM.
The whole process looks futuristic, as layer upon layer is being mapped by the laser and the laser’s path is set in the resin. As the print progresses and the build plate slowly lifts the print slowly emerges from the resin.
Unlike FFM printers that …read more
Source:: techradar.com – PC and Mac
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