Formlabs launches mass production tool for automated 3D printer fleets

Formlabs introduced its Automation Ecosystem this week, allowing manufacturers to easily expand from a single 3D printer to a scalable fleet.

Formlabs said its new offering provides a three-time increase in productivity 80% labor savings, per-part-cost savings of 40% and packaging waste reduction of up to 96%. Users can send multiple prints for continuous runs overnight and into the weekend.

The Formlabs Automation Ecosystem includes:

• Form Auto, which Formlabs said enables automated 24/7 printing with automatic part removal so users can level up production and reduce labor. When parts are complete, Form Auto removes finished parts and starts the next print in the queue. The hardware extension works with Form 3 and Form 3+ 3D printers.
• Fleet Control, which Formlabs said simplifies advanced 3D printer fleet management and optimizes workflows to maximize fleet productivity. The suite of new features in Formlabs’ Dashboard and PreForm software includes centralized queue management and automatic printer assignment to optimize production, performance and printer efficiency with Form 3+, Form 3B+, Form 3L, and Form 3BL printer fleets.
• High Volume Resin System, which Formlabs said increases resin capacity to five times the standard 1L cartridge size, enabling users to create more parts with fewer cartridge replacement interruptions. This system streamlines workflows, with consistent resin dispensing with a resin pump while reducing downtime and user intervention to change cartridges, as well as packaging waste. This is compatible with the Form 3+, Form 3B+. Form 3L and Form 3BL.

Formlabs Chief Product Officer Dávid Lakatos called the Formlabs Automation Ecosystem “a seamless solution for ramping up production with 3D printer fleets, staying true to the ease of use of all Formlabs products, so anyone can make anything.”

“These solutions will enable companies such as dental labs, service bureaus, and internal job shops to ramp up production without increasing labor requirements, or expensive capital investment, making 3D printing for production more cost-effective,” he said in a news release. “Formlabs users have recently achieved a major milestone, with more than 100 million parts printed on our 3D printers, and by adding this ecosystem, Formlabs is increasing the capacity so users can deliver further 3D printing innovation.”