Formlabs 3L comes to Morrison Tech
We would like to introduce you to the latest addition to our prototyping equipment, the Formlabs 3L. Morrison Tech is one of the first in the United States to house such a printer. This partnership with Formlabs will keep us on the leading edge of 3D Printing technology,
The addition of three Formlabs Form 2 printers 6 years ago allowed the college to offer more hands-on experiences with the latest technology to our students, and better prototyping capabilities to area industry. These (SLA) Stereolithography printers use liquid resin instead of plastic filament. This allows for increased print quality and flexibility. With these printers Morrison Tech could create functional prototypes in materials used for manufacturing. This allows performance testing in the prototype phase.
The new Formlabs 3L printer has been re-engineered for LFS; Low Force Stereolithography. The Formlabs 3L is built on new Low Force Stereolithography (LFS) 3D printing technology, an advanced form of stereolithography that leverages a flexible tank and linear illumination to offer a huge leap forward in print quality and printer reliability. The Low Force Stereolithography technology that powers the Form 3 was developed specifically to drastically reduce peel forces for significant increases in print quality and printer reliability. One key improvement is the flexible film at the base of the tank, which allows for a softer peel between layers during printing.
This decrease in peel forces brings several key benefits:
- Improved surface quality, with less visible layer lines and decreased surface roughness for incredible smooth surface finish and clarity even at 100 microns.
- Light-touch support structures with smaller touchpoints that easily tear away from the part for faster cleanup and finishing.
- Better print success across all materials, most noticeably for materials with high viscosity and low green strength. While we will continue to release materials that are compatible with both printers, some future material releases will only be compatible with Form 3.
Another benefit of the new printer is its size. The Formlabs 3L is large enough to print human-scale models. This allows the college to bring large scale fabrication in-house using LFS technology. This exciting upgrade will enable Morrison Tech to provide even more experiences to students and even greater resources to area industry. We thank our Formlabs partners for their dedication to innovation and excellence in 3D printing technologies.