Formlabs has introduced the Automation Ecosystem to enable new levels of 3D printing productivity with Form Auto for back-to-back throughput, Fleet Control for advanced fleet management, and the High Volume Resin System for high-capacity printing.
The Automation Ecosystem should reduce the amount of operator labour and minimise idle printer time with 24/7 printing to allow users to efficiently produce end-use parts, prototypes, and customisable products at a lower cost-per-part.
Formlabs is launching the Automation Ecosystem at CES 2023, where attendees will have the opportunity to check out firsthand the new system’s ability to produce back-to-back prints non-stop without an operator.
Formlabs’ effort to make 3D printing affordable and accessible aims to enable companies in dental, manufacturing, consumer products, automotive, aerospace, medical, and product design to innovate new product designs, test prototypes, manufacture purpose-built tools, and customise products.
The Automation Ecosystem aims to lead a new wave of innovation by enabling expansion from one Form 3+ or Form 3B+ 3D printer to a scalable fleet of 3D printers easily.
As users scale their 3D printing production from one to multiple printers, the Automation Ecosystem should make the transition easy without adding management complexity.
With the ability to manage multi-user, multi-material printer fleets, the Automation Ecosystem looks to enable continuous production so users can send multiple prints to run overnight and into the weekend.
Together with Formlabs 3D printers, the Ecosystem should provide a three-time increase in productivity while saving up to 80% on labour, lowering cost per part by 40%, and reducing packaging waste by up to 96%.
Formlabs Automation Ecosystem includes Form Automation which should enable automated 24/7 printing with automatic part removal so users can level up production and reduce labour; Fleet Control which should simplify advanced 3D printer fleet management, optimising workflows to maximise fleet productivity, and the High Volume Resin System, which promises to increase resin capacity to five litres, five times the standard cartridge size, enabling users to create more parts with fewer interruptions for cartridge replacements.
This system looks to streamline workflows by providing users with consistent resin dispensing with a Resin Pump while reducing downtime and user intervention to change cartridges, as well as packaging waste.
This new system should be compatible with Form 3+, Form 3B+, Form 3L and Form 3BL.
“The Formlabs Automation Ecosystem is 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,” said Formlabs chief product officer Dávid Lakatos.
“These solutions will enable companies such as dental labs, service bureaus, and internal job shops to ramp up production without increasing labour requirements, or expensive capital investment, making 3D printing for production more cost-effective,” he went on.
“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.”
