Formlabs Unlocks Its SLA, SLS 3D Printers with New "Developer Platform" — and Unveils the Form 4L - Hackster.io

3D-printing specialist Formlabs has announced what it claims as "the fastest large-format SLA 3D printer in the world," the Form 4L — and a new "Developer Platform," which lets users adjust previously-locked print settings and unlocks an "Open Material Mode" for printing with third-party materials.

"Formlabs started with a clear mission to make professional 3D printing more accessible, and opening our platform is the beginning of a new chapter for Formlabs, where we enable users to help make 3D printing better for everybody," claims Formlabs co-founder and chief executive Max Lobovsky of the company's latest move. "Developer Platform represents a transformation for our entire platform that will unlock the benefits of user control and unique properties of third-party SLS [Selective Laser Sintering] and SLA [Stereolithographic] materials. This shift will break down barriers, welcoming innovators at every level to explore endless new possibilities and bring their ideas to life."

The "Developer Platform" is designed to address a common complaint about Formlab's ecosystem: the fact it's locked-down, requiring first-party materials and offering only limited settings adjustments in order to deliver a one-size-fits-all approach to 3D printing. In an admission that one size doesn't always fit all, the company's new offering begins with the Print Settings Editor — available for free to anyone with a Form 3 or Form 4 series SLA or Fuse 1/1+ 30W SLS printer. In addition to providing fine-grained control over all settings, the editor allows settings to be exported for use by others with compatible printers.

The new platform also brings "Open Material Mode," which allows printers to use "any 405nm photopolymer resin or 1064nm powder" rather than being restricted to Formlabs' own materials — though this comes at a cost: owners of Form 3 printers will have to pay $1,999 for a lifetime license, which increases by $500 for a Form 4, $2,000 for the large-format Form 3L, $3,000 for the new Form 4L, and a whopping $9,900 for the Fuse 1 family of SLS printers.

That new Form 4L is Formlabs' second announcement of the week: a variant of the Form 4 series of SLA printers with a larger print volume, around 4.6 times that of the Form 4L. Using the company's Low Force Display (LFD) print engine, Formlabs claims the Form 4L can print large-scale parts at 80mm per hour, boasts a new cartridge design that reduces plastic waste by over 60 percent, and comes in biocompatible variants dubbed the Form 4BL Dental and Medical.

The Form 4L is now available to buy from Formlabs directly, starting at $9,999; more information on the Developer Platform can be found on its dedicated landing page.