Two new products from Formlabs today, both of which are interesting.
The first is a hardware announcement: a new resin curing unit, Form Cure (2nd Generation).
The curing unit is used to finalize the solidification that began in the 3D printer. It’s an essential step for resin 3D printers, and does take some time to complete.
The new Form Cure (2nd Generation) (Form Cure 2G?) offers a dramatic speed up. According to Formlabs:
“The new Form Cure saves 2x-8x the time versus curing with Form Cure (1st Generation). Plus, Form Cure (2nd Generation) heats to 60 °C in just 60 seconds. With Form Cure (2nd Generation), it’s possible to cure general purpose resins in just 60 seconds or engineering resins in less than 15 minutes.”
That has to be the fastest curing station on the market today. Most curing stations will require at least five, if not ten minutes to properly cure an object, particularly large objects.
That’s perhaps what’s behind this move: Formlabs has launched large format devices, the 3L and 4L, which can indeed produce very large parts. These would normally require quite a bit of cure time, but the new 2G station should notably reduce that time.
Note that this curing station is not necessarily only for Formlabs workshops. It’s basically a standalone device that could theoretically be used with any resin system. Anyone needing quick cures should consider this device.
Tough 1500 Resin V2
The other announcement is a rather interesting new resin. This resin is labelled as “tough”, much like many other 3D print materials. Typically “tough” materials are slightly stronger and can take a bit more impact force. This resin is different, however.
Tough 1500 Resin V2 is substantially stronger than normal tough resins. Formlabs explains:
“Tough 1500 Resin V2 offers 10x higher fracture toughness, 3x higher Gardner impact strength, and an elongation at break of over 150%. With this improved toughness, Tough 1500 Resin V2 now rivals the mechanical properties of polypropylene for durable parts that do not crack, fracture, or shatter, and better maintain material properties over time.”
This should provide an ability to use 3D printing for more applications, particularly those requiring strength and durability.
Note that this resin is intended for Formlabs devices, but it can also be used on other resin equipment with compatible light frequencies.
Via Formlabs
