Formlabs, a leading manufacturer of SLA 3D printers, has launched a significant innovation for the new year. It will increase the productivity and quality of its Form 3/B/+ printers SLA3D. Formlabs Automation Ecosystem, which includes Form Auto hardware attachment, Fleet Control software suite, and a High Volume Resin System, is an integrated solution. It reduces or eliminates downtime and lowers cost per part. This allows for more production applications.
Form Auto is a hardware addition for the Form 3/3/B/+ printers. This allows for automatic removal of Build Platform 2 parts and initiates the next print without the operator having to interact. You can purchase it separately or as part of a package that includes a new printer for existing and new customers. PreForm and Dashboard now offer Fleet Control, a suite that allows for easier management of multiple 3D printing machines. It includes centralized queue management and automatic printer assignment. The High Volume Resin System, a 5L Resin Bag/Resin Pump, increases the standard resin capacity on a Formlabs SLA Printer, reduces waste and minimizes cartridge handling.
These products can be combined to create the Automation Ecosystem for multiple printers, or one-off units. You can also use them separately for your own customized workflow. In the company’s vision, the Form Auto, Fleet Control, and the High Volume Resin System will allow users to minimize the headaches that come with higher throughput.
Case study: Spectra
The Formlabs Automation Ecosystem can produce high-quality parts at a very low cost. Formlabs Manufacturing Service Bureau has over 180 SLA/SLS printers that are available around the clock. This is to show the efficiency of the system. One operator manages 140 Form 3 Series 3D printers. They produce around 440 parts daily. A second operator oversees all Form Washes.
The print farm has high goals to meet and must remain agile and lean in case of new orders. This includes the production of new materials, large production orders like Formlabs 2020’s emergency swab production workflow Formlabs or any other external requests. Efficiency and productivity are crucial as there is only one person managing such a large printer bank. The team has been running beta units of Form Auto and testing Fleet Control since July 2020, and Print Farm manager Chris Pauwels says, “They are a huge help — it sort of replaces five printers, because you don’t have to clean anything, scrape the parts off, or wash one platform at a time because we’re washing in large batches.”
The Formlabs Automation Ecosystem aims to reduce the number of interactions needed to keep the printers continuously running, thus freeing up the operators’ time for higher-level tasks, or simply continuing productivity overnight and eliminating the need for more staff. “It’s a big time saver, and the only interaction the print operator has is removing the basket in the morning. All I have to do is make sure jobs are always loading through Fleet Control, which I can do from home or my office,” says Pauwels.
Fleet Control has eliminated miscommunications between management and operators. “It’s been helpful in getting rid of miscommunication and the printers are managed more effectively because we don’t have to spend any time thinking or discussing which file should go to which printer. It’s also helpful for file control, being able to duplicate jobs directly from Fleet Control,” says Pauwels.
Formulate Auto
Formlabs Automation Ecosystem uses Form Auto hardware to attach to any Form 3/3B/+ printer. The Quick-Release Technology, which is patented by the Build Platform 2, removes the parts from the printer, separates them from the platform and places them in a bin for Form Wash. The platform is automatically reinstalled, and the next print is ready to go. An onboard camera records the releasing action so users can monitor their production from another room, another building or another location.
The Form Auto hardware attachment will raise your orange printer cover, take out the parts from Build Platform 2 and then detach them into the bucket.
Automation is often associated to large, costly robotic structures, complex protocols, and inaccessible pricing. With Form Auto, hands-free, 24/7 printing is not only possible, it’s affordable, and can be added to any existing Form 3/B/+ printer. Form Auto takes up little extra space and allows for anyone to produce large quantities while still being able to dedicate their time to more important tasks.
Customers who are concerned about internet privacy, sensitive IP protection and sharing protocols can still use Form Auto. This supports non-cloud printing operations. Form Auto can be used to print large volumes without the need for the internet when it is in Local Mode.
Users can manage the process from elsewhere in the building or from home, meaning that production doesn’t have to stop when you leave work — Form Auto can continue printing models, helping you to scale your production without scaling your workforce or hours. Form Auto, Fleet Control, and Build Platform 2 make part removal easy and quick.
Fleet Control
Fleet Control is part of Formlabs Automation Ecosystem. This suite of advanced features includes PreForm, the printer preparation software, and Dashboard the online printer- and consumables manager tool. These tools allow for the central management of multiple Form 3 Generation printing machines and user groups.
This software makes it easy to manage and monitor Form 3 Generation printer fleets. It identifies which printer is best for each job and creates a continuous moving queue across all printers. Dashboard’s Fleet Control extension allows users to view, edit, and duplicate or reprint jobs.
These features can all be accessed remotely, so that queue management can occur after work hours, at home, or anywhere else. Operators can monitor the fleet of printers remotely and ensure its smooth operation.
These features dramatically reduce the time managers spend manually assessing consumables and identifying suitable printers for each job. The queue can then be updated and new jobs sent as printers become available. By automating print to printer assignments and managing the queue, operators can now spend less time doing manual oversight and save hours each day.
In addition to reducing labor time, Fleet Control’s automatic printer assignment also minimizes the wear and tear on units resulting from unnecessarily frequent consumable switching. In the past, the queue was manually created so that each job would get the next printer. This often meant that consumables had to be replaced. Fleet Control optimizes the queue so print jobs from the same material are placed together and consumables are only changed when needed.
Learn more about Fleet Control
High Volume Resin Systems
Continuous production can only be achieved if there is enough material. In the Formlabs Automation Ecosystem, Formlabs’ new High Volume Resin System ensures that printers will never run out of material while operators are away from the job. Operators will be notified by Fleet Control and Dashboard when consumables are nearing the end of their life so that they can change resins before going to bed at night. High Volume Resin System packs five Liters of material into one vessel. This allows for multiple print jobs, and allows for days of productivity. A Resin Pump is available to help with efficient dispensing.
High Volume Resin System reduces packaging by up to 90+%. It also requires less space for storage. The System’s price is discounted so that users with predictable production volumes can plan ahead, and cut down on ongoing material costs. Automation doesn’t have to be massively expensive, and Formlabs wants to continue supporting customers who rely on Form 3/B/+ for their means of production. Formlabs has another way of lowering barriers to automation with the High Volume Resin system.
Formlabs Automation Ecosystem – Reduce costs and time
Formlabs Automation Ecosystem reduces labor time and gives printer operators more flexibility. It also streamlines 3D printing workflows so they can spend their time on tasks that no one else can. Owners can lower the cost per part by automating part removal, queue management and printer preparation tasks. This is a critical element of any AM-based production strategy. Businesses can use 3D printing to produce, which allows them to provide greater value to customers.
3D printing can be used by businesses to increase production, control their supply chain and digitize their processes. Automation makes 3D printing easier and more efficient. Form Auto and Fleet Control work together to lower costs and improve productivity.