We found that the clear resin produced clean, sharp details of models, with an attractive, almost glasslike quality. We didn't find much of a speed increase with the Form 2 compared to the Form 1+, though the new model is by no means a slow printer. These resin tanks have a chip inside that identifies the type to the printer, so the printer will warn you if you use the wrong type of resin for the 3D print. That's a big step up from the manual filling of the Form 1. This means you don't have to pour the resin yourself, because the printer automatically monitors the level of resin in the tray and fills it when required. These resins come in a new container, a rectangular tank that drops into the back of the printer. Missing from Formlabs' list, though, is a dyeable resin that can be made a particular color. The castable resin is particularly interesting, as it is designed for jewelers and modelers who want to cast objects in metal. That covers a wide range of uses and should satisfy most users. Print Materials: Third-party Resins Allowedįormlabs offers seven types of resins for the Form 2: Clear, Tough, White, Grey, Black, Flexible and Castable. When a print is done, you remove the whole print head so you can pry the print off. The print head is removable, locked in place by a metal latch on the top. This stops the resin from setting.Ībove the print tray is the print head, an imposing chunk of metal that attaches to the arm that lifts the print head up. This was easy to install, and the print tray comes with a lid that fits on top of the tray after you’ve removed it. Here, the print tray sits on top of the silver base, locking into the mechanism that moves it and slides the wiper across the transparent base. This hood is attached to the base by a hinge on the back, so you can lift it up and over to reveal the printing area. The plastic hood that covers the printing area is orange, to block any stray UV light from hardening the resin in the tray. A heater warms the print tray to get the resin to the right temperature for printing. The Form 2 has other under-the-hood changes, with its base now sealed to keep dust away from the laser mechanism. Each user can run the PreForm software to prepare a 3D model, send it to the printer, and then walk over and touch the screen to start printing. That feature makes it much easier for multiple people to use the same printer. That's the other big change here: The Form 2 connects to your computer over either USB or wired/wireless Ethernet. On the back of the box are the connections: power, USB and Gigabit Ethernet. During printing, the screen shows the progress of the print and an estimate of how long is left. This screen means that you can start, stop and pause prints from the printer itself, which makes controlling things much easier. Both are slightly bigger than on the Form 1+, and a color touch screen has replaced the LCD display. The Form 2 shares the same simple overall design as its predecessor, with an orange plastic hood sitting over the simple silver box that holds the laser and electronics.
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