Formlabs has announced two new devices, Form Wash and Form Cure, to complement the Form 2 SLA 3D printers. These offer automated washing and post-curing, which should help bring materials printed on the Formlabs’ printers to maximum mechanical properties.
Users can load the Form 2’s build platform or 3D printed parts directly into Form Wash and leave it to clean the parts. It works by agitating parts in isopropyl alcohol (IPA). It includes a storage area to keep finishing tools tidy and a hydrometer to warn when it’s time to change out the IPA.
Form Cure uses 405 nm light together with a heating system to ensure that the parts are thoroughly cured. Formlabs says that this will improve the performance of all of its materials, essentially making the standard resins stronger and allowing the castable resins to burn out more cleanly. Post-curing is necessary when using biocompatible resins.
Dávid Lakatos, Chief Product Officer at Formlabs, explained: “Anyone who’s used a 3D printer knows the dirty secret of the process: a lot happens in between hitting ‘print’ and holding a final product. We know our users’ time is better spent designing and creating, so we developed Form Wash and Form Cure to bridge that missing gap; making it easier than ever to go from finished print to ready-to-use part.”
Both of these devices will be shown at this week’s Rapid show. Both can be pre-ordered now though they won’t actually be available until September for both the US and Europe. Form Wash is priced at €499, while Form Cure is €699.
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