New investment in Form 3 SLA 3D printer
In January 2021 we received our newest addition to our machine park. The Form 3 SLA 3D printer from Formlabs. In addition to the printer, we have also purchased the additional modules for post-treatment, the Formwash and Formcure.
Within STT Products we have been experimenting for some time with FDM 3D printing of prototype parts and parts for internal use. With FDM printing, a plastic wire is melted and layer by layer the part is then formed. In many cases, the quality of these parts is not sufficient for end-use in customer products.
The choice for an SLA printer was a logical next step in the exploration of industrial 3D printing. With SLA, products are formed by hardening liquid material in a bath by means of UV radiation. These products are of higher quality and much more accurate than FDM printed parts. The parts still need to be washed and cured after printing, the additional modules are used for this.
The first parts have now been printed and we are enthusiastic about the result, detailed and strong parts with barely visible print layers. Moreover, it has already been possible to print functional screw threads. That is sometimes a big challenge with 3D printing.
We will use the Form 3 printer to print more accurate prototype parts and will also print less elementary parts for machines at a later stage. This makes it a nice extra tool for our production and a great step for us as a team to get acquainted with (industrial) 3D printing!