Form 1 In October 2012, Formlabs publicly announced its first product, the Form 1 3D printer, in a Kickstarter campaign that raised a record-breaking $2.95 million in funding making the Form 1 one of the
most highly funded crowdfunding projects up until that time. Form 1 3D printers began shipping to backers in May 2013 after months of delayed production. The Form 1 used a 3D printing process known as
stereolithography, wherein liquid resin is cured, or hardened, into a solid material by the application of laser light. Although previously available in larger, more expensive machines, the Form 1 offered stereolithography in a smaller, more affordable desktop-class device.
Form 1+ On June 10, 2014, Formlabs released the Form 1+ 3D Printer, which replaced the Form 1 in their product line. Improvements included speed, print quality, and reliability. The Form 1+ was officially sunsetted March 15, 2017.
Form 2 On September 22, 2015, Formlabs announced the Form 2 printer, including a larger build volume and a wiper. It also switches to a cartridge resin system, instead of bottles that needed to be manually poured into the Form 1 & Form 1+. Third-party resins can be used with Open Mode. The Form 2 was named Best Resin Printer for 2019 by Tom's Guide in their annual rankings. The Form 2 is scheduled to be officially sunsetted in 2023.
Form Wash and Form Cure On May 5, 2017, Formlabs announced the Form Wash and the Form Cure. Together with the Form 2, they complete the SLA engine. The Form Wash is a washing machine used to automatically clean liquid resin off of printed 3D models. The Form Cure is an
ultraviolet postcuring system. After printing, the build platform on the Form 2 can be removed and installed on the Form Wash, which uses an impeller to agitate 3D printed parts in
isopropyl alcohol. The Form Cure heats parts up to 80 degrees Celsius and uses thirteen 405 nanometer UV LEDs.
Fuse 1 On June 5, 2017, Formlabs announced the Fuse 1, a
selective laser sintering 3D printer. It has a much larger build volume than the Form line of printers, a removable build chamber, and uses
nylon powder.
Form 3, Form 3B, Form 3L and Form 3BL On April 2, 2019, Formlabs announced the 4th Generation of their SLA printers, the Form 3 and Form 3L, designed for use by artists, designers, and other professionals. The Form 3 offers a larger print area than the Form 2 as well as Low Force Stereolithography (LFS), a new SLA technology developed by Formlabs that promises smoother surface finish and more detailed prints. The Form 3L utilizes the same optics engine as the Form 3, including LFS, with five times the build volume. Additional improvements include an upgraded optics engine, modular components to simplify repair and integrated sensors to improve print success and usability. This earned it the title of Best Resin Printer of 2019 by The Mediahq. On November 12, 2019, Formlabs launched the Form 3B, a variant of the Form 3 specially designed for the dental industry. Unlike the Form 3, the Form 3B is compatible with Formlabs' array of specialty dental materials. The only exception is Form 3 printers designated "Early 2019" which retain the dental material capabilities from its initial release. In 2020, the company launched Form 3BL, which features the larger platform of the Form 3L, along with the material capabilities of the Form 3B. In 2022 at CES, the company announced the Form 3+ and Form 3B+ which are updated versions of the Form 3/3B with improved LPU/Laser stability, better heating and monitoring of the build chamber, true light touch supports, and the new build platform 2, which uses a flexible stainless steel sheet held with magnets to a base in order to make removing the parts from the build plate faster and easier than the original build platform the first shipped with the Form 2.
Form Cell On June 5, 2017, Formlabs announced the Form Cell, a cell of Form 2 3D printers, as well as a Form Wash and a robotic gantry system. It is completely automated and can be used as a 24-hour digital "factory".
PreForm Formlabs provides a free software package called PreForm, designed to prepare 3D models for printing on the Form 1, Form 1+, Form 2, Form 3, and Fuse 1. Some of the features of PreForm include automatic model orientation and support structure generation.
Nasopharyngeal Swabs As the
COVID-19 pandemic took off in March 2020, Formlabs, working with,
Northwell Health and the
University of South Florida developed a 3D printed
nasopharyngeal swab made from biocompatible resins. After receiving FDA Class I Exempt status, Formlabs quickly went into production; its printing facility in
Ohio was initially able to produce 150,000 swabs daily, and the design was released so that hospitals with their own printers can make swabs. Northwell and the University of South Florida were each immediately able produce 1,500 swabs daily with printers they already had.
Fuse 1+ 30W On July 13, 2022, Formlabs announced the Fuse 1+ 30W, an upgraded industrial SLS printer that was designed for faster throughput, utilizing a 30-watt laser for up to two times higher print speed compared to the previous model. The Fuse Series has since become the best-selling selective laser sintering 3D printers, that accounted for 55% of all SLS printers sold worldwide in 2025.
Form Auto In January of 2023 at
CES, Formlabs announced the successor to its Form Cell program by introducing the Form Auto. The Form Auto automates the Form 3 printer and enables users to remotely open the cover, start prints, and clear parts off the build platform.
Form 4 and Form 4B On April 17th, 2024, Formlabs announced its fourth generation printer the Form 4. This is the first Formlabs printer to use a LCD screen as opposed to lasers used in the first three generations of machines. Formlabs also announced the Form 4B for the dentistry and medical industries. The Form 4B is utilizes their Low Force Display (LFD) technology that uses a custom LCD and 17 other optical components, a patent pending release texture, and a composite film tank to increase print speed without sacrificing quality or reliability.
Form 4L and Form 4BL On October 17, 2024, Formlabs unveiled the Form 4L and Form 4BL, its latest large-format SLA printers. Similar to the Form 4, this model utilizes an LCD screen instead of lasers, enhancing printing speed and efficiency. The Form 4L also features a developer platform that allows users to customize materials and workflows for specific applications. ==Documentary==