It takes three years since the announcement of the Fuse 1 but Formlabs finally made it. The expert in liquid-based 3D printers has officially launched its selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printer.

With the goal of helping manufacturers rethink product development, hybrid manufacturing, and end-use production, the solution comes with its own post-processing solution, the Fuse Sift and Nylon 12 Powder as first dedicated powder.

It is not surprising to see a complete technology solution dedicated to SLS printing. As seen with Sinterit’s solutions and Sintratec, SLS 3D printing dedicated to professionals requires specific handling, therefore dedicated equipment.

Opening to an entirely new set of customers

With a decade of experience in SLA printing, it’s quite exciting to see the manufacturer on the quest for others AM applications with this newly unveiled technology.

According to the manufacturer, testing shows that the solution can fabricate strong, functional parts all while minimizing costs, freeing many organizations from their reliance on expensive and slow external solutions.

Its main features include:

  • a modular build chamber that enables continuous printing and reduces downtime;
  • a patent pending Surface Armor technology that creates semi-sintered shell to protect the surface of the part as it prints;
  • the capability to print with up to 70 percent recycled powder;
  • a material refresh rate, the minimum ratio of fresh powder required to print, of 30 percent for minimal material waste.

“We previously used an outsourced injection-molding workflow to deliver prosthetic fingers to patients young and old, helping them improve mobility and increase functionality; but this process was extremely slow and did not allow for the personalization needed for each patient,” said Matthew Mikosz, founder of Partial Hand Solutions and Fuse 1 beta user. “Fuse 1 gives us the design freedom needed to truly customize our prosthetics and the high productivity and throughput necessary to quickly get this solution to our patients.”

It took 7 years to the manufacturer to unveil its SLS 3D printing technology, at a starting price of $18,499 (15 276€). Despite the many rumors that have led to the postponement of this launch, the company’s solution is finally here and that’s the most important, that and the fact that it must not compromise quality.

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