The Formlabs Form 2 is hands-down the best desktop stereolithography 3D printer on the market.
With a 145 × 145 × 175 mm (5.7 × 5.7 × 6.9 in) build volume, it offers space for all your biggest ideas, and with its ingenious automated resin tank, you can literally leave it to do its thing without having to worry about refilling the tank yourself.
Formlabs has a range of engineering and specialist resins available too, in addition to their standard resins, which are suitable for everything from engineering to dentistry. For instance, Flexible Resin simulates 80A durometer rubber and is ideal for moulds and dampening, while Dental Model Resin is suitable for 3D printing models that will have removable dies.
The Form 2 is the most advanced desktop 3D printer ever made, and as such, it is also one of the most complex. Formlabs has done an outstanding job making it easy and intuitive to use, but for newbies to 3D printing, some reading is needed to truly understand how it works, and what each individual component does. Thankfully, though, Formlabs have created a better solution to that – they have published a new interactive and educational 3D model that you can play with.
Here’s the 3D model in question:
You can also view the model on Sketchfab.
Press play, and you will have the option to click on a series of numbers / annotations that open to reveal information about specific features and components. Clicking ‘1’, for example, describes the Levelling Feet like so: “One adjustable foot feet on each corner of the printer raises or lowers with the leveling tool to ensure that the printer is acceptably level.” While clicking ‘2’ tells you about the Shell, and clicking ‘3’ tells you about the Touchscreen.
Everything from the Laser to the Thermopile is included, to give you a deeper knowledge of the Form 2. You can also quickly switch from component to component by clicking annotated arrow markers when you hover over the video. Clicking the ‘Disassembly’ animation will bring you back to a view of the Form 2 with seperated printer parts.
So, whether you want to know what the function of the orange polycarbonate cover is or how the printer detects what material is in a cartridge, it’s now easier than ever to find the answers. Simply press play on the animation to get started and enjoy. Please note: The animation above simply decribes the components of the Form 2. It does not help you use it. Click here to view the Quick Start Guide for the Form 2, and click here to view safety information for the Form 2.
