Formlabs Launches Fuse 1 Production-Ready 3D Printer

Formlabs has launched and made available a benchtop industrial selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printer, the Fuse 1, to enable engineers, designers and manufacturers at all levels to rethink product development, hybrid manufacturing and end-use production, company says. Additionally, the company launched Fuse Sift, a post-processing system for the Fuse 1, and Nylon 12 Powder, Formlabs’ first powder material for Fuse 1, to provide users with an end-to-end SLS workflow.

The Fuse 1 and Fuse Sift improve on the advantages offered by SLS, while bringing it within reach for companies of all sizes and types through affordability and ease of use, company says.

“The Form 1 redefined stereolithography (SLA) printing for the additive manufacturing industry 10 years ago, and now the Fuse 1 is bringing the same reliability and accessibility standard that Formlabs customers expect of industrial 3D printing,” says Max Lobovsky, CEO and co-founder of Formlabs. “SLS 3D printing shouldn’t be solely for those with big budgets, it needs to be accessible so all companies—from startup to big manufacturer—can benefit from the design freedom and high productivity SLS 3D printing provides.”

Formlabs’ first powder material for Fuse 1. Image courtesy of Formlabs.

“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,” says 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.”

The Fuse 1 enables users to take control of their entire product development process, from iterating on your first concept design to manufacturing ready-to-use products in production-ready nylon, the company says.

Fuse 1 features include:

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

Fuse 1 is available today starting at $18,499.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.