I'm About to Buy a Form 1+

so after a month of research, getting samples and talking to representatives of different 3D printer companies I have decided on the form 1+. The sample I got from them was printed in its lowest resolution (100 microns) and was still totally smooth and wonderful~

I am getting a 3D printer to make figurines ranging from about 5 inches to just an inch or so and then making molds, so being able to print something small with a good amount of detail and minimal sanding/tweaking is what I am looking for. So before I use up all my savings to buy this printer, anyone have any info/warnings/suggestions?

Much appreciated, anything would help. Thanks - Sasha

It is a pricy machine. Have you looked into any of the other sla printers out there. Of course most are still a month to a few away from being released.

yeah, and none are much less expensive. I have seen some new ones that launched recently but I want to buy a printer that is a bit more established, where if I have a problem I can contact more people about it and I feel I would have an easier time getting a solution. and the release time is also an issue, I am starting a business and I would like to have the printer ASAP and it takes about 7 weeks for the form 1 to ship (tho I might be able to get it a bit quicker).

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Originally Posted by jimc

It is a pricy machine. Have you looked into any of the other sla printers out there. Of course most are still a month to a few away from being released.

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And some will be a month or two away from being released forever... Crowdsourcing (and often even preordering) is a gamble, I don't blame someone for going with one of the printers that has already survived the process and only has 7 weeks to ship.

I'm not trying to talk you out of it but just be aware that resin wont be your only expense involved in printing. I'm on my third Form 1 and I would like to "upgrade" to the F1+ but not willing to pay $750 for what I see as a repair and not an upgrade. That aside the resin vats PDMS layer needs replaced constantly so you will have to either keep buying new vats or replace the PDMS yourself with a solar panel encapsulating kit. The PreForm software has improved immensely but isn't quite perfect yet, but getting close. Support from Formlabs is painfully slow but usually acceptable. I have had a 50% print success rate at best, but its currently much much worse. It is amazing when it works but unfortunately that has not been often and so has cost me alot more time and money than I ever suspected or hoped. I dont know that there are any truly viable alternatives at this time though, probly a couple more years before the Form 1 sees any real competition.

What's the main problem you've had with your Form 1(s) that causes your prints to fail?

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

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Originally Posted by awerby

What's the main problem you've had with your Form 1(s) that causes your prints to fail?

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My first printer's galvometers went bad during a firmware update, my next had a laser wear out.
I havent figured out whats wrong currently and have been waiting a week at a time for replies from their support.
But my prints all just fall apart near the end of the print and each time it messes up the resin tanks PDMS layer.

I'm on my second Form1, and I'm having that same problem, where a print will be almost done, but then instead of adhering to the model, a new layer of cured resin will adhere to the bottom of the vat instead, and have to be scraped off. I'm wondering if the higher powered laser in the Form1+ will cure the layers better, so that this won't happen. So far, Tech Support hasn't come up with a good explanation of why this might be happening, but they told me it's a "very rare problem". So I guess we're both special...

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

I really don't think its that rare if at all. Others have posted about first the last bits of hollowed models failing and then eventually everything does and that's how it happened with me. I'm still waiting to hear back from frikn' support and I have already been very clear that I think the should provide the "upgrade" either free of charge or at cost at most! I've burnt through three liters of resin and four PDMS re-coatings with only a half dozen successful prints and a mountain of junk. They keep on telling me sorry but the words by themselves don't do squat. They replaced my first two failed machines without any hassle but they've dropped the ball badly this time so far and right on my foot! Waiting over a week at a time for replies is ridiculous! And I've sunk every penny I could scrape together trying to get this thing going I was hoping to be buying a second printer by now but no such luck.

What about the kudo titan 1 ?

Who knows? So far, it's just vaporware. Until they actually ship some of them, we can only speculate about how well they will work, if they ever do. We can criticize the performance of the Form1 because we've received them and worked with them, but all we know about the Kudo is what the would-be manufacturers of it say as they're trying to raise money to build the things.

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

I just sent back my Form1 that was having problems, producing partial prints. Formlabs agreed to give me a Form1+ at half the upgrade price, which comes with a new 1-year warranty. This seems like a pretty good deal to me, assuming the new one works better. It seemed like the problem could have been be due to an underpowered laser, which couldn't put out enough power to set the layers of resin thoroughly enough to keep them from delaminating under the stress of the tilting peel step. So the new one, with a more powerful laser, might be the answer - at least I'm hopeful about it.

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

Andrew - please let us know when you get the new unit and if it works as advertised. I am considering the Form1 + but have been put off by reports of slow tech support and the problems you have reported. Hopefully you will have some answers soon!

thanks

dave

I got my Form1+, so far so good. One thing to share here base on my experience. If you set the resolution from 0.05mm to 0.025, you have to do the "Fine Tune Setting" under the Preform Help menu.
You have to lower the build platform a bit, how much to lower depends on your hardware discrepency, otherwise the print out will not stick properly on build platform.

Check out our gallery (under Miniatures) to see what the Titan 1 can do! http://www.kudo3d.com/gallery/

Our great flexibility in size and ability to print quickly while maintaining high resolution makes the Titan 1 great for those wanting to print figurines and miniatures.

Cool! Let us know how it goes!

I've used the Form 1 and while it did have faults and issues, technical support was superb and they were very supportive and kind.
I'm now thinking of getting another DLP / SLA.

Kil

Technical support is horrible at Formlabs. I have been trying for 3 years for them to fix my printer and they only send 1 email per day. Usually it is some inane question or to introduce themselves as I have been passed from support person to person. I think they hope that if it drags out long enough then maybe I will just give up and stop writing them like I did on the first two times I tried to get it fixed. They have now offered me a Form1+ printer as a replacement but from what I have read it has all of the same problems as the Form1.

I have heard rumors that they have the kinks worked out for the Form2 but the service I received has completely turned me off to the company.

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Originally Posted by laserman252

Technical support is horrible at Formlabs. I have been trying for 3 years for them to fix my printer and they only send 1 email per day. Usually it is some inane question or to introduce themselves as I have been passed from support person to person. I think they hope that if it drags out long enough then maybe I will just give up and stop writing them like I did on the first two times I tried to get it fixed. They have now offered me a Form1+ printer as a replacement but from what I have read it has all of the same problems as the Form1.

I have heard rumors that they have the kinks worked out for the Form2 but the service I received has completely turned me off to the company.

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I do not work for muve3d so i want to get that out of the way. I do however feel its one of, if not the best sub 10K resin printer out there.
Quality is STUNNING and the build is great, the support is fantastic. QUality can be much better than the form printers due to the fact that it isnt restricted in resolution on the XY axis.
Check out my video on the polyhedron balls. the second one is TINY and unreal quality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3tBv314q-s