Form 4 和 Form 4L 评价综述

Wright opens his review with unboxing, finding the packaging to be exceptionally sturdy for protection while shipping white straps made it easy to unbox the printer. Once unboxed, he found Form 4L was made with high quality materials that would make for a durable printer. 

Wright’s first test print was a 350 mm tall Eiffel Tower model at 50 µm which he printed in ~13 hours. He writes, “This impressive speed, coupled with the intricate details captured in the Eiffel Tower model, demonstrated the Form 4L’s potential for high-quality, rapid production.” 

Diving into the hardware and specs, Wright ultimately says that Form 4L “delivers impressive print speeds, achieving up to 80 mm of print height per hour. This pace, coupled with its generous build volume, makes the Form 4L a highly productive addition to any manufacturing environment.” Additionally, Open Material Mode “enhances the Form 4L’s versatility and adaptability, making it a valuable asset for a diverse range of applications.”

Wright is effusive in his appreciation of the Form 4L’s camera, which enables the creation of timelapse videos of prints. 

Wright runs multiple test prints, including an accuracy test, as well as an evaluation of print speeds and noise levels. He calls out Form 4L’s “exceptional reliability” and base price as a “reasonable entry point for a high-performance production printer.” Wright compares Form 4L to competitors including Nexa and Carbon, noting that the Nexa 3D XiP Pro “comes with a significantly higher price tag” and that Carbon 3D printers are “exclusively available through lease agreements and lack the flexibility of an open material system.”

Wright dives into a comprehensive production cost comparison using pcbway.com, with quotes for quantities of 1,000 and 10,000 units across CNC machining, selective laser sintering (intentionally not Formlabs’ Fuse 1+ 30W), and injection molding. Ultimately, Wright concludes that, “While the Form 4L may not always be the least expensive option upfront, it offers substantial advantages over outsourcing.” These include flexibility for design changes, the ability to produce intricate details and complex geometries, greater supply chain control, and reduced lead times.

我们向 Adam Savage 的 Tested 团队发送了 Form 4 和树脂。在 48 分钟的视频中，Norm Chan 全面介绍了 Form 4，包括：

• 树脂打印机的 3D 打印工作原理，包括不同的固化系统

• Form 4 的掩模立体光固化 (MSLA) 技术

• 设置 Form 4

• 比较 Form 4 和 Form 3+

• 与 Formlabs 技术项目经理 Cole Durbin 的对话

• 与 Formlabs 联合创始人兼首席执行官 Max Lobovsky 的对话

• 使用 Form 4 体验打印业余模型

• 回顾 Form 4

在介绍整个 Form 4 设置过程之前，Chan 先对 SLA 与 MSLA 技术进行了分析，并在设置打印机时解释了每个组件的工作原理及其与 Form 3+ 的比较。Chan 拥有丰富的 Form 3+ 使用经验，他将为对 Form 4 技术和耗材更新感兴趣的现有 Form 3+ 用户提供独到的见解。

Chan 的视频内容不仅限于传统评价，其中还包括他访问 Formlabs 总部，与技术项目经理 Cole Durbin 一起深入研究 Form 4 技术的片段。在与 Formlabs 联合创始人兼首席执行官 Max Lobovsky 的访谈中，两人讨论了根据用户反馈开发产品的问题，包括软件和材料。

在进行测试打印后，Chan 深入探讨了他的经验和打印机性能，并表示：“速度是重中之重......Form 4 的打印速度实际上快了大约三倍......使用 Grey Resin 在 100 微米设置下进行了测试。” 在谈到打印模型的细节时，他指出，通过微距镜头可以看到渐进式改进，部件的尺寸精度也很合适。

虽然 Chan 主要专注于打印业余级部件，但他表示：“多年来，我在树脂打印和一般 3D 打印工作中了解到的是，迭代时间、工作流程时间、打印循环速度真的很重要。如果您正在制作原型、正在进行设计，您会希望在建模耗时与打印和迭代耗时之间取得平衡。 ”

最后，他谈到 Form 4 时说：“它绝对不是一台整天打印微小模型的打印机，而是一台用于打印工程部件、陶瓷部件、硅胶部件以及您可以借助该生态圈使用所有奇特材料的打印机。”

要深入了解细节并聆听对话，请观看 Chan 对 Form 4 的整个 Tested 评价。

我们向 Adam Savage 的 Tested 团队发送了 Form 4L 和树脂。继 Form 4 的评述之后，Norm Chan 又对 Form 4L 进行了评述，概览内容涵盖了技术、速度、部件尺寸和质量、产品设计、树脂使用和保存以及可靠性。

Chan 开篇即表示，Form 4L 是“为行业和专业人士、那些需要部件可靠性、一致性的原型制造者”量身打造的，并能满足他们对庞大 Formlabs 材料库的使用需求。

在对 Form 4 的评述中，Chan 深入探讨了掩模立体光固化 (MSLA) 的含义，以及 Formlabs Low Force Display^TM (LFD) 打印引擎的来龙去脉。在本文中，他对 MSLA 进行了更全面的概述，并介绍了 Form 4L 与 Form 3L 在技术方面的不同之处，特别注解了在 Form 3L 中，打印层是由两个激光装置组合固化而成，因此可能会产生微小的接缝。Chan 说：“在更改了 Form 3L 的激光固化系统后，Form 4L 也就不存在接缝线问题了。” 使用 MSLA Form 4L 进行打印，可实现无缝表面光洁度，节省打印准备和后处理的时间。

Chan 表示：“在 Form 4L 中，我们的谈论焦点是更大的成型体积。我的意思是，这几乎就像一个完整的微型模型套件，你可以一次性打印出一整个部件......细节令人难以置信”，他指出，打印部件的高度可以超过一英尺，同时还能实现精细的表面细节。当然，这一切都得益于速度。

Chan 使用 Fast Model Resin（快速模型树脂） 以 200μm 的层高打印了 Adam 头部大小的真人模型，一次打印约有 1300 层。“打印用了惊人的 2 小时 45 分钟，这简直令人难以置信。” 通过分别计算树脂加热时间，以及每层打印的时间，Chan 表示，Form 4L“确实达到了他们网站上宣称的每小时 80mm 的最大速度速度。”

包括混合器臂和树脂混合器在内的硬件和耗材都非常坚固耐用，易于运行和安装。

树脂消耗量是很重要的主要考虑因素。Adam 头部模型使用可容纳 2L 树脂的打印机打印时耗费了 1.5L 树脂（不含 Resin Pumping System（树脂泵送系统） ）。不过，通过最新的 PreForm 更新 ，Chan 找到了解决这个问题的办法。

下载 PreForm 或在此了解更多关于挖空打印的信息。

在 PreForm 中设置打印并手动编辑自动生成的支撑结构时，Chan 提到他喜欢 PreForm 中新增的支撑基底几何结构。即使没有 Build Platform Flex，也能轻松从构建平台上撬下基底，丝毫不用担心留下凹槽。另外，支撑也很容易从打印件上弹开。

最终，Chan 表示，Form 4L 将成为专业人士的宝贵工具，并能可靠地在一天之内完成大型打印的周转。

On 3D Printing Industry, Tyrer-Jones begins by diving into the technology powering Form 4, highlighting the LFD technology, saying, “This approach minimizes the force applied during 3D printing to enhance part quality and dimensional accuracy.” 

The review calls out the print speeds, dimensional tolerance, and reliability, including the "unmatched 3D print success rate exceeding 98.7%, ideal for professionals targeting high-volume production.” 

Moving onto setting up Form 4, Tyrer-Jones notes how user-friendly it is, with easy unboxing and set up in 15 minutes. It is a true desktop setup, easy to fit in most workspaces while still having a sizable build volume and offering the “premium, high-quality feel we expect from Formlabs.” He then walks through the features of the resin tank, including the film and over 75,000 layer lifetime, and set up and use of post-processing solutions Form Wash (2nd Generation) and Form Cure (1st Generation), which are plug-and-play.

For print setup, Tyrer-Jones says, “PreForm stands out thanks to its intuitive interface and control over essential 3D printing tasks,” noting the ease of slicing, support generation, one-click automated print setup, and a layout function for maximizing the layout of multiple models. 

To test Form 4, Tyrer-Jones printed a number of benchmarking prints including a mandibular dental model, a tower, a perimeter test, two models with six overhangs, and a functional M8 nut in Clear Resin which “fit together seamlessly, confirming the Form 4 can print small and precise parts to desired tolerances.”

Additional tests included a K3D Tech Definition test cube, for checking intricate and complex designs, and a test model that was printed 12 times to check for repeatability. Tyrer-Jones found that “All twelve test pieces were 3D printed and processed with no significant defects. The measurements ultimately highlighted the strong repeatability of the Form 4. The average deviation came to 0.0477 mm, just below the 0.05 mm benchmark.”

Tyrer-Jones tested a number of real-world applications, including a functional motorcycle fuel pump hose clip which is no longer manufactured and miniature models in Grey Resin V5, snorkeling components and sunglasses in Clear Resin V5, parts in Elastic 50A Resin, and more.

Of the Clear Resin V5 parts, Tyrer-Jones writes, “The part had an impressive transparent effect, free from the cloudiness often seen in other translucent resins. It also showed no yellowing, which is a common issue with similar clear materials. The high clarity and smooth surface finish eliminated the need for extra post-processing, like polishing or smoothing, and support removal left minimal marks.”

Overall, Tyrer-Jones found Form 4 to be reliable and high-performance, holding up to marketing claims, with particularly impressive repeatability. Additionally, Form Wash and Form Cure (1st Generation) were called out as great options for post-processing.