Form 2

Labor saving "equipment" just love it

It is an absolute joy as to how easy it is to set up, swap tanks, cartridges.  The quick change build platform means I can have the next job running within minutes of the last one completing.  It belongs to work, but I'm accountable for it.  It runs about 16 hours/day since new.  I've had one failure due to user error, my error.  Wish we had 2 of them, so I wouldn't have to come in on odd hours to swap out the build platform and start the next print.

Cost of the consumables is something to seriously consider.  I have 4 extra build platforms, over a dozen cartridges of various resins, 2 UV cure chambers I built, having to replace tanks after 2 liters of resin is something to consider.  Obviously I don't have to pay for that, which makes this review very biased based on success of the prints only, and not cost of overall system and it's consumables.

The software to set up the prints is easy and very intuitive.  Formlabs has great support, videos, and customer service.  They have quickly resolved issues I've had with orders and been timely in responding to communication online.

I love this thing.

This this is really the only 3D printer I've ever used... Super easy software and easy to run... Highly recommended

So far, I love it. Have had a few issues but can't deny it prints so damn perfect!

I have been modeling for print and mill for 19 years now... and a;ways relied on service bureaus due to the high cost of high resolution printers, and the rapid rate of improvement making investing in any one machine a losing proposition.

But prices are coming down and the versatility of SLA printers is growing, what with multiple resin formulations that sumulate everything from neoprene to Nylon... as well as cermamics and even burnable resins for invest,ent casting.

So it was finally time to pick a printer for in house.

I mostly do larger, figurative prints that require the best detail and surface finish possible.   Because of this I know my average print time is gonna be around 20 hours... so the criterion I applied demanded an SLA printer that monitored and dispensed  its own resin levels....

The Form 2 was really the only machine that met all my requirements.

It had a wide line of varied resins available, self filling and monitoring of resin levels, ultra high detail, a  laser twice as powerful as most affordble SLAs ,  sealed optics, and a wiper bar to keep the resin well mixed and clear any debris or blobs of semi-cured resin out of the way for every layer.

The cartridge resin system allowed for swapping resins rapidly and a clean operation...

In running it... it's as close to a microwave oven as any 3D printer gets... professional, reliable, easy to use.

This is an absolutely fantastic printer but with the large price-tag I can't say I would recommend it to my friends. The fact that the consumables (material, tanks, etc.) are so expensive makes this printer less than ideal for the average "maker."  I am currently building a UV curing box for my printer which is another expense you need to take into account if you don't want to shell out the $700 for the Formlabs solution. That being said, it is a great system; haven't had any problems with the prints yet, although I wish there was a little more customizability with the software settings. Though if you are looking to get into SLA printing, and don't mind the extra work, the Peopoly Moai kit might be a good choice. 

In Summary, I would recommend this printer to companies wishing to do more accurate prototyping and to those to whom reliability and the high resolution is worth the extra price.

Can't beat the ease of use and quality. 

Form2 is, in my opinion, the pinnacle in the consumer 3D printing market for miniatures. Prints are astoundingly smooth and detailed.  I routinely get asked if my parts are cast or injection-molded and askers are floored when I tell them they are 3D printed.  I work almost exclusively in the Grey resin, so I cannot comment on the other materials. 

Pros: 

Smooth, detailed final product

Excellent (but proprietary) software

Remarkable build volume considering the technology (SLA) (6"x6"x7")

Excellent US-based customer service (but heard of issues internationally.)

Cons:

Expensive to buy, expensive to operate. Grey Resin costs $150/L, current resin vats ($59) "wear out" every 2 L. Works out to be about ~$3.60/in^3.

Support material is almost always required, and uses work material, which is expensive. 

Post Process requires an IPA bath, and clipping and cleaning supports and support remnants from the work piece. 

I use it in my dental dental Lab, for dental models, Michigan’s guards , and it’s a big success.

My customers and visiting Patients are really impressed.

I hope to print acrylic Prothetics next time !

I think it important to write a review when you just start using a product.  these are the honest first impressions.

Perspective: A few years ago I purchased a FDM 3D printer from a well respected Dutch Manufacturer when I believed the product had reached a point I could use it at work and was relatively "plug and play".  While I still think it was a good printer it was not close to plug and play and took a lot of learning and "playing with" to get successful prints, feed speeds of the filament, filament jams, spools unwinding. heads requiring cleaning, truing the build platform, and so on.  I had a 40% success rate on that printer. 

Today:  I have long coveted the SLA type printers over FDM.  I looked at the Form 1 and though Formlab was a company on the right track for plug and play printer simplicity.  I waited until the brand matured some more and glad I did as they made some solid usability improvements on the original.

First impressions:

Setup is dead easy.  Quite intuitive if you are moderately technically inclined and following the instructions for the non technically inclined is easy.  Software dead easy to grasp.  I have only printed the example Formlab logo model that opens when you open the software for the first time.  Perfect print.  After this I printed a spiral vase I downloaded from Pinshape.com.  Easy to scale in the software  and easy to change settings.  I used the auto generated support.  This was a bit tedious to remove after print (FDM dual extruder with dissolvable filament for support is missed) but the software allows you to add and subtract support.  After reviewing the print it was easy to see how I should print the support in the next print so it is not tedious to remove. Printing was as easy as sending the print to the printer via wifi and then on the printer pushing go.  The printer prompts a few pre-start checks and then is fire and forget.

Firmware update of the printer was a snap.  

I am now considering getting the post processing tools, auto wash and curing booths.  They will make this a complete package work station.

only gripe so far is price... it is expensive, but I am happy with my purchase.