Form 2

I had some issues with the initial printer (i.e., it quit printing), but Formlabs service was great. They shipped a replacement printer right away and I've been up and running ever since. My first project was the 3D printed violin (designed by bchan) that I downloaded from pinshape.com. It came out great - I may even learn to play the violin now! The cost of the resin is high but worth it to me. I also wish I had the ability to control the printer remotely (i.e., start/stop/pause a print from anywhere/computer). This could be accomplished by giving some controls to PreForm, which I could then access remotely with TeamViewer (or like) - or they could let it connect to the IOT (or alexa!). Anyway, overall I'm loving my new Form 2.

My work owns one primarily for printing prototypes of mobile accessories. We've used both standard and flexible resin. The printer itself is very easy to set up and use, and the Preform software is very intuitive. I would say the most challenging thing about this printer is the supports. Not only placing them in the software, but carefully removing them from the printed model one by one, so as not to damage the print. I have noticed on a few prints that the supports slightly warped the surface.

Overall though the detail you can get from this printer is extremely impressive. Some sanding is required to get a perfect finish but compared to FDM printers the difference is staggering.

I’ve used Formlab’s Form 2 a little over a year and it has a success print rate of over 90%. Most failed prints come from resin cured on the tray and it’s time to be replaced. I use this printer to print all models except for edentulous or partially edntulous models and make bitesplints, retainers and surgical stents for guided surgery.  I also have form wash and cure and it is remarkable the difference in clean up and Hardness of our models with this process. 

Primary consideration is use of a DLP printer (Moonray) vs the SLA Form 2.  Both are great printers at an affordable price.  DLP is definitely faster and accurate.  Consider both before your purchase.  

I have loved using my Form 2 Printer.  I offer printing services in case anyone is interested.  Contact me through www.smaartist.com

It's been a great machine for me in prototyping, toys, maquettes, and gifts.  I've printed for many other people and all are happy and impressed with the quality of the prints that the Form 2 gives.

The Form 2 reliably produces high quality SLA prints at a reasonable price. The machine is easy to operate and maintain. The software is a bit buggy on a Mac, but runs well on a Windows platform. It is nice compliment to my Markforged FDM based machines.

It is my first 3D printer and I am deeply impressed by the quality this printer produces. My first print had a perfect surface, clear edges and perfect spikes. The setup was very easy (had to restart it during the first heat-up phase due to some SW bug) and the use is intuitive and simple. The design of the printer I find personally very pretty and the build quality reminds me on Apple standards ... very good! The SW does what it is supposed to do in an intuitive way. I had no difficulties at all with it on Windows when it comes to  SW installation, printing, firmware updates etc. Luckily I have my PC close to the Printer so I can use USB port, because the built-in Wifi shows a very weak signal, although the router is almost on the same desk ... !? Make sure that you read the full article on the supplier webpage, as you might end up with some more necessary tools than you  initially think (washing, curing, one resin tank per material type, etc.) - but I guess you would need that for any other SLA printer too. My experience with sales and service is a bit unlucky, because the supplier in my country is new to this business and does not know much  about his own products ... so, check out the Formlabs homepage first.

the print quality is great, but the maybe a bit fragile.

Yoy got to be careful cutting of supports.

Formlabs Form 2 is an excellent Stereo-lithography machine that delivers excellent prints 98% of the time. I would recommend this 3D printer as an Intermediate level 3D printer due to the handling of chemicals and overall care needed to maintain this fine-tuned machine.  The cost of the machine is modest due to the retail ready detail prints that it can create. There are cheaper SLA machines on the market but you truly pay for what you get.  I would recommend reading the reviews on the cheaper SLA machines before you buy. I have four Form 2 machines and I have only had two problems that needed one of the machines to be replaced. It's going on 2 years and with only running into two problems mechanically (one was my fault, I bent the bottom of the resin tanks sensor) that speaks volumes about the quality of engineering that was put into this machine. I would give this machine overall 5 stars but the resin is not inexpensive, the software interface could use some improvements, and this machine is not kid-friendly due to the chemicals used (99% isopropyl alcohol and liquid resin). I would say that the age range for this machine would be 13 years of age and older. I have used these machines and the varying types of resin's that Formlabs offers to create variety of 3D prints to be used for various reasons such as robotics (tough resin), brewer pressure valve (dental resin, FDA approved), sculptures (clear resin), 3D scanned bust (white resin) and architecture (white and clear resin). The list goes on... Overall, I recommend the Form 2 as a safe and reliable SLA 3D printer.  

Combined with FormWash and FormCure, this setup can produce great results right from the printer, but with some extra sanding and polishing can produce production quality results - impressive.   Some resins are brittle (colour resin is especially brittle) but when you understand the materials and how to design and print with them, I've had some great results.  Using "tough" resin for functional parts that can accept self-tapping screws, which is great.

Good price, nice results.