Formlabs now has a 3D printer specifically for dentists and capable of producing analog prostheses faster and cheaper than existing processes.
Form 3B, a newly engineered version of the Form 3 printer released in early 2019, is optimized to work with Formlabs dental resins. It uses stereolithography or SLA, an advanced 3D printing technique in which liquid resin is cured into a solid object using projected ultraviolet light.
As TechCrunch reports, Formlabs says the printer can currently produce crowns and bridges, dentures, clear retainers, custom mouthguards, splints, prototype models, and more.
It is actually a bit more than a 3D printer. Formlabs has created a 'Formlabs Dental' division and offers a comprehensive dental services plan.
Plan for the future
So Form 3B could cost a thousand dollars more than Basic Form 3 (starts at € 4,999), but this includes software to link to a dental office's existing workflow plus one year of aforementioned dental services plan ( as well as a liter of resin).
The service plan includes comprehensive training and priority support (provided by a team of licensed dental specialists), as well as "proactive checks" and periodic team diagnostics. Additionally, there is a printer hot swap feature where in the event of a Form 3B outage the customer receives a new printer rather than waiting for the faulty model to be shipped, repaired and returned.
Additionally, Formlabs says it is acquiring Spectra, the company's largest resin supplier, to better control the manufacture of medical grade resins.
Those interested in the new Form 3B can view a live demo of the product to learn more, as shown in the tweet below.
Do you want an answer to your questions on Form 3B? On November 19, join our live product demo to learn more about our new Formlabs Dental business unit and the Form 3B ecosystem. Sign up today! co / NE2PubiaHV pic.twitter.com/vehYIMnbE313 November 2019, XNUMX