Formlabs: Difference between revisions
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'''Formlabs''' is a 3D printing company that charges its customers $875 to $11,899 per printer for the permission to use third-party materials on hardware they already own.<ref name="formlabs-omm-store">{{Cite web |title=Open Material Mode |url=https://formlabs.com/store/materials/open-material-mode/ |website=Formlabs |access-date=2026-04-04 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260116171208/https://formlabs.com/store/materials/open-material-mode/ |archive-date=2026-01-16}}</ref> In July 2024, Formlabs acquired Micronics, a startup building a $2,999 desktop SLS printer funded on Kickstarter, & immediately canceled the product.<ref name="formlabs-acquires-micronics">{{Cite web |title=Formlabs Acquires Micronics to Develop the Next Generation of Accessible SLS |url=https://formlabs.com/blog/formlabs-acquires-micronics/ |website=Formlabs |date=2024-07-11}}</ref> The cheapest SLS printer Formlabs sells starts at $28,989; the Micron would have cost roughly 1/10th that price.<ref name="formlabs-sls-pricing">{{Cite web |title=How to Compare SLS 3D Printer Prices |url=https://formlabs.com/blog/selective-laser-sintering-sls-3d-printer-price/ |website=Formlabs |access-date=2026-04-04}}</ref><ref name="3dprint-micronics" | '''Formlabs''' is a 3D printing company that charges its customers $875 to $11,899 per printer for the permission to use third-party materials on hardware they already own.<ref name="formlabs-omm-store">{{Cite web |title=Open Material Mode |url=https://formlabs.com/store/materials/open-material-mode/ |website=Formlabs |access-date=2026-04-04 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260116171208/https://formlabs.com/store/materials/open-material-mode/ |archive-date=2026-01-16}}</ref> In July 2024, Formlabs acquired Micronics, a startup building a $2,999 desktop SLS printer funded on Kickstarter, & immediately canceled the product.<ref name="formlabs-acquires-micronics">{{Cite web |title=Formlabs Acquires Micronics to Develop the Next Generation of Accessible SLS |url=https://formlabs.com/blog/formlabs-acquires-micronics/ |website=Formlabs |date=2024-07-11}}</ref><ref name="3dprint-micronics">{{Cite web |title=Formlabs Buys Nascent SLS 3D Printer Competitor Micronics |url=https://3dprint.com/311327/formlabs-buys-nascent-sls-3d-printer-competitor-micronics/ |website=3DPrint.com |date=2024-07-11}}</ref> The cheapest SLS printer Formlabs sells starts at $28,989; the Micron would have cost roughly 1/10th that price.<ref name="formlabs-sls-pricing">{{Cite web |title=How to Compare SLS 3D Printer Prices |url=https://formlabs.com/blog/selective-laser-sintering-sls-3d-printer-price/ |website=Formlabs |access-date=2026-04-04}}</ref><ref name="3dprint-micronics" /> Founded in 2011 by MIT Media Lab students Maxim Lobovsky, David Cranor, & Natan Linder, the company raised $2.95 million on Kickstarter for its first printer & has since raised over $230 million in venture funding.<ref name="wikipedia-formlabs">{{Cite web |title=Formlabs |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formlabs |website=Wikipedia |access-date=2026-04-04}}</ref> | ||
== Consumer-impact summary == | == Consumer-impact summary == | ||
* Formlabs charges a per-printer license fee ranging from $875 (Form 4) to $11,899 (Fuse 1 series) for the permission to use third-party materials on hardware the customer already owns.<ref name="formlabs-omm-store" /> | * Formlabs charges a per-printer license fee ranging from $875 (Form 4) to $11,899 (Fuse 1 series) for the permission to use third-party materials on hardware the customer already owns.<ref name="formlabs-omm-store" /> | ||
* The company acquired Micronics in July 2024 & canceled the Micron, a $2,999 SLS 3D printer that had raised over £1 million from 431 Kickstarter backers.<ref name=" | * The company acquired Micronics in July 2024 & canceled the Micron, a $2,999 SLS 3D printer that had raised over £1 million from 431 Kickstarter backers.<ref name="3dprint-micronics" /><ref name="develop3d-micronics" /> Formlabs' own SLS printer, the Fuse 1+ 30W, starts at $28,989.<ref name="formlabs-sls-pricing" /> | ||
* The Form 2 uses proprietary DRM-chipped resin cartridges. Formlabs committed to supplying consumables through 2023, then left the end date ambiguous; by September 2024 consumables were still available but with no guaranteed supply timeline.<ref name="formlabs-forum-form2-support">{{Cite web |title=Ongoing Support for the Form 2 |url=https://forum.formlabs.com/t/ongoing-support-for-the-form-2/22871 |website=Formlabs Community Forum |date=2019-04}}</ref><ref name="formlabs-forum-form2-consumables">{{Cite web |title=Form 2 availability of consumables |url=https://forum.formlabs.com/t/form-2-availability-of-consumables/39108 |website=Formlabs Community Forum |date=2024-09}}</ref> | * The Form 2 uses proprietary DRM-chipped resin cartridges. Formlabs committed to supplying consumables through 2023, then left the end date ambiguous; by September 2024 consumables were still available but with no guaranteed supply timeline.<ref name="formlabs-forum-form2-support">{{Cite web |title=Ongoing Support for the Form 2 |url=https://forum.formlabs.com/t/ongoing-support-for-the-form-2/22871 |website=Formlabs Community Forum |date=2019-04-02}}</ref><ref name="formlabs-forum-form2-consumables">{{Cite web |title=Form 2 availability of consumables |url=https://forum.formlabs.com/t/form-2-availability-of-consumables/39108 |website=Formlabs Community Forum |date=2024-09-17}}</ref> | ||
== Incidents == | == Incidents == | ||
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SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) printers use a laser to fuse nylon powder into parts without support structures. Traditional industrial SLS machines from manufacturers like EOS & 3D Systems cost $200,000 to $500,000 or more.<ref name="formlabs-sls-pricing" /> Formlabs' own SLS offering, the Fuse 1+ 30W, starts at $28,989.<ref name="formlabs-sls-pricing" /> The Micron at $2,999 would have undercut the Fuse 1+ 30W by roughly 10x.<ref name="3dprint-micronics" /> | SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) printers use a laser to fuse nylon powder into parts without support structures. Traditional industrial SLS machines from manufacturers like EOS & 3D Systems cost $200,000 to $500,000 or more.<ref name="formlabs-sls-pricing" /> Formlabs' own SLS offering, the Fuse 1+ 30W, starts at $28,989.<ref name="formlabs-sls-pricing" /> The Micron at $2,999 would have undercut the Fuse 1+ 30W by roughly 10x.<ref name="3dprint-micronics" /> | ||
Formlabs CEO Max Lobovsky acknowledged this price gap in an interview with TechCrunch, stating that Formlabs had achieved a "5x leap in starting price" with the Fuse 1 & that Micronics was "trying to do another 5x beyond that."<ref name="techcrunch-micronics">{{Cite web |title=Formlabs acquires 3D printing startup Micronics mid-Kickstarter campaign |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/07/11/formlabs-acquires-3d-printing-startup-micronics-mid-kickstarter-campaign/ |website=TechCrunch |date=2024-07-11}}</ref> | Formlabs CEO Max Lobovsky acknowledged this price gap in an interview with TechCrunch, stating that Formlabs had achieved a "5x leap in starting price" with the Fuse 1 & that Micronics was "trying to do another 5x beyond that."<ref name="techcrunch-micronics">{{Cite web |title=Formlabs acquires 3D printing startup Micronics mid-Kickstarter campaign |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/07/11/formlabs-acquires-3d-printing-startup-micronics-mid-kickstarter-campaign/ |website=TechCrunch |date=2024-07-11}}</ref> Per Tom's Hardware, "Boppart will join the software side of Formlabs while Chan will lead the development of Formlabs next generation printers."<ref name="tomshardware-micronics">{{Cite web |title=David vs Goliath: Desktop SLS Kickstarter Ends with Acquisition |url=https://www.tomshardware.com/3d-printing/david-vs-goliath-desktop-sls-kickstarter-ends-with-acquisition |website=Tom's Hardware |first=Denise |last=Bertacchi |date=2024-07-11}}</ref> The Micronics brand was discontinued & the Kickstarter was canceled.<ref name="techcrunch-micronics" /> | ||
Tom's Hardware headlined its coverage "David vs Goliath" & reported that the Micronics branding would be discontinued.<ref name="tomshardware-micronics" | Tom's Hardware headlined its coverage "David vs Goliath" & reported that the Micronics branding would be discontinued.<ref name="tomshardware-micronics" /> 3D Printing Industry reported the acquisition as producing "new accessible SLS 3D printers forthcoming," but no such product has shipped as of April 2026.<ref name="3dprintingindustry-micronics">{{Cite web |title=Formlabs acquires Micronics, new accessible SLS 3D printers forthcoming |url=https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/formlabs-acquires-micronics-new-accessible-sls-3d-printers-forthcoming-231608/ |website=3D Printing Industry |date=2024-07-11}}</ref> | ||
Formlabs offered backers a full refund plus a $1,000 credit toward any current or future Formlabs printer & a free Open Material License.<ref name="formlabs-press-micronics" /><ref name="formlabs-forum-backer-breach" /> By December 2024, backers reported on the Formlabs forum that the promised $1,000 credit had not been delivered months after submission. Some backers who attempted to use their credit toward a Fuse 1 purchase were denied a $5,000 discount for unspecified reasons. The forum thread was auto-closed in July 2025.<ref name="formlabs-forum-backer-breach">{{Cite web |title=Formlabs' breach of promised Open Material License and $1000 credit to Micronics Kickstarter Backer |url=https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-breach-of-promised-open-material-license-and-1000-credit-to-micronics-kickstarter-backer/40715 |website=Formlabs Community Forum |date=2024-12-27}}</ref> A $1,000 credit toward a $28,989 SLS printer represents a 3.4% discount for backers who had pledged for a $2,999 machine. | Formlabs offered backers a full refund plus a $1,000 credit toward any current or future Formlabs printer & a free Open Material License.<ref name="formlabs-press-micronics">{{Cite web |title=Formlabs Acquires Micronics to Further Advance Accessible SLS 3D Printing |url=https://formlabs.com/company/press/formlabs-acquires-micronics/ |website=Formlabs |date=2024-07-11}}</ref><ref name="formlabs-forum-backer-breach" /> By December 2024, backers reported on the Formlabs forum that the promised $1,000 credit had not been delivered months after submission. Some backers who attempted to use their credit toward a Fuse 1 purchase were denied a $5,000 discount for unspecified reasons. The forum thread was auto-closed in July 2025.<ref name="formlabs-forum-backer-breach">{{Cite web |title=Formlabs' breach of promised Open Material License and $1000 credit to Micronics Kickstarter Backer |url=https://forum.formlabs.com/t/formlabs-breach-of-promised-open-material-license-and-1000-credit-to-micronics-kickstarter-backer/40715 |website=Formlabs Community Forum |date=2024-12-27}}</ref> A $1,000 credit toward a $28,989 SLS printer represents a 3.4% discount for backers who had pledged for a $2,999 machine. | ||
=== Open Material Mode === | === Open Material Mode === | ||
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Formlabs requires a one-time per-printer software license to unlock the use of third-party resins & powders on its printers. The license, called Open Material Mode, costs $875 for the Form 4, $1,999 for the Form 3 series, $2,499 for the Form 4B, $3,999 for the Form 3L series, $4,999 for the Form 4L, & $11,899 for the Fuse 1 series.<ref name="formlabs-omm-store" /> Without the license, users can only load Formlabs' proprietary DRM-chipped resin cartridges. | Formlabs requires a one-time per-printer software license to unlock the use of third-party resins & powders on its printers. The license, called Open Material Mode, costs $875 for the Form 4, $1,999 for the Form 3 series, $2,499 for the Form 4B, $3,999 for the Form 3L series, $4,999 for the Form 4L, & $11,899 for the Fuse 1 series.<ref name="formlabs-omm-store" /> Without the license, users can only load Formlabs' proprietary DRM-chipped resin cartridges. | ||
Formlabs | On the Formlabs community forum in September 2023, Form 3 pre-order customer rkagerer stated that paying "$6k (per printer!) for the capability" might "expose them to litigation risk given the original marketing and sales assurances" that Open Mode on the Form 3 had been promised pre-release. Another user, Reine, asked "Is Formlabs idea to charge me three times the cost of a printer to use 3rd party resins?!" Other commenters wrote that "no normal person is going to buy a 6k add on" and questioned who would buy the $6k option.<ref name="formlabs-forum-oml-6k">{{Cite web |title=Open Material License $6k per printer |url=https://forum.formlabs.com/t/open-material-license-6k-per-printer/36905 |website=Formlabs Community Forum |date=2023-09-12 |access-date=2026-04-08}}</ref> Formlabs' current tiered pricing on its store lists $1,999 for the Form 3 series and $875 for the Form 4.<ref name="formlabs-omm-store" /> | ||
The license is free for accredited educational institutions.<ref name="formlabs-omm-store" /> As of January 2026, Open Material Mode is included with new Form 4B & 4BL purchases, but owners who bought the same printers before that date must pay the full license fee.<ref name="formlabs-forum-4b-omm">{{Cite web |title=PSA to All form Form 4B & 4BL owners (Open material mode) |url=https://forum.formlabs.com/t/psa-to-all-form-form-4b-4bl-owners-open-material-mode/46199 |website=Formlabs Community Forum |date=2026- | The license is free for accredited educational institutions.<ref name="formlabs-omm-store" /> As of January 2026, Open Material Mode is included with new Form 4B & 4BL purchases, but owners who bought the same printers before that date must pay the full license fee.<ref name="formlabs-forum-4b-omm">{{Cite web |title=PSA to All form Form 4B & 4BL owners (Open material mode) |url=https://forum.formlabs.com/t/psa-to-all-form-form-4b-4bl-owners-open-material-mode/46199 |website=Formlabs Community Forum |date=2026-03-27}}</ref> Formlabs' warranty terms state that failure modes caused by third-party materials are excluded from standard warranty coverage, adding financial risk on top of the license cost.<ref name="formlabs-omm-store" /> | ||
=== Form 2 deprecation === | === Form 2 deprecation === | ||
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By September 2024, nine months past the stated deadline, Form 2 consumables were still available but Formlabs hadn't provided a firm end date. Users requested concrete timelines to plan investment decisions; Formlabs didn't respond in the thread.<ref name="formlabs-forum-form2-consumables" /> Once Formlabs stops selling Form 2-compatible cartridges, owners of the $3,500 printer will have no official consumable supply. The printer becomes unusable even though the hardware itself still works.<ref name="formlabs-forum-form2-support" /> | By September 2024, nine months past the stated deadline, Form 2 consumables were still available but Formlabs hadn't provided a firm end date. Users requested concrete timelines to plan investment decisions; Formlabs didn't respond in the thread.<ref name="formlabs-forum-form2-consumables" /> Once Formlabs stops selling Form 2-compatible cartridges, owners of the $3,500 printer will have no official consumable supply. The printer becomes unusable even though the hardware itself still works.<ref name="formlabs-forum-form2-support" /> | ||
Third-party developers attempted workarounds. ProtoART produced a Universal Cartridge, a DIY modification kit installed into an existing cartridge that allowed third-party resin use with heater & wiper functions enabled.<ref name="protoart-cartridge">{{Cite web |title=A Universal Cartridge For Form 2 3D Printers, But Should You Use It? |url=https://www.fabbaloo.com/2019/09/a-universal-cartridge-for-form-2-3d-printers-but-should-you-use-it |website=Fabbaloo |date=2019-09}}</ref> The Universal Cartridge is compatible only with Formlabs firmware versions through 2.2.0; the product reached end of life & is available only while supplies last.<ref name="protoart-site">{{Cite web |title=Universal Cartridge Module for Formlabs |url=https://www.lectronz.com/products/universal-cartridge-for-formlabs-form-2-form-3 |website=Lectronz |access-date=2026-04-04}}</ref> | Third-party developers attempted workarounds. ProtoART produced a Universal Cartridge, a DIY modification kit installed into an existing cartridge that allowed third-party resin use with heater & wiper functions enabled.<ref name="protoart-cartridge">{{Cite web |title=A Universal Cartridge For Form 2 3D Printers, But Should You Use It? |url=https://www.fabbaloo.com/2019/09/a-universal-cartridge-for-form-2-3d-printers-but-should-you-use-it |website=Fabbaloo |date=2019-09-12}}</ref> The Universal Cartridge is compatible only with Formlabs firmware versions through 2.2.0; the product reached end of life & is available only while supplies last.<ref name="protoart-site">{{Cite web |title=Universal Cartridge Module for Formlabs |url=https://www.lectronz.com/products/universal-cartridge-for-formlabs-form-2-form-3 |website=Lectronz |access-date=2026-04-04}}</ref> | ||
== Products == | == Products == | ||
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[[Category:Formlabs]] | [[Category:Formlabs]] | ||
[[Category:3D | [[Category:3D printing]] | ||
[[Category:Planned | [[Category:Planned obsolescence]] | ||