Formlabs acquisition of Micronics: Difference between revisions
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===SLS technology & the price barrier=== | ===SLS technology & the price barrier=== | ||
Selective laser sintering uses a laser to fuse polymer powder into solid parts layer by layer. Unlike FDM or resin printing, SLS requires no support structures because unfused powder surrounds each part during the build. This allows complex geometries & dense part nesting across the full build volume.<ref name="hackster">{{Cite web |date=2024-06-18 |title=Micron Brings SLS 3D Printing to the Desktop |url=https://www.hackster.io/news/micron-brings-sls-3d-printing-to-the-desktop-2b8780632541 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/ji255 |archive-date=7 Apr 2026 |access-date=2026-04-04 |website=Hackster.io}}</ref> SLS parts are printed in engineering thermoplastics like Nylon PA12, producing components that are isotropic, chemically resistant, & mechanically strong enough for end-use applications.<ref name="3dpi-specs">{{Cite web |date=2024-06-13 |title=Micronics unveils its innovative SLS 3D printer offering |url=https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/micronics-unveils-its-innovative-sls-3d-printer-offering-230956/ |url-status= | Selective laser sintering uses a laser to fuse polymer powder into solid parts layer by layer. Unlike FDM or resin printing, SLS requires no support structures because unfused powder surrounds each part during the build. This allows complex geometries & dense part nesting across the full build volume.<ref name="hackster">{{Cite web |date=2024-06-18 |title=Micron Brings SLS 3D Printing to the Desktop |url=https://www.hackster.io/news/micron-brings-sls-3d-printing-to-the-desktop-2b8780632541 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/ji255 |archive-date=7 Apr 2026 |access-date=2026-04-04 |website=Hackster.io}}</ref> SLS parts are printed in engineering thermoplastics like Nylon PA12, producing components that are isotropic, chemically resistant, & mechanically strong enough for end-use applications.<ref name="3dpi-specs">{{Cite web |date=2024-06-13 |title=Micronics unveils its innovative SLS 3D printer offering |url=https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/micronics-unveils-its-innovative-sls-3d-printer-offering-230956/ |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613174018/https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/micronics-unveils-its-innovative-sls-3d-printer-offering-230956/ |archive-date=13 Jun 2024 |access-date=2026-04-04 |website=3D Printing Industry}}</ref> | ||
These advantages come at a cost. Desktop SLS machines have historically required high-wattage CO2 or fiber lasers, multi-zone thermal management systems, & enclosed powder handling with HEPA filtration to mitigate inhalation hazards. Before 2024, the cheapest fully assembled desktop SLS printer was the Sinterit Lisa at roughly $13,990.<ref name="3dsourced">{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=Best Lower-Cost Desktop SLS 3D Printers in 2024 |url=https://www.3dsourced.com/3d-printers/sls-3d-printer/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/lte84 |archive-date=7 Apr 2026 |access-date=2026-04-04 |website=3DSourced}}</ref> Formlabs' Fuse 1+ 30W starter package costs $24,999.<ref name="fuse-pricing" /> | These advantages come at a cost. Desktop SLS machines have historically required high-wattage CO2 or fiber lasers, multi-zone thermal management systems, & enclosed powder handling with HEPA filtration to mitigate inhalation hazards. Before 2024, the cheapest fully assembled desktop SLS printer was the Sinterit Lisa at roughly $13,990.<ref name="3dsourced">{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=Best Lower-Cost Desktop SLS 3D Printers in 2024 |url=https://www.3dsourced.com/3d-printers/sls-3d-printer/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/lte84 |archive-date=7 Apr 2026 |access-date=2026-04-04 |website=3DSourced}}</ref> Formlabs' Fuse 1+ 30W starter package costs $24,999.<ref name="fuse-pricing" /> | ||