Congrats on the launch of your custom glass resin tankā¦looks good Zak!
Greetings Everybody,
Iām very happy to announce that my glass-bottom resin trays are now available!
ā¢ Introducing the Z-Vat ā¢
All of the info on the trays, including features, testimonials and ordering can be found on my new website-
I want to thank you all for your encouragement, assistance, and patience through this development. Itās been quite a process, but I believe the rewards are great. So thanks.
Just a few things I wanted to mention here-
-Surely itās obvious via this thread, but please note that the Z-Vat is an aftermarket accessory product and is not manufactured, endorsed, or authorized by Formlabs Inc. for use on the Form 1/1+. Sales of such aftermarket products are between dealer and purchaser and are not authorized by Formlabs Inc.
-As you will find, Iām running monthly campaigns for limited production runs. This creates zero waste keeping costs down and the savings are returned to you. The current order period ends Dec. 25th, and orders ship in the order they are placed. Iām also offering free shipping in the US (and discounted shipping international) for this first campaign as a thank you. So order now to assure earliest delivery.
-I will also be offering a vat recoat service, or can provide info to help recoat on your own. Though the Z-Vat is extremely durable and should last a lifetime, the PDMS layer will wear and need to be eventually replaced just like other PDMS resin vats. More info soon about these services soon.
-Iām still working on the ordering system. For now itās a little rustic, a more streamlined system through the web will be coming soon. Thanks for your patience as I iron out the kinks.
-Lastly, Iām currently only offering the Z-Vat. But stay tuned for other products and services coming soon.
Any questions feel free to contact me. Hope youāre all having a great gear up for the holidays, and thanks again.
Zak
Do you have any plans for a vat for the form2?
What about the weight ? It looks very solid, so maybe is more heavy?
this means more stress for the peel mechanism, right?
Remember that the peeling mechanism requires more force to pull than to push due to the suction effect caused by the part being printed on the PDMS layer. So more weight may not be actual a bad thing.
Yes, the tank is a bit heavier due to the glass. When Iām back at my studio I can give a weight for both tanks.
However I would agree with Silvioās point. It seems that it shouldnāt cause extra strain.
Jason- Regarding a tray for the Form 2, it will be interesting to see the new tank and to see if it can be improved, it looks very different already from the press Iāve seen. So no exact plans until Iām able to do so. Iām eagerly anticipating checking out the new machine along with the rest of you.
I currently have over a dozen of these tanks. The fine quality of these
tanks are amazing considering how inexpensive they are. The caps are low
profile, so the glass and the juice within them become the focus of
attention. These are beautiful tanks.
The glass appears to be high quality with professionally finished edges.
The glass has proven be quite durable in my experience. My tanks have
rolled off a locker room bench onto a hard tile floor without breakage,
unlike a couple of tanks from another vendor whose glass shattered.
Hi Carson- Iām not sure which resin tray youāre speaking of, as I donāt believe they are the glass (bottomed) ones I produce. Though Iām glad youāre enjoying whatever it is you have! Where did you get them? Cheers.
-Z
Hi Everybody-
First, thank you all who have placed orders already. Iām working on production now and am excited to get you your tanks!
I just wanted to share a few updates.
- Iāve cleaned up my website to make ordering easier and direct. In addition Iāve added an option for a send-away vat recoating service, for those that would prefer not to re-coat at home.
Again, the link is www.ZvatIndustries.com
-
The limited batch production/ campaign system turned out to be more trouble then it was worth, so vats will be available in the store next month once I am caught up with standing orders. Until I have stock orders will still be produced/ship in the order they were placed, so if youād like yours earlier I recommend ordering now.
-
Iāve extended my free shipping promotion until the start of the New Year. So order before 11:59PM PST, Dec. 31st to get free shipping in the US and discounted shipping internationally.
Thanks, Happy Festivus, and an early Happy New Years to you all!
Hiya folks!
Iām stoked to share a great write up that was done on the Z-Vat from Hackaday.com. The cool thing about this article is that as much as it is about myself and the resin tray development, it is also about you- the forum members! In addition to the article being very well written I love the unique perspective it takes. It not just highlights a new product, but looks at a different approach to designing and developing something with the help of community. It makes for a more interesting and more rewarding read in my opinion.
So check it out- The Triumph of Open Design and the Birth of a FormLabs Aftermarket
Great kudos and thanks to forum member Joshua Vasquez for conceptualizing and catapulting this article. If you click on his name on the article you can find his other contributions to Hackaday, including some other pieces on Formlabs mods, projects and reviews.
Glass blocks mostly UVB and not much if any UVA, so there shouldnāt be any issues. This is why you can leave a print near a window to post cure it (if you do this make sure and rotate it every few mins though)
Hi ZVat_Industries, we are interested in a glass tank for the Form2. Do you have any plans?
Iād be highly interested in Z-vat for Form2 as well!
I hope to see glass tanks for the Form 2, too!
Form 2 version pretty please!
what is the status of the effort to design a glass tank for the form 2?
Hi folks- thank for your continued interest and Iām sorry developments have been slow. I donāt want to shoot myself in the foot by making a promise of a release date, but I will say Iām hoping to have something out in the next couple weeks.
Out of curiosity, for those already running a Form2 and interested in a new tank, Iām wondering what it is you would like to see changed? Is it only that the optical window is not glass? Or is there something more you donāt like about the current design?
Additionally, I am still looking to purchase used/spent Form2 trays. There was a post about it but it seems it is now locked from inactivity (btw- Am I the only one who canāt understand this forum feature? Really annoying). Here is the post with the info, if you have questions just ask.
Thanks all,
-Z
Iām mostly interested in the optical window yes. Itās a concern when you have to replace the tanks quite often 