I have been a Formlabs user for several years now and use the Form 2 and Form 3 almost daily. I have really been through a lot with the Form 2 - problems with the tank, firmware, bad prints or dust on the galvanometers. It took a lot of my time but Formlabs eventually got it right and the results are really good and the Form 2 runs consistently. I start a print that is supposed to print for 4 hours and usually after 4 - 4.5 hours I get the email that the print is complete! Bravo!
Now we turn to the Form 3 printer:
I have had some problems with this printer as well - tank leaking, bad prints due to a bad tank V1 and V2. Startup problems is what I would call it - we were one of the first buyers!
Nevertheless, I can not understand that the Form 3 still can not reasonably calculate and display the remaining time of a print.
A quick example from my day today:
- Print sent from PreForm to the Form 3.
- Estimated print time: 3:30h. Material: Rigid 10K / Tank: V2.1 (New)
- 300-400ml filled from the cartridge into the new tank so that the tank is filled faster! Otherwise it would all take much longer!
- 3D printing started.
- First the mix temperature of 31°C must be reached before anything happens in the Form 3.
- After more than an hour, the temperature was reached and the printer had to fill more resin into the tank. That also took another 30-45min.
I thought to myself. OK - It is just a new tank and then it takes a little longer at the beginning. - After the tank was filled, a message appears on the display that the temperature must be heated to 33°C to start the print.
- It takes another 30-45min! But now it can start!
- But unfortunately not yet! Now the display jumps to 34°C which has to be reached to start the 3D printing! Really now? Why first 33° and now 34°C?
- The printer is located in a normal office next to my Form 2 and it takes again over 45min. until the desired temperature is reached! But now it finally starts!
- The first layer should be printed now! Once again the printer does NOTHING. The build platform does not lower itself into the tank. Why? What is the printer still missing? Again 2min. later it finally starts!
- The display jumps over and shows a remaining time of 22min! You’re kidding, right? Not even one layer is printed and the Form 3 thinks 22min. would be the remaining time?
- But the worst thing is that the printing, which was calculated with 3:30h, always takes more time. Even if the tank is filled, everything is heated up and the print could start directly, the Form 3 needs longer time! Why?
@Formlabs: I would rather see 5 hours of printing time in PreForm and at the printer and the print is completed after 4.5 hours than to see 3 hours of printing time in PreForm and at the printer and then the print takes 5 hours in reality! Please revise your firmware in the printer and the calculated time in PreForm!