The New "Bags" of Powder

Side note… I just had a Fuse 1+ swap done with all the issues I had over the year. With the brand new Fuse 1+ received last week, it is night and day in smoothness on the first print compared to the other that was really “clunky” in its movements.

On my second print however, I had to abort it due to contamination in the print. I knew this was going to happen as I had just went a few weeks without running a print and I still had a half bag of Nylon 12 rolled up tight and in the box but even so, it is tough not to think a small micro hair or dust clinging to that bag as you try and pour the rest into the fresh Sift hopper, is not going to happen.

Even if the bag is clean, “static cling” is a real thing and darn near impossible not to introduce contamination into the system…

I reported this and was told “We did transition to bags as most other SLS powder ecosystems are shipped in this way and we wanted to match industry standards.”

I think it will only change when we all start shifting to another brand of powder that is “not inline with these industry standards”…

Like these

or these

or these

or these

I believe Formlabs reasoning for doing this is for “the environment” as much as I believe Apple when they stopped putting charging blocks in with new iPhones to help save the environment and/or when Milk, motor oil, bottled water, laundry detergent and everything else sold out there in MUCH higher volumes than SLS powder…is still in jugs.

I mean heck…Protein powder is sold in those same plastic jugs at MUCH higher volume and done so to prevent moisture and outside humidity into the powder…

The bags from a usability standpoint just does not make sense in this system…somebody F’ed up…the original jugs were “PERFECT” with no contamination possible!

I do however have hope…that they will see the light of day, when people start finding alternative powder providers. :crossed_fingers:

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Ok, i´ll continue to speculate.

If we turn to other materialproviders, that will benefit Formlabs even more as we first of all need to purchase the open material license and they don´t have to provide any service for the machines. I highly doubt any of the cheap materials in jugs will be covered in Formlabs “approved” list.

Win win for Formlabs if machines break down and we have to buy another printer.

Again, pure speculation, and yes my faith in Formlabs have taken some serious hits during the past few years.

(correct me if im wrong about the open material license, im tired and its morning here. :wink: )