Initially we were only using the Formlabs printers for product design – now our manufacturing has started to use the 3D printers for their tooling as well. The use of the machines has been migrating down to manufacturing for one of the tools they use for building nest tool fixtures that they use within actual production.

Getting the Formlabs products in my hand, I will say that the industrial design is top notch. It is great, beautiful, and very intuitive to use. For me that was a pleasant surprise I wasn’t aware of.

These Formlabs printers run every single night, so there is a lot of iteration going on because it is easy and it’s quick and it’s low cost. By doing this we definitely end up with better designs.

Now there is a quicker turn around. Because we’re using the Formlabs printers, we can do everything right away, not even thinking about the costs. I have the option to go and do it right now, so by tomorrow I can have something in my hand that I can actually look at.

I am very pleased with the level of commitment and dedication that EAC has shown throughout our project. From the beginning of exploring our options of a PDM solution that would work best in our environment, EAC provided the value and confidence that was needed to allow Brinly-Hardy to improve its Product Development processes. They have the knowledge and experience necessary to get the job done. They are willing to work non-conventional hours to ensure the job is completed on time.

The reason for suggesting the Formlabs over the other low end SLS –  I’ve seen the accuracy that the SLS machines were capable of when I was doing the electrical pinning. Some guys had samples around and had been talking for quite a while about it.

Because we have 3 Formlabs printers now, we are able to make multiple parts for everyone. The flexibility in terms of being able to get a bunch of small parts printed means more efficiency for us.

Being able to prototype has been a huge selling tool for us on the custom side of our business. It’s all about getting customer feedback quickly.

My big push for getting the Formlabs printer was when I was doing some electrical connector design. For very long aspect holes or very small diameter holes that were very long or that had steps in them for retaining contacts, the objet printer just didn’t work well because I couldn’t clean out that material very well. And even if I did, the steps were filled in with that wax and I just couldn’t get any of the pins to stick – that’s where the Form 2 was excellent.

With the Formlabs 3D printer we can get the desired sizes and get a true prototype by injection molding prototyping. Looking at the computer is one thing but when you really print it out and get it the right size that you need – you’re able make adjustments on it to see how they fit and how you feel about it.

Resolution is a big deal for us because we make small round parts to be very general. The layer thickness is critical – especially if we are trying to do a little bit of light sealing and things like that. We found that the Formlabs printer was perfect for most of our needs.

So far the Formlabs printers have been exceeding our expectations compared to the last printers we used in terms of getting parts faster and quality.