Formlabs Large-Format SLA Scaling Production Case Study
One Printer Replaces Three: How Additium3D Scaled Production with Form 4L
Additium3D, a Spanish additive manufacturing service provider, replaced three low-cost resin printers with one Form 4L, improving production capacity while reducing print failures, manual handling, and workplace safety risks.
Additium3D provides end-to-end digital manufacturing services to businesses, covering consulting, 3D design, 3D scanning, and 3D printing technologies such as Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Stereolithography (SLA), and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS).
Low-cost resin printing equipment initially helped Additium3D increase production capacity and acquire important clients, but print failures, dust, resin exposure, and extensive manual handling gradually became a burden on their production facility.
From Three Low-Cost Resin Printers to One Form 4L
Resin printing technology helped Additium3D win a major client, but an approximate 30% print failure rate resulted in resin waste, reprint time, and additional labor costs. Resin exposure issues also affected staff.
In 2025, Additium3D replaced its three Phrozen Mega printers with one Form 4L. While the initial equipment investment for the Form 4L was higher, its actual output, reliability, post-processing efficiency, and reduced labor requirements made its overall production costs more competitive.
"Considering the production efficiency and reliability of the Form 4L, we achieved the same output as our previous three Phrozen Mega printers using just one Form 4L."
Guillermo Navarro, Director, Additium3D
Hidden Costs of Low-Cost Resin Printers
As an additive manufacturing service provider, Additium3D selects the most suitable process based on part mechanical properties, appearance, lead time, cost, and output.
Suitable for cost-sensitive projects, direct color printing, or some large prototype needs.
Suitable for high productivity, higher mechanical strength, and isotropic requirements.
Suitable for parts requiring fine surfaces, smooth textures, paint finishes, or special engineering materials.
Additium3D initially used three low-cost resin printers to provide SLA services, but equipment reliability, print failures, and resin handling requirements led to actual costs exceeding expectations.
When labor time, failed materials, reprints, and post-processing are all factored in, a single Form 4L can achieve higher output with fewer equipment interactions.
"When clients prioritize maximum surface detail and ultra-smooth surfaces, resin printing, especially the Form 4L, is our preferred choice."
Guillermo Navarro, Director, Additium3D
Improving Workplace Safety and Production Environment
After a severe flood in October 2024, workplace safety became a critical consideration for Additium3D's management team. The company decided to prioritize employee health over simply maximizing profits.
Additium3D stated that the original low-cost resin workflow presented significant environmental and exposure issues, with one employee even experiencing eyelid irritation from resin contact, requiring medical treatment.
Formlabs states that its resin development process does not use 4-acryloyl morpholine (ACMO). The resin cartridges, resin tanks, automatic resin delivery system, and smart sensors are designed to minimize operational contact and simplify the workflow.
"The cleanliness and health and safety conditions of our production facility have improved. Additionally, clients now recognize the print quality of the Form 4L and are willing to pay a higher price for higher quality parts."
Guillermo Navarro, Director, Additium3D
Print Speed More Aligned with Production Shifts
Additium3D initially used three Phrozen Mega 8K printers to meet production demands with their combined build volume. However, actual print times did not always match software estimates, and sometimes, the inability to complete two shifts per day led to a production capacity reduction of up to 50%.
The Form 4L's build volume is similar to the Phrozen Mega, but its print speed and reliability allowed Additium3D to exceed the overall effective output of the original three printers with a single device.
The Form 4L's printing rhythm can accommodate daily work shifts, completing up to three full jobs per day. Additium3D averages two large parts per workday and can also produce medium-sized high-end decorative items, statues, functional prototypes, and end-use parts.
"The key difference lies in the Form 4L's production efficiency, reliability, and overall performance. Its print speed perfectly aligns with daily shifts, allowing us to complete up to three full jobs per day."
Guillermo Navarro, Director, Additium3D
Reliability and Quality Consistency Reduce Actual Costs
Print failures not only waste resin but also increase time for reprinting, cleaning equipment, rescheduling, and manual handling. Even if a printer is advertised as fast, if parts need to be reprinted, the actual delivery time can double.
Additium3D reported that the failure rate of their previous equipment exceeded 30%, due to issues such as platform adhesion, firmware errors, and unstable results. Although the unit price of low-cost resin was about half that of Formlabs resin, the material and time lost due to failures made the actual cost per qualified part similar.
| Comparison Item | Low-Cost Resin Printing Equipment | Form 4L |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment Configuration | Three Phrozen Mega printers | One Form 4L printer |
| Print Failure / Problem Rate | Over 30% | Under 1% |
| Equipment Interaction | Multiple devices require separate management | Single large build platform for centralized management |
| Post-Processing | More surface defects and support handling | Fewer support marks, simplified process |
| Actual Cost | Lower material unit price, but increased reprints and labor | Higher initial investment, but better effective output and reliability |
Mass production also demands consistent quality across batches of parts. Surface defects such as pinholes, resin cracks, layer misalignment, warping, and layer separation become particularly noticeable after painting.
Additium3D reported that Form 4L printed parts have a failure or defect rate of less than 1%. This result is close to the 98.7% print success rate achieved by Form 4 in independent tests.
PreForm Simplifies Print Preparation and Quoting
Every step in the production workflow affects service provider efficiency. Formlabs' print preparation software, PreForm, automatically assists with part orientation, arrangement, and support generation.
Additium3D found that some slicing software might miss critical support locations or place supports in areas detrimental to appearance and post-processing.
- Automatically arrange parts and detect model interferences.
- Create more compact, lighter, and easier-to-remove support structures.
- Fit more parts on the same build platform.
- Provide print time and material usage estimates.
- Assist service providers in quickly quoting and scheduling production.
"PreForm's design is simple yet intelligent, making support structures more compact, lighter, and easier to remove. Compared to previous solutions, twice as many parts can be placed on the same platform."
Carlos Navarro, CTO, Additium3D
Versatile, High-Performance Formlabs Resins
"For teams involved in large-scale prototyping and wanting to test various high-performance materials, Formlabs technical resins offer application possibilities rarely seen in equipment at the same price point."
Guillermo Navarro, Director, Additium3D
Suitable for realistic display prototypes and parts requiring subsequent painting and finishing.
Suitable for visual models and functional parts mimicking glass or transparent plastics.
Soft, transparent, and flexible material, suitable for high flexibility testing parts.
Additium3D initially primarily used Clear Resin V5 and White Resin V5, as these two general-purpose materials are suitable for the display models, transparent parts, and painted prototypes they undertake.
The company also partnered with clients to introduce Elastic 50A Resin. This transparent elastomer with a Shore hardness of 50A can be used for testing parts requiring high flexibility.
In addition, Durable Resin, which has mechanical properties similar to polyethylene, can be used for squeezable prototypes, low-friction parts, and fixtures and jigs that withstand significant impact.
Expanding Additive Manufacturing Services with Form 4L
"Whether for small-batch production or high-end functional prototypes, the Form 4L is a powerful and versatile tool. We can go from concept to part in hours, validate complex geometries, and efficiently produce single pieces to medium-batch products."
Guillermo Navarro, Director, Additium3D
Next Steps: Expanding SLA, SLS, and Biomedical Material Services
As Additium3D takes on more projects, the company is expanding its overall 3D printing solutions, including installing the Fuse SLS printing and post-processing ecosystem, to increase nylon part production capabilities.
The team is also considering introducing the Form 4B to expand its material service offerings to include biocompatible resins, and potentially adding a second Form 4L to further enhance large-format SLA production capacity.
Through FDM, SLA, SLS, and more engineering materials, Additium3D can provide more comprehensive digital manufacturing solutions tailored to client part performance, appearance, quantity, lead time, and budget.