05-17-2013: Formlabs started shipping the first The Form 1 3D printers

The shipments concerned 3D printers ordered during the Kickstarter campaign in 2012

On May 17, 2013, Formlabs announced that it had begun shipping the first Form 1 3D printers to customers. The company had launched the Form 1 on Kickstarter in September 2012, securing pledges for over 1,000 units within just one month. A total of 2,068 backers pledged $2,945,885 to help bring the project to life, making it the most funded 3D printer on Kickstarter at that time.

Altogether, 2,068 backers contributed nearly $3 million (specifically $2,945,885), making the Form 1 the largest community-funded 3D printer project on Kickstarter at that time. Today, with the benefit of hindsight, it’s clear that the campaign was not only a success but also marked the beginning of Formlabs’ rapid growth into one of the key players in the additive manufacturing industry.

The Form 1 printer utilized SLA (stereolithography) technology, which involves curing resin using a laser light source, enabling the creation of layers as thin as 25 microns (0.001 inches). The printer's build volume was 125 × 125 × 165 mm, allowing for the production of relatively small but extremely precise objects.

Compared to the FDM printers available at the time, the Form 1 offered significantly higher print quality, quickly becoming a leader in its class in terms of price-to-performance ratio.

Shortly after its debut, in response to user feedback, the company released an improved version called the Form 1+, which addressed several shortcomings of the original model. The success of the Form 1 contributed to the growing popularity of SLA technology among both professionals and hobbyists, and it solidified Formlabs’ position as an innovative manufacturer of solutions for industry and education.

Source: www.formlabs.com