Top all-time · #989
Formlabs
Company blog · formlabs.com/blog · on HN as iammaxushardwaredesign
Formlabs is the company blog at formlabs.com, writing about hardware and design. Since 2012, 69 different Hacker News readers have linked it 96 times, most often “Creating Camera Lenses with Stereolithography”. No feed was found, so read it on the site itself.
Rarely recommended · 1 of 40 sampled comments recommend it?
Why HN links it
HN readers link Formlabs blog posts for technical explanations of 3D printing, especially resin/SLA printing, materials, and applications in medicine, dentistry and lens-making.
- Recommended for · 1 comments
- One commenter calls the post on creating camera lenses with stereolithography a fun read.1
Summarised by Claude from a sample of 40 HN comments that link here. Each comment is marked recommending, critical or neutral (citing without judging); how this works.
Formlabs is the largest supplier of professional stereolithography (SLA) and selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printers in the world.
Most-linked posts?
- Creating Camera Lenses with Stereolithography6 people · 6 mentions · first linked 2018-05-14
- Formlabs: High Resolution 3D Printer2 people · 4 mentions · first linked 2012-09-19
- Fuse 1 SLS 3D Printer2 people · 2 mentions · first linked 2017-06-08
- Formlabs announces the Form 2 3D printer2 people · 2 mentions · first linked 2015-09-22
- /2 people · 2 mentions · first linked 2017-01-11
- Formlabs Acquires Micronics to Develop the Next Generation of Accessible SLS2 people · 2 mentions · first linked 2024-07-11
- Formlabs Support Network for Covid-19 Response2 people · 2 mentions · first linked 2020-03-23
- Designing a 3D-Printed Acoustic Violin2 people · 2 mentions · first linked 2016-08-10
- Why Agile Engineering Is the Future of Product Design2 people · 2 mentions · first linked 2016-03-09
- Formlabs introduces new 3D printer – Form 22 people · 2 mentions · first linked 2015-09-22
What Hacker News says?
There are companies out there working on swabs. e.g. Formlabs designed an autoclavable, 3D-printed nasopharyngeal swab using biocompatible Dental resin, in concert with local hospitals. They received FDA Class 1 Exempt status from the CDC and are printing some 150K per day. https://formlabs.com/covid-19-response/covid-test-swabs/ https://www.plasticstoday.com/medical/formlabs-3d-printing-m... https://formlabs.com/co…
Comment linking /covid-19-response/
on “We’re working on 1M Covid-19 testing capacity per day”Submitted Formlabs Studio 1 $699 Resin Printer as a story · 227 points
HN discussionFormlabs | Cambridge, MA | 3D Printing Full-stack, Backend & UI Developers, Web Lead, Software Lead, Embedded Engineer | Full-time | Visa Formlabs' (Formlabs.com) software is at the center of our product development, as it bridges the transition from digital models to physical form in 3D printing. Engineering at Formlabs combines the technical sophistication typical of high-end industrial applications with the fast-…
Comment linking /company/careers/usa/
on “Ask HN: Who is hiring? (October 2017)”Submitted Formlabs: High Resolution 3D Printer as a story · 191 points
HN discussionYes and yes, though there are lots of caveats as to material types used. Whitepaper from formlabs here: https://formlabs.com/blog/3d-printing-for-injection-molding/
Comment linking /blog/3d-printing-for-injection-molding/
on “Italian hospital saves Covid-19 patients by 3D printing valves”Submitted I printed a huge batch of connectors to make a 15ft structure out of plastic as a story · 100 points
HN discussionFormlabs | Boston, MA | Onsite | Full-time | THE COMPANY: Formlabs is a team of engineers, designers, and problem-solvers who make 3D printing tools for professionals. Started out of MIT in 2011, we’ve grown into a 400+ people company with multiple offices around the world. Come work with us! Currently hiring: - Algorithms Engineer: http://grnh.se/t6507e1 - Embedded Software Engineer: http://grnh.se/u83ftr1 - Softwa…
Comment linking /careers
on “Ask HN: Who is hiring? (December 2017)”Submitted Creating Camera Lenses with Stereolithography as a story · 76 points
HN discussionGlitter resin launched by Formlabs: http://formlabs.com/company/blog/2015/04/01/introducing-glit...
Comment linking /company/blog/2015/04/01/introducing-glitter-resin/
on “List of April Fools' Day Announcements”Submitted Printing Lenses on the Form 1+ 3D Printer as a story · 31 points
HN discussion> "milling" is REDUCTIVE (removing?) FYI, the word you are looking for is "subtractive" https://formlabs.com/eu/blog/additive-manufacturing-vs-subtr...
Comment linking /eu/blog/additive-manufacturing-vs-subtractive-manufacturing/
on “The Invention of a New Pasta Shape”Submitted Formlabs Announces New Benchtop SLS 3D Printer as a story · 20 points
HN discussionhttps://formlabs.com/blog/inside-production-robot-hand/ is from almost a decade ago, but yeah - print a mold, stick electronics in slots in the mold, pump silicone around it. Back then it was sort of novel that commercial-grade resin printers could produce smooth enough surfaces for this; I expect that today, hobbyist-grade ones probably suffice.
Comment linking /blog/inside-production-robot-hand/
on “Show HN: Put this touch sensor on a robot and learn super precise tasks”Submitted Formlabs releases glitter resin as a story · 14 points
HN discussionFormlabs - http://formlabs.com - Boston (Somerville) - Full time and intern Formlabs makes the easiest to use and highest resolution desktop 3D printer. This requires a fusion of advanced hardware, software, and materials, all while developing an entirely new user experience. We are growing quickly and hiring across all parts of the company On the business side: * marketing * sales * operations * finance on the prod…
Comment linking /pages/careers
on “Ask HN: Who is hiring? (February 2014)”Submitted Open Source Slicer for DLP 3D Printers as a story · 11 points
HN discussionIf anyone is considering purchasing one, I STRONGLY recommend waiting until 9/26 when Formlabs is unveiling their system. Never been anything like it. http://www.formlabs.com/
Comment linking /
on “Makerbot announces new 3D printer: Replicator 2”Submitted Interactive Tour of the Form 1+ 3D Printer as a story · 11 points
HN discussionFormlabs is making strong progress towards making this kind of technology more accessible. Their ~$3500 3D printers have enabled similar innovations in healthcare; likely why they're now valued at >$1B... I've been watching the progress of this prosthetic technique [ https://formlabs.com/blog/shirley-technique-facial-prosthesi... ] and customization of orthotics [ https://formlabs.com/blog/father-helps-son-with-cere…
Comment linking /blog/father-helps-son-with-cerebral-palsy-walk-with-custom-3d-printed-orthosis/
on “Teenager can walk again thanks to Dutch 3D printed spinal implant”Submitted Formlabs Form Studio 1 as a story · 6 points
HN discussionThe issue is that while you can print 3d lenses (fun read: https://formlabs.com/blog/creating-camera-lenses-with-stereo... ), it's just not practical unless you're super into the project (similar for telescope makers who grind their own lenses). The long and short of it is that high quality glass is an industrial process that has hundreds of years of refinement to give you excellent image quality at very low prices.…
Comment linking /blog/creating-camera-lenses-with-stereolithography/
on “3D print and build a 164mm f/2.5 lens for less than $15”Submitted Form1 - 25 micron precision desktop 3D printer in ~$2200 range as a story · 6 points
HN discussionIf by "lens" you mean the glass optics, that was not printed - they purchased it from Surplus Shed. Here's a 3D printed camera with a lens that really was 3D printed and polished: https://formlabs.com/blog/creating-camera-lenses-with-stereo...
Comment linking /blog/creating-camera-lenses-with-stereolithography/
on “3D print and build a 164mm f/2.5 lens for less than $15”Submitted Formlabs announces two new SLA 3D printers as a story · 4 points
HN discussionYes, SLA printers like the Form 2 do offer better print resolutions than FDM printers of a similar price. http://formlabs.com/products/3d-printers/form-2/ The downside is they can't work with as wide a range of materials compared to FDM printers, and the materials they can work with tend to be more expensive.
Comment linking /products/3d-printers/form-2/
on “3D Printer Comparison: $200,000 vs. $2500”Submitted The Essential Guide to Food Safe 3D Printing: Regulations Technologies Materials as a story · 3 points
HN discussionThe support structure may be overdesigned, but that's OK. What bothers me is how the cart attaches to the track. Here's a view of that: http://formlabs.com/en/company/blog/2014/08/27/from-3d-print... The retention wheels are just riding on the underside of the plywood sheets. If they had a jam at a track joint, those might tear through the plywood or break off, allowing the car to derail and fall off the track. Unsu…
Comment linking /en/company/blog/2014/08/27/from-3d-print-to-rideable-rollercoaster/
on “MIT students build a roller coaster in one week”Submitted Planes, Skulls and Suitcases: Solving the Perfect Crime Through 3D Printing as a story · 3 points
HN discussionWe are proud to say that Ben Katz, one of the leaders and designers of the project interned at Formlabs over the summer and used our printers to make a beautiful detailed model of the roller coaster. http://formlabs.com/en/company/blog/2014/08/15/formlabs-engi...
Comment linking /en/company/blog/2014/08/15/formlabs-engineering-meet-ben-katz/
on “MIT students build a roller coaster in one week”Submitted Why Agile Engineering Is the Future of Product Design as a story · 3 points
HN discussion
