Ramnish Sharma, Country Manager, Formlabs India
In an exclusive interview with AM Chronicle, Ramnish Sharma, Country Manager of Formlabs India, discusses the launch of the Form 4L, claimed to be the fastest large-format SLA printer, and the Form 4BL, tailored for healthcare and dental industries. The conversation explores how Formlabs’ latest innovations, including new materials, flexible software integration, and advanced prototyping tools, are enhancing the additive manufacturing landscape in India, particularly in key sectors such as automotive, healthcare, and consumer goods.
With the new biocompatible version, Form 4BL, how do you see the adoption of this technology in industries like healthcare or dental, where precision and material compliance are critical?
The Form 4BL has been designed specifically for industries like healthcare and dental, where biocompatibility, precision, and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable. It leverages the same high-speed and large-volume benefits of the Form 4L, but with the added ability to work with biocompatible materials—making it ideal for printing medical devices, surgical guides, and dental models at scale. As biocompatibility regulations become stricter, the Form 4BL provides professionals with a reliable and scalable solution that meets these needs while maintaining high accuracy. We anticipate significant adoption in the dental industry in particular, where the demand for precise, patient-specific models continues to grow.
The Form 4L claims to have a 99% print success rate compared to other SLA 3D printers. What technologies or innovations are responsible for this impressive reliability?
The 99% print success rate of the Form 4L is driven by the Low Force Display (LFD) technology combined with a more refined resin dispensing system and sensors that constantly monitor print conditions. These innovations ensure uniform light distribution across the large build platform, minimizing distortions and print failures. Additionally, our new resin cartridge system not only reduces waste by 63%, but also optimizes resin flow to ensure smooth and uninterrupted printing. The machine’s advanced feedback loops and built-in fail-safes make it one of the most reliable large-format printers on the market today.
Formlabs Materials and Applications Focus
Formlabs’ products now support over 23 materials with various properties. Could you give us some examples of how customers in India are leveraging this wide range of material compatibility for their specific applications?
In India, we’re seeing our customers use the diverse material range of Formlabs for applications across healthcare, automotive, engineering, drones, robotics, footwear, and education.
For example:
Healthcare providers are using our biocompatible materials to print patient-specific surgical models and dental appliances. Automotive manufacturers are leveraging our tough and flame-retardant resins for creating durable prototypes and end-use parts that can withstand rigorous testing. Drone and robotics companies are increasingly adopting lightweight but strong materials to create functional components that require high precision and durability. Footwear manufacturers are using flexible and durable resins to develop ergonomic designs, custom insoles, and rapid prototypes, which help speed up the product development cycle. Engineering and R&D companies are utilizing materials like rigid and flexible resins for producing high-precision parts with complex geometries. In education, Formlabs is playing a role in skill development initiatives led by the Indian government, particularly in promoting additive manufacturing technologies. This versatility in materials is helping companies across industries optimize their workflows and reduce the time to market for new products.
How do the new SLS materials—Nylon 12 White Powder and Nylon 12 Tough Powder—expand the potential applications of 3D printing in industries like automotive or consumer goods?
The introduction of Nylon 12 White Powder and Nylon 12 Tough Powder significantly broadens the potential for end-use part applications in industries like automotive and consumer goods. Nylon 12 White Powder is highly versatile and delivers biocompatible parts with a customizable, high-contrast finish—making it ideal for creating durable, visually distinct components. Nylon 12 Tough Powder offers excellent ductility and dimensional stability, which is critical for creating parts that need to withstand mechanical stress, such as functional prototypes, jigs, and fixtures. These materials allow manufacturers to explore new production capabilities with additive manufacturing, including short-run production of complex, high-strength parts.
Developer Platform and User Flexibility
The introduction of the Developer Platform and tools like Open Material Mode and Print Settings Editor seems to offer more flexibility to users. How do you envision this will impact innovation, especially in India, where customization and cost-efficiency are key for many businesses?
India’s market, with its focus on customization and cost-efficiency, stands to benefit greatly from the Developer Platform. Open Material Mode allows users to experiment with third-party materials, giving them the flexibility to tailor material properties to specific applications without being locked into a predefined ecosystem. The Print Settings Editor further enhances this by allowing users to fine-tune parameters for maximum efficiency and performance. For Indian businesses, especially in sectors like automotive, manufacturing, and healthcare, this flexibility translates to lower costs, increased innovation, and the ability to create highly customized solutions for local and global markets.
With the new API and software integrations, Formlabs is encouraging users to work with any material and connect different software tools. How do you see this openness benefiting both established industries and startups in India?
The ability to connect with any material and customize workflows via API and software integrations is a huge step forward for both established industries and startups. Established industries can now seamlessly integrate Formlabs printers into their existing digital workflows, ensuring a smooth transition to additive manufacturing. Startups, on the other hand, can benefit from the reduced costs and increased flexibility that these integrations offer, enabling them to experiment more freely and scale quickly. In India, where resource optimization is key, this open platform provides businesses the tools they need to innovate without compromise.
Could you elaborate on the significance of the new PreForm features like model hollowing, part texturing, and part cages? How do these improvements affect the prototyping process, especially for high-volume production environments?
The new PreForm features are designed to streamline the prototyping process, particularly in high-volume production environments. Model hollowing reduces material consumption and speeds up print times, which is essential when producing large or high-volume parts. Part texturing allows for the creation of unique surface finishes without the need for post-processing, adding aesthetic and functional value to the prints. Part cages help protect delicate parts during production, ensuring that complex geometries are preserved without failure. Together, these tools enhance both the speed and reliability of the prototyping process, making it easier for businesses to iterate quickly and bring products to market faster.
Future and Industry Impact
With Form 4L’s capabilities to print large parts and thousands of small parts per day, what industries or sectors do you foresee benefiting the most from this enhanced scale and throughput in India?
In India, we see automotive, healthcare, education, and consumer goods as key industries that will benefit the most from the Form 4L’s enhanced capabilities. The ability to print large parts with exceptional precision will appeal to automotive manufacturers and heavy engineering companies that require high-quality, functional prototypes. At the same time, the machine’s capacity to produce thousands of small parts daily at a lower cost makes it ideal for sectors where demand for mass customisation is growing rapidly.
How does Formlabs plan to further enhance or expand its product offerings in India’s growing 3D printing market? Are there any specific partnerships or initiatives aimed at boosting additive manufacturing adoption in the region?Formlabs is committed to supporting the growth of additive manufacturing in India by continually enhancing our product portfolio and building strong local partnerships. We are actively exploring collaborations with leading educational institutions, manufacturers, and service bureaus to expand the reach of our technology. We also plan to launch training programs and localized support to help Indian businesses integrate 3D printing seamlessly into their operations. Additionally, we’re working on expanding our material offerings to cater to the unique demands of the Indian market.
Formlabs has always focused on making professional 3D printing more accessible. What are your plans to support businesses in India to integrate these technologies, especially those new to 3D printing?
To support businesses new to 3D printing in India, Formlabs offers a range of affordable solutions that combine high-quality performance with ease of use. We provide comprehensive onboarding support and resources, including access to local technical support teams and training programs. Our goal is to make the adoption process as seamless as possible, ensuring that businesses can start leveraging the benefits of 3D printing with minimal disruption. Furthermore, we plan to introduce more affordable materials and financing options to help businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, integrate 3D printing into their workflows without significant upfront investments.
