Formlabs Large-Format SLA Scaled Production Case Study
One printer, three times the capacity: How Additium3D scaled production with Form 4L
Spanish additive manufacturing service bureau Additium3D replaced three low-cost resin printers with a single Form 4L, increasing production capacity while reducing print failures, manual post-processing, 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).
While low-cost resin printing equipment initially helped Additium3D increase production and acquire key clients, print failures, dust, resin exposure, and extensive manual processing gradually became a burden on their production facility.
Transitioning from three low-cost resin printers to one Form 4L
While resin printing technology helped Additium3D secure an important client, a print failure rate of approximately 30% led to wasted resin, reprinting time, and additional labor costs. Resin exposure also affected their workers.
In 2025, Additium3D replaced its three existing Phrozen Mega printers with a single Form 4L. Although 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 cost more competitive.
"Considering the Form 4L's production efficiency and reliability, we achieved the same output as our three previous Phrozen Mega printers using just one Form 4L."
Guillermo Navarro, Director, Additium3D
The hidden costs of low-cost resin printers
As an additive manufacturing service provider, Additium3D selects the most suitable process based on a part's mechanical properties, appearance, lead time, cost, and output.
Suitable for cost-sensitive, 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 made the actual costs higher than anticipated.
When labor time, failed material, reprinting, and post-processing are all taken into account, a single Form 4L can achieve higher output with less equipment interaction.
"When clients prioritize maximum surface detail and ultra-smooth surfaces, resin printing, especially the Form 4L, is our first choice."
Guillermo Navarro, Director, Additium3D
Improving workplace safety and the production environment
Following severe floods in October 2024, workplace safety became a major consideration for the Additium3D management team. The company decided to prioritize employee health over simply pursuing maximum profit.
Additium3D stated that the original low-cost resin workflow presented noticeable environmental and contact issues, with one worker even experiencing eyelid irritation requiring medical treatment due to resin exposure.
Formlabs states that its resin development process does not use 4-acryloyl morpholine (ACMO). The resin cartridge, resin tank, automatic resin delivery system, and smart sensors are also designed to minimize operational contact and simplify the workflow.
"The cleanliness and health and safety conditions of our production facility have improved. Furthermore, 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 better suited for production shifts
Additium3D previously used three Phrozen Mega 8K printers to meet production demands with their combined build volume. However, actual print times did not always match software estimations, sometimes leading to a 50% decrease in capacity due to the inability to complete two daily production shifts.
The Form 4L's single-machine build volume is close to that of the Phrozen Mega, but its print speed and reliability allow Additium3D to exceed the overall effective output of the original three machines with just one device.
The Form 4L's printing rhythm can align with 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 productivity, reliability, and overall performance. Its print speed perfectly matches daily shifts, allowing for 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 spent reprinting, cleaning equipment, rescheduling, and manual processing. Even if a machine is advertised as fast, the actual delivery time can double if parts need to be reprinted.
Additium3D stated that their original equipment had a failure rate exceeding 30%, due to issues such as build platform adhesion, firmware errors, and unstable results. Although the unit cost of low-cost resin is about half that of Formlabs resin, the material and time lost due to failures made the actual cost per qualified part nearly identical.
| Comparison Item | Low-Cost Resin Printing Equipment | Form 4L |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment Configuration | Three Phrozen Mega printers | One Form 4L |
| Print Failure / Issue Rate | Over 30% | Less than 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 cost, but increased reprinting and labor | Higher upfront investment, but better effective output and reliability |
High-volume production also requires consistent quality across batches of parts. Surface defects such as pinholes, resin cracks, layer misalignment, warping, and delamination become particularly noticeable after painting.
Additium3D reported a failure or issue rate of less than 1% for Form 4L printed parts. This result is close to the 98.7% print success rate achieved by the Form 4 in independent tests.
PreForm simplifies print preparation and quoting process
Every step in the production workflow affects service provider efficiency. Formlabs' print preparation software, PreForm, automatically helps set part orientation, arrangement, and supports.
Additium3D found that some slicing software might miss critical support locations or place supports in areas that are detrimental to appearance and post-processing.
- Automatically arrange parts and detect model interference.
- 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.
- Help service providers quickly quote and schedule production.
"PreForm's design is simple and 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 resin materials
"For teams involved in large-format prototyping who want to test various high-performance materials, Formlabs technical resins offer application possibilities rarely seen in equipment at a similar price point."
Guillermo Navarro, Director, Additium3D
Suitable for realistic display prototypes and parts requiring subsequent painting and coating.
Suitable for visual models and functional parts simulating glass or transparent plastics.
Soft, transparent, and elastic material, suitable for high-flexibility test parts.
Additium3D initially primarily used Clear Resin V5 and White Resin V5, as these two general-purpose materials were suitable for their aesthetic models, transparent parts, and paintable prototypes.
The company also collaborated with clients to introduce Elastic 50A Resin. This transparent elastomer with a Shore hardness of 50A can be used for test parts requiring high flexibility.
Additionally, durable resins with mechanical properties similar to polyethylene can be used for extrudable prototypes, low-friction parts, and jigs and fixtures that withstand significant impacts.
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 items 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 include biocompatible resins in their material service offerings, and possibly adding a second Form 4L to further increase large-format SLA capacity.
Through FDM, SLA, SLS, and a wider range of engineering materials, Additium3D can provide more comprehensive digital manufacturing solutions based on the client's part performance, appearance, quantity, lead time, and budget.