Note:
The printer's power cord and USB-C cable are included on top of the foam inside the Form 4L generation printer box. If you cannot locate the power cable, be sure to check all boxes in your shipment, as it may have been packed separately.
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Receiving and unboxing your Form 4L generation printer
Receiving and unboxing your Form 4L generation printer
Form 4L generation printer packages
The Form 4L generation printer bundle ships with multiple boxes: the printer, Finish Kit, resin tank, and build platform. The resin tank, build platform, any resin cartridges you order, and additional accessory boxes ship separately from the Form 4L generation printer packaging.
Packaged shipments have the following dimensions and weights:
| Printer | Finish Kit (2 boxes) | Resin Cartridge | Resin Tank | Build Platform | Mixer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 83 × 68 × 108 cm (32.7 × 26.0 × 42.5 in) | Rinse Bucket: 66 × 49 × 53 cm (26 × 19.3 × 2.9 in) Finishing Tools: 52 × 41 × 17 cm (20.5 × 16.1 × 6.7 in) | 8.9 × 10.2 × 28.6 cm (3.5 × 4.0 × 11.3 in) | 65.6 × 45.5 × 12 cm (25.8 × 17.9 × 4.7 in) | 54 × 28 × 14 cm (21.3 × 11.0 × 5.5 in) | 39 × 15.1 × 4.4 cm (15.4 × 5.9 × 1.7 in) |
| Weight | 75 kg (168.8 lb) | Rinse Bucket: 13 kg (28.7 lb) Finishing Tools: 4 kg (8.8 lb) | 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) | 3.3 kg (7.3 lb) | 3.3 kg (7.3 lb) | 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) |
| Contents | Form 4L generation printer | see Form 4L Finish Kit | single cartridge | single resin tank | single build platform | single mixer |
Before receiving your Form 4L generation printer
Prepare a space to install your Form 4L generation printer and to house accessories and consumables.
- Choose a stable, level workspace for your Form 4L generation printer. Reserve the following minimum dimensions for the most convenient access:
- 88.9 × 116.8 × 81.3 cm
- 35.0 × 46.0 × 32.0 in
- Reserve additional space nearby for the Finish Kit, Form Wash, or Form Cure.
- Download and install PreForm software.
- Purchase additional supplies:
- Disposable non-reactive gloves (nitrile or neoprene)
- Paper towels
- Suitable wash solvent
- Prepare a clean, dry space out of direct sunlight to store resin cartridges and resin tanks.
Isopropyl alcohol is the recommended solution for rinsing parts and cleaning liquid resin after each completed print. Keep paper towels in stock to ensure a clean work environment for printing and finishing.
Depending on your use case and work environment, tripropylene glycol monomethyl ether (TPM) may be a viable alternative to isopropyl alcohol for washing parts using the Form Wash or the Finish Kit.
Unboxing your Form 4L generation printer
The custom packaging your Form 4L generation printer arrives in is specially designed to protect the printer during shipping. Save the Form 4L generation printer packaging for transporting your printer. Original packaging is required for warranty service.
- Position the Form 4L's packaging near the designated location, leaving enough room for two people to comfortably maneuver throughout the area. Stand the Form 4L's packaging upright to ensure it is level.
- Cut the shipping straps securing the printer box.
- Lift the outer box off the printer.
- Remove the power cable and accessories box from on top of the printer.
- Remove the two foam inserts from the top of the printer.
- With two people on opposite sides of the printer, use the provided handles on the lifting straps to lift the printer out of the lower box.
Caution:
If you need to readjust the Form 4L, use the lifting straps to pick the machine back up. Do not pick up the Form 4L without the lifting straps.
- Carefully move the printer onto its workspace.
- Remove the lifting straps from under the printer.
- Remove any additional wrapping and packaging from outside of the printer before connecting the machine to power.
Notice:
Do not cover the printer with any packaging or any other covers or sleeves during printing. Insulating the printer during printing can damage the machine.
Proceed to follow the onboarding guide on the printer's touchscreen. Once you're done, set up the Finish Kit and connect to your printer if you have not already done so.
Tip:
Place SLA printers facing away from external windows to prevent resin in the resin tank from inadvertently curing between uses or when the cover is open.
Serial name
All Formlabs machines have a serial name instead of a serial number. The serial name is a unique identifier used to track the history of manufacturing, sales, and repair, and to distinguish between printers when multiple are connected to a network. The serial name is on the back panel of the machine in the format Form4L-AdjectiveAnimal.
For a Form 4L generation printer, the serial name is also available on the touchscreen display. The serial name is listed in the status bar at the top of the screen in the format AdjectiveAnimal.
If you give your printer a custom name, that is displayed instead of the serial name. To find the serial name, check the back label or tap Settings > General > About this printer on the touchscreen.