The Form 4 Ecosystem
Complete Your 3D Printing Experience
A SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON
Formlabs Form 4 vs. Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra
Looking for a resin 3D printer? Compare Formlabs Form 4 with the Elegoo Saturn 4 and Saturn 4 Ultra side by side.
Formlabs Form 4
Cost
Formlabs Form 4
Resin 3D printer for professionals
Form 4 offers industry-leading technology and support so you can optimize production and reliably print. Go from design to finished part in fewer steps than ever with a streamlined, end-to-end ecosystem. Leverage our extensive resin library, designed to deliver industrial- grade parts that are up to any challenge. Formlabs printers are trusted by tens of thousands of professionals around the world.
BENEFITS
- Blazing fast speed
- Intuitive workflow
- Reliability
- Customer support
- Wide range of validated, engineering-grade, and specialty materials
- Great accuracy and print quality
- High resolution and fine details
- Easy to use
APPLICATIONS
- Rapid prototyping
- Functional prototyping
- Concept modeling
- Rapid tooling
- Manufacturing aids
- Short-run production
- Dental models and appliances*
- Medical models and medical devices*
- Jewelry prototyping and casting
- Models and props
* Use Form 4B for biocompatible printing
Print Technology
Formlabs Form 4Learn More About LFD
Low Force Display™ (LFD)
LFD is a new generation of masked stereolithography (MSLA) 3D printing where reduced peel forces lead to incredible surface finish and unmatched accuracy. Formlabs Light Processing Unit (LPU) 4 is designed to deliver 600K - 1.9M layers of consistent print performance and takes only minutes to replace using a tool provided with the printer.
PRINT SPEED
Blazing fast
Up to 100 mm/h with Fast Model Resin, 40 mm/h on average across all materials.
LIGHT INTENSITY
16 mW/cm² optical power intensity delivered to the cure plane.
XY RESOLUTION
50 μm
Pretuned anti-aliasing for subpixel resolution resulting in superior fine and sharp feature performance.
LIGHT SOURCE
Backlight Unit with 60 uniform-wavelength LEDs and custom lens array of plano-convex lenses for highly collimated and uniform light even at high power.
PEELING MECHANISM
Release Texture, a proprietary, microtextured optical film provides airflow between the resin tank and the Light Processing Unit, and a Flexible Film Resin Tank, that features a dual-layer, flexible film that gently separates from the edges of a cured layer, reducing peel forces exerted on the layer.
Build Volume
Formlabs Form 420 x 12.5 x 21 cm
20 x 12.5 x 21 cm
7.9 x 4.9 × 8.3 in
Materials
23 validated resins on Form 4, 38 on Form 4B
A wide range of materials for prototyping and production from soft silicone to flexible, tough, durable, and rigid varieties. Polyurethanes for end-use parts, specialty materials for high-temperature applications, and castable patterns.
A comprehensive library of resins for dental and medical applications is available on Form 4B, including 15 materials for biocompatible parts. Third-party materials using Open Platform.
All Formlabs materials come with optimized print settings to guarantee industry-leading print success and reliability. Formlabs resins are designed with user safety and minimum odor in mind.
Features and Ease of Use
Formlabs Form 4
Automatic resin handling
- No mess: Automatic resin dispensing eliminates the need for manual intervention, resulting in reliable prints and a clean workspace.
- Streamlined workflow: Resin level sensing and automatic resin dispensing ensure optimal resin levels are maintained.
- Reliable: Consistent, precise, and automated resin dispensing for reliable completion of prints.
Light-touch supports
Pre-tuned support settings with light touch supports are available for every material to facilitate support removal.
Automated post-processing tools
Automated washing and post-curing solutions designed for Form 4 and with validated settings for each Formlabs material
Resin mixing and heating system
Consistent printing and a wider variety of material options, including highly-filled materials. Debris detection.
Toolless part removal
Quick, easy, and tool-free with Build Platform Flex. Prevents part breakage and potential injuries while removing parts.
Remote printing
Camera
Software
Formlabs Form 4Try PreForm Now
Powerful, easy to use, free
Formlabs' free print preparation software, PreForm, automatically suggests optimal orientation, supports, and layout, with the ability to manually refine details as needed.
You can also use the online Dashboard to manage a fleet of printers, monitor prints, track materials and consumables, and work with your team.
PreForm has settings for all Formlabs resins for easy, optimized printing.
Reliability
Formlabs Form 4
94% print success rate
The Form 4 delivers a print success rate of 94% out of the box. A new Release Texture and a durable Flexible Film Resin Tank minimize peel forces during printing. Plus, the built-in Resin Level Sensor and Z-Axis Force Sensor ensure consistency and performance.
In the event of an issue, error messages display QR codes that lead to support articles to get you back up and running as quickly as possible.
TYPICAL DIMENSIONAL TOLERANCES
1-30 mm features: ±0.15% (lower limit: ±0.02 mm)
31-80 mm features: ±0.2% (lower limit: ±0.06 mm)
81-150 mm features: ±0.3% (lower limit: ±0.15 mm)
Support
FormlabsExplore Formlabs Services
Professional support
All Formlabs hardware comes with one-year warranty and email support provided by a dedicated staff. Purchase a Pro Service Plan to extend your coverage further and get access to additional benefits like hot-swap replacements, dedicated phone support, training, and more, so you can stay focused on growing your business.
Cost
Formlabs Form 4
Starting at $4,499
The $4,499 starting price includes all the essential tools required to start printing and access to the powerful software and online Dashboard. The Form 4 Complete package for $6,599 also includes custom-developed automated post-processing tools and a premier service plan for a turnkey solution.
Buy from Formlabs via sales or the online store, or purchase through one of our distribution partners.
Company
FormlabsLearn More About Formlabs
Market leaders for professionals
Formlabs brought SLA 3D printing to the desktop in 2011 and SLS printing to the benchtop in 2021, and has become the market leader in both technologies, selling more than 130,000 printers. The Form 4 is a 4th generation product, powered by a proven technology that has been used to print over 400 million performance parts.
Elegoo Saturn 4 & Saturn 4 Ultra
Cost
Elegoo Saturn 4 & Saturn 4 Ultra
Resin 3D printer for hobbyists
Elegoo offers a low-cost entry into the world of resin 3D printing. They're ideal for hobbyists, students, and anyone getting started with resin 3D printing, but they do require a great deal of tinkering and a significant time investment to achieve successful prints. Material selection is very limited and curbs the range of potential applications.
BENEFITS
- Low entry price
- High resolution and fine details
- Wash and cure systems available
APPLICATIONS
- Hobby projects
- Models and props
- Concept modeling
- Jewelry prototyping and casting
Print Technology
Elegoo Saturn 4 & Saturn 4 Ultra
Masked Stereolithography (MSLA)
Elegoo’s Saturn 4 MSLA resin 3D printers use a COB light source and an LCD photomask to shape the layer image onto the bottom of the tank. The LCD screen is not durable, which means that it requires frequent replacements with lengthy tutorials and the purchase of additional supplies.
PRINT SPEED
Slower than advertised
Theoretical maximum of 70 mm/h according to the tech specs. In reality, around 10-20 mm/h based on slicing real-life parts in slicer software using various resins and settings.
LIGHT INTENSITY
~2-3 mW/cm² optical power intensity delivered to the cure plane.
XY RESOLUTION
19 x 24 µm
LIGHT SOURCE
The COB light source and Fresnel collimating lens.
PEELING MECHANISM
Straight pull for the Saturn 4 and tilt release for the Saturn 4 Ultra in combination with a non-durable PFA release film. These basic peeling mechanisms force users to sacrifice part quality, reliability, or printing speed.
Build Volume
Elegoo Saturn 4 & Saturn 4 Ultra21.8 x 12.2 x 22 cm
21.8 x 12.2 x 22 cm
8.6 x 4.8 x 8.6 in
Materials
4 non-validated resins
Elegoo offers a very limited selection of materials focused primarily on hobbyist and educational markets. Functional resins for professional applications are negligible.
Materials are not validated on the printer, which results in more failed prints, overall lower quality, and time and material waste during settings testing. The part may fail during use or simply not meet the specifications, necessitating reprints.
Low-cost resins also have strong odors requiring ventilation and may contain more hazardous chemicals.
Features and Ease of Use
Elegoo Saturn 4 & Saturn 4 Ultra
Resin Dispensing
- Messy and inconvenient: Manual resin dispensing can be messy, with a higher risk of spills.
- Additional workflow steps: Requires manual monitoring and adjustment of resin levels, adding time and effort to the printing process.
- Inconsistent reliability: Greater chance of human error with manual resin pouring contributes to frustrating print failures.
Bulky supports
Supports with large tips and dense structures add time for sanding, reduce surface quality, and increase post-processing time.
Basic post-processing tools
Basic, more labor-intensive post-processing tools.
No resin mixing and heating system
Manual mixing is required periodically. The lack of resin mixer means no debris detection, fewer material options, dimensional accuracy issues, and print failures.
Manual part removal
Tools required to remove parts. Risk of part breakage or injury while removing parts.
No remote printing
No camera
Software
Elegoo Saturn 4 & Saturn 4 Ultra
From a third-party provider, free
Elegoo does not provide software. Free ChituBox software (or, additionally, Voxeldance Tango for Saturn 4) is recommended for download, but has a more limited set of features and is not optimized for the printers.
These third-party software offer a very limited set of features. Each print requires a lengthy manual setup and each new resin type requires tinkering to dial in print settings, wasting time and materials.
There’s no logging system on the printers, no remote print monitoring, and no online dashboard to manage printers, print jobs, or materials.
Reliability
Elegoo Saturn 4 & Saturn 4 Ultra
N/A
Low-cost resin printers typically have a 60-70% print success rate out of the box. This causes project delays from unexpected failure, resin waste from failed prints, extra labor costs from reprints, and worry from not knowing what will happen after pressing “print.” Tuning the printer can increase the print success rate but requires additional time and experimentation.
While a mechanical sensor supports residue detection, resin tanks are flimsy and the film breaks easily. In case of failures, the resin can cover and damage critical optical surfaces of the printer, requiring a lengthy clean-up or replacement.
TYPICAL DIMENSIONAL TOLERANCES
N/A
Support
Elegoo Saturn 4 & Saturn 4 Ultra
Minimal support
Elegoo hardware comes with 3-12 months of limited warranty and there is little or no support provided for customers other than self-service online. Knowledge base is limited and customers often need to rely on community forums to debug their printers.
Cost
Elegoo Saturn 4 & Saturn 4 Ultra
Starting at $299
Elegoo’s Saturn 4 starts at $299 for just the printer, with the Ultra starting at $399. Packages including an air purifier start at $434 for the Saturn 4. Wash and cure kit, the Mercury XS Bundle, cost $210.
Elegoo does not offer software, so slicer software from a third-party provider must be downloaded. There is no option for professional service.
Software
Elegoo Saturn 4 & Saturn 4 Ultra
Emerging company
Founded in 2011 and based in Shenzhen, China, Elegoo is an emerging company that develops that develops low-cost resin and filament 3D printers predominantly for hobbyist and personal use.
Do you have more questions about the differences between these solutions?
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Meet Form 4
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Product Demo: Form 4
See how Form 4 can enable new levels of productivity and innovation through its unmatched speed, accuracy, and reliability.
Get more done with most prints in under 2 hours.1
1h38m
Form 43h37m
Benchmark FDM4h11m
Benchmark SLA10h47m
Form 3+Battle Beaver Customs, Game Controller
2h49m
Form 44h28m
Benchmark FDM6h52m
Benchmark SLA10h35m
Form 3+Holley, LED Light Bar and Mount
2h1m
Form 43h54m
Benchmark FDM3h37m
Benchmark SLA8h31m
Form 3+RightHand Robotics, Robotic Finger Overmolds
1h37m
Form 45h32m
Benchmark FDM4h38m
Benchmark SLA4h29m
Form 3+Formlabs Form 4, Tower Cap
1h28m
Form 49h12m
Benchmark FDM2h16m
Benchmark SLA9h43m
Form 3+Electrical Connector
(1) Typical print time using 80th percentile print height (53 mm), 100 µm layer height, and most materials.
Prototyping
Increase your productivity by 3x. Say goodbye to iterating after hours.
Production
1 Minute per Part. Reach peak production efficiency.
A Wide Range of Applications To Help You Excel in Your Work
Pre-Production Validation
Tough 1500 Resin
Forge Motorsport reverse-engineered an underperforming part, 3D printed a new design, and tested it on a vehicle for five months before committing to tooling.
Pre-Production Validation
Tough 1500 Resin
Forge Motorsport reverse-engineered an underperforming part, 3D printed a new design, and tested it on a vehicle for five months before committing to tooling.
