IAR is thrilled to introduce a significant enhancement to our prototyping capabilities: the Form 4 SLA Printer. This cutting-edge technology vastly improves our ability to swiftly address detailed acoustic queries such as "what happens when I change XYZ...?"
IAR has prototyped plastic parts using a Fused Deposition Method (FDM) printer (Prusa), supplemented by a large-format resin printer (Peopoly L) added three years ago. While FDM remains ideal for economical and rapid fixturing solutions, its melted plastic lines and occasional air gaps between layers act acoustically like a highly resistive porous wall, necessitating epoxy coating of thin enclosure walls for transducer applications—a labor-intensive process.
IAR has prototyped plastic parts using a Fused Deposition Method (FDM) printer (Prusa), supplemented by a large-format resin printer (Peopoly L) added three years ago. While FDM remains ideal for economical and rapid fixturing solutions, its melted plastic lines and occasional air gaps between layers act acoustically like a highly resistive porous wall, necessitating epoxy coating of thin enclosure walls for transducer applications—a labor-intensive process.
The large-format SLA printer required considerable wasted resin and prep time and was prone to a high failure rate due to issues like parts partially detaching from supports or warping post-cure. We will still use it for larger, less accurate parts but for the most part will be switching all smaller parts to the Form 4. We've long admired Formlabs' engineering-grade resins and their track record for a low-failure hardware and software ecosystem. However, the previous generation Form 3 often required 12 hours or more for prints, and had a high material cost (approximately 4 times that of our Peopoly resin printer and 30 times FDM costs).
The Form 4, true to its promise, is 3-4 times faster than its predecessor and about 40% cheaper per print. While not completely transparent, the transparent resin has become our preferred choice for initial prototype iterations due to its rigidity and the ability to visually inspect internal assembly issues or wiring pinch points through the enclosure. It can be post-processed allow laser displacement beams pass through, which is particularly useful for measuring diaphragm displacement in hard-to-reach assemblies, such as those in slot-ported speakers.
Practically, this increased speed means we can now often complete the mechanical CAD design for a transducer enclosure, print, wash, cure, assemble, and test all in a single day. It significantly reduces the time and cost compared to outsourcing such work, particularly for solving acoustic issues like rub & buzz or port velocity "chuffing," which simulations struggle to address quickly.
In summary, the Form 4 SLA Printer represents a game-changing addition to our prototyping arsenal, enhancing speed, cost-effectiveness, and the precision needed for complex acoustic solutions.
The Form 4, true to its promise, is 3-4 times faster than its predecessor and about 40% cheaper per print. While not completely transparent, the transparent resin has become our preferred choice for initial prototype iterations due to its rigidity and the ability to visually inspect internal assembly issues or wiring pinch points through the enclosure. It can be post-processed allow laser displacement beams pass through, which is particularly useful for measuring diaphragm displacement in hard-to-reach assemblies, such as those in slot-ported speakers.
Practically, this increased speed means we can now often complete the mechanical CAD design for a transducer enclosure, print, wash, cure, assemble, and test all in a single day. It significantly reduces the time and cost compared to outsourcing such work, particularly for solving acoustic issues like rub & buzz or port velocity "chuffing," which simulations struggle to address quickly.
In summary, the Form 4 SLA Printer represents a game-changing addition to our prototyping arsenal, enhancing speed, cost-effectiveness, and the precision needed for complex acoustic solutions.
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