FSL3D is a second mover in the 3D printing industry. Established as an extension of its parent company Fuel Spectrum Laser, the company kicked off a successful campaign for their Pegasus Touch SLA 3D printer, before working on two DLP 3D printers, now available for pre-order. As a second mover, FSL3D has an established business network and model on which to build and, therefore, a potentially keen sense of how to expand. Today’s announcement of the firm’s newly launched 3D printing service seems to indicate that that business sense is keen indeed.
Targeting prototyping and low-volume production, FSL3D’s Prototyping Services Department will see the company rely on its own 3D printers, as well as subtractive laser cutting, to produce goods for clients as a part of their Scalable Digital Manufacturing model. Henry Liu, PhD, Founder and CEO of FSL3D, says of the new division, “The keys to the growth of both consumer and industrial 3D Printing are increasing capability and decreasing cost. We see a huge opportunity with our technology to provide systems with industrial-level output, but a price tag affordable to small and medium businesses.”
The Scalable Digital Manufacturing model is one that, as the name implies, the company believes can be expanded. As we’ve seen with other manufacturers, such as Type A Machines, the implication is that a small business might acquire a number of FSL3D machines in order to launch their own manufacturing facility. John Calhoun, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at FSL3D, explains, “Scalable Digital Manufacturing (SDM) is our vision for the future of manufacturing. By installing an array of 3D Printers and combining them with lasers, a company is able to get incredible throughput in multiple materials. All for less than the cost of a single printer from Stratasys or 3D Systems. We’re getting a lot of interest in the SDM concept; the typical installation has the same or better quality, and can achieve 23x the throughput of a single machine for the same cost.”
The new service has just been launched today, with the Prototyping Services Department allowing customers to order prints in a range of 8 materials, including the firm’s Low Shrink Red Oxide Resin and W9000 Industrial ABS-like Resin. The division can also laser cut parts in a variety of steel, plastics, and woods. Having developed more than one type of 3D printing technology, this seems like a great move for the company. If they can throw in FDM and other manufacturing technologies, as well, they may be able to broaden their business even more.
