14 DAY TRIAL // Stereolithography, or SLA for short, is a 3D printing technique far superior to the common FDM (fused deposition modeling). For a long time, 3D Systems was the only one that had a major marketing strategy centered around it, but Formlabs has just become a worthy rival.
That could come across as a bit misleading though, so a history lesson might be in order. Patent litigations don't make perfect sense otherwise.
Back in 1980, 3D Systems practically invented 3D printing technology. Much later, in 1997, it patented the Stereolithography (SLA) process.
SLA works by curing photosensitive resins. A tank of resin is subjected to ultraviolet light and hardens in layers according to a 3D model.
3D Systems was the only SLA 3D printer and printing service provider (barring some minor licensing deals and permissions) until October 2012, when Formlabs came into the picture.
How the mess got started
Formlabs launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for a desktop SLA 3D printer called Form 1. They raised almost three million dollars that way (2.4 million Euro).
The printer then proved to be a great success in a market where the best alternatives were wrinkly and crude-looking. FDM printing has gotten better since then, but it's still visibly inferior.
3D Systems immediately filed a patent infringement lawsuit, claiming that 1 and 34 of U.S. Patent No. 5,597,520 were infringed upon.
Form 1 works by using a UV laser to cure photosensitive resin one layer at a time, so the method does indeed sound pretty much the same.
However, the legal battle over intellectual property has concluded, after a two-year legal process, with the court deciding that 3D Systems is not in the right on this one.
The lawsuit has been dismissed
The terms of the dismissal and the settlement which led to it haven't been disclosed, but the damage has unfortunately been done. While a maker that has so far been pretty clean of patent wars, 3D Systems has now set a precedent for patent spats in 3D printing.
At least we know for sure that Formlabs will continue to make those nifty little desktop SLA 3D printers we all know and love, like Form 1 and Form 1+.
Meanwhile, 3D Systems will still keep its spot as premier 3D printing provider and expert, producing everything from Google Project Ara Modular Smartphones to consumer and business/industrial 3D printers of varying specs. There is even a special “mouse” used to sculpt virtual 3D models.
