Formlabs Launches the $84,999 Fuse X1 3D Printer

The Formlabs target market has never been hobbyists, or even prosumers. They’ve always had professional and industrial buyers in mind, and their prices reflect that. If you have any doubt about their business model, consider the just-launched Fuse X1 that costs a whopping $84,999.

The Formlabs Fuse X1 is an SLS (selective laser sintering) 3D printer. That is very different than the typical FFF/FDM (filament) and MSLA/SLA (resin) printers that dominate the consumer and prosumer markets. SLS printing works by shining a laser onto a bed of powdered material (mostly nylon and TPU, in this case). The laser melts the powder and fuses it together. The printer then spreads another layer of powder and repeats.

Formlabs already had the Fuse 1 (now discontinued) and then Fuse 1+ SLS printers, which were more affordable (though certainly not cheap). Both Fuse 1 models had build volumes of 165×165×300 mm, while the new Fuse X1 has a build volume of 330×330×565 mm. The Fuse 1 had a 10W fiber laser, the Fuse 1+ has a 30W fiber laser, and the Fuse X1 has a 120W fiber laser.

The Fuse X1 has many nifty new features (you bet AI is in there), but Formlabs really isn’t focusing on the tech in their marketing material. Instead, they’re focusing on costs and how the X1 can reduce a business’s prototyping — and even production — costs.

So, let’s consider the costs. The Formlabs Fuse X1 has a price “starting at” $84,999. Direct comparisons aren’t possible, because there aren’t any competitors with equivalent specs. But I can say that, while researching this, I was unable to find a single printer that costs less and has an equivalent or larger build volume and equivalent or higher laser power.

That, combined with the reputation Formlabs has fostered over the years, make the Fuse X1 compelling for businesses looking for a high-performance SLS 3D printer. This is the most expensive 3D printer Formlabs has ever released, but it may actually be a good value proposition.