Looking for a large-format dental 3D printer? Compare Formlabs Form 4BL with the Heygears UltraCraft A3D side by side.
Formlabs Form 4BL
Complete Cost
The $16,249 starting price includes all the essential tools required to start printing and access to the powerful PreForm software and online Dashboard. The Form 4BL Complete package for $29,899 also includes custom-developed automated post-processing tools and a premier, three-year dental service plan for a turnkey solution.
Buy from Formlabs via sales or the online store, or purchase through one of our distribution partners.
Materials
Supported Dental Applications & Materials
A wide range of applications on a single printer, validated, tested, and directly supported by Formlabs.
Open material mode is included, enabling freedom to print third-party resins.
Ease of Use
Simply insert a new cartridge and resin tank to change materials. Additional resin tanks may be purchased for $249 and include reusable lids for easy storage.
Resin Cost
Resins start at $79/L with discounts for 5 L containers for use with Resin Pumping System and additional discounts for bulk purchases.
Technology
Print Technology
LFD is a new generation of masked stereolithography (MSLA) 3D printing where reduced peel forces lead to incredible surface finish and unmatched accuracy.
Light Intensity
16 mW/cm² optical power intensity delivered to the cure plane.
Print Speed
Up to 80 mm/h with Fast Model Resin, 24 mm/h on average across all materials. 32 clear aligner models in 14 minutes for up to 1000+ models within an 8-hour working day.
XY Resolution
Pretuned anti-aliasing for subpixel resolution resulting in superior fine and sharp feature performance.
Light Source
Backlight Unit with 145 uniform-wavelength (LEDs) and custom lens array of plano-convex lenses for highly collimated and uniform light even at high power delivering 16 mW/cm² optical power intensity to the cure plane.
Build Volume
Formlabs Form 4BL
Build volume:
35.3 x 19.6 x 35 cm
13.9 x 7.7 x 13.8 in
Software
Formlabs’ free PreForm Dental software is the golden standard when it comes to ease of use. Intuitive functionalities and presets for key indications such as models, splints, and surgical guides help users set up prints automatically, taking care of the orientation, support generation, and material selection in one click.
You can also use the online Dashboard to manage a fleet of printers, monitor prints, track materials and consumables, and work with your team.
The PreForm API enables automation of multiple print preparation and production steps.
Dental PreForm has settings for all Formlabs resins for easy, optimized printing.
Support
All Formlabs hardware comes with a one-year warranty and email support provided by a dedicated staff. Purchase a Dental Service Plan to extend your coverage further and gain access to additional benefits like hot-swap replacements, dedicated phone support, training, and more, so you can stay focused on growing your business.
Ease of Use
Resin Dispensing
Pre-tuned support settings with light touch supports are available for every material to facilitate support removal.
Automated washing and post-curing solutions designed for Form 4L and with validated settings for each Formlabs material.
Consistent printing and a wider variety of material options, including highly-filled materials. Debris detection.
Part Removal
Quick, easy, and tool-free with Flex Build Platform. Prevents part breakage and potential injuries while removing parts.
15 minutes until your first print.
Reliability
“With Formlabs’ ecosystem, our 3D print success rate is now close to 100%."
Stephan Kreimer, MDT, Kreimer Dentallabor
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
Restorative models with Precision Model Resin
95% of the surface within 50 μm of the CAD model
99% of the surface within 100 μm of the CAD model
Clear aligner models for thermoforming with Fast Model Resin (printed at 160 μm)
95% of the surface within 100 μm of the CAD model
Heygears UltraCraft A3D
Complete Cost
HeyGears UltraCraft A3D printers are offered as a subscription rather than an outright purchase, meaning the printer is returned at the end of the term and does not become a lab asset. Support is included in the subscription price.
HeyGears does not publish list pricing for the A3D. Customers must contact HeyGears or a regional distributor for a quote, which makes side-by-side budgeting difficult before entering a sales process.
Pricing varies by region and configuration.
Reliability
Supported Dental Applications & Materials
A wide range of applications with certified third-party materials.
Only certified third-party materials are available. Keyprint Keyguard is currently the only certified third-party material available.
Ease of Use
Changing materials requires swapping the resin tank, and the automated part removal mechanism must be cleaned during changeover. Additional tanks are reported at ~$450.
Resin Cost
HeyGears does not publish pricing, but users have reported prices of ~$160/kg for Ultra Model HP UV 2.0 resin. Because the system is closed, there is no competitive check on consumable pricing over the life of the subscription.
Materials
Print Technology
DLP is a resin 3D printing process that uses a light projector to cure liquid resin one layer at a time.
Light Intensity
N/A
Print Speed
HeyGears cites up to 2000 aligner models per day for the A3D. That figure reflects continuous unattended operation rather than a working shift: at 24 hours it equates to roughly 83 models per hour, against 125+ per hour on Form 4BL.
With a build area of 229 cm² against 692 cm², the A3D nests roughly one third as many parts per plate. Its daily total comes from running longer, not from printing faster — and depends on the optional automated part removal module.
XY Resolution
Lower resolution, resulting in inferior details and surface finish.
Light Source
N/A
Company
Heygears UltraCraft A3D
Build volume:
15.9 x 14.4 x 11 cm
6.2 x 5.6 x 4.3 in
Build Volume
HeyGears Cloud manages design, pre-processing, print production, and post-processing, with intraoral scan ingestion, AI-assisted order generation, and production monitoring.
HeyGears does not publish whether Cloud carries a separate fee or is bundled into the subscription, and does not offer a documented public API.
Software
Support and preventative maintenance are bundled into the subscription. Because the machine remains HeyGears' property, servicing is exclusively through HeyGears — labs cannot use third-party service or self-maintain.
Ease of Use
Resin Dispensing
Automated washing and post-curing solutions designed by Heygears are available.
Heating system; resin mixing handled by a separate Resin Mixer accessory rather than in-printer.
Part Removal
Automated removal into an internal bin. The mechanism requires cleaning at material changeover. Labs that do not option it remove parts manually with tools.
N/A
Cost of Ownership
HeyGears does not publish any data on print success rate.
Typical Dimensional Tolerances
N/A
HeyGears does not publish any data on accuracy.
Do you have more questions about the differences between these solutions?
See and feel Formlabs quality firsthand. We’ll ship a sample part to your lab or practice.
More throughput, less labor. Produce 32 models in 14 minutes*.
32 Clear Aligner Models at 160 μm
80 Occlusal Splints at 100 μm
28 Restorative Models at 50 μm
Repeatable accuracy you can count on.
Maximum uptime and yield. Large format 3D printing you can depend on.
Formlabs optimization engineers put hundreds of printed parts to the test to ensure each material performs to the most reliable standards, right out of the box.
Maximum uptime and yield. Large format 3D printing you can depend on.
Formlabs optimization engineers put hundreds of printed parts to the test to ensure each material performs to the most reliable standards, right out of the box.
Kreimer Dentallabor
“We are currently using the Form 4BL for all our model production, and the Form 4Bs for biocompatible applications. With the Form 4BL's build platform, which is around three times larger, we can now produce three times more models with a single user intervention.”
Stephan Kreimer,
MDT, Kreimer Dentallabor
Protec Dental Laboratories
“Each week, we conduct an in-house validation test where we scan a selection of models and compare them against the original digital files. The results consistently fall within our defined specifications, demonstrating the reliability and repeatability of our process.”
Manuel Stanescu
CAD-CAM Ortho Manager, Protec Dental Laboratories
Synergy 3D
“Over the last year, we really had a chance to observe the Form 4B and Form 4BL. In terms of speed, reliability, print fails, we've just had nothing but success — especially compared to other printers which have multiple mechanical failures weekly or bi-weekly that we have to service, re-calibrate, call support teams… It's really such a stark difference.”
Milos Markovic,
Vice President of CAD/CAM and Implantology, Synergy 3D
With 75+ support and service staff and 150+ engineers, Formlabs backs its products with the strongest team in 3D printing.
The Form 4BL Ecosystem
Complete Your 3D Printing Experience
