How a biotech startup used Form3L to create large cases for customer prototypes

He Will Langford, the head of Engineering at Volta Labs, identified a critical gap in their microfluidic tool—a user-friendly and personalized interface that offered a welcoming experience for first–time customers engaging with the product. Prior to dispatching the genetic storage units to clients, the team realized the need for a high-quality interface that not only safeguarded the delicate circuitry housed within the device but also presented an appealing and well-designed aesthetic.

Product engineer Ishaan Govindarajan used both internal and external FDM and SLS 3D printers, but was not satisfied with the result. That’s how he came to the Form 3L, considering that «Formlabs tools were essential for prototyping components that other 3D printers can’t make.»

Volta Labs has embarked on an ambitious project through which it wants to replace standard pipettes and large machines that handle liquids with their equally agile, scalable and reliable automated, digitalized and biological counterparts.

This means a single computer, capable of running end-to-end biological protocols by manipulating tiny water droplets with very few moving parts. This is possible using a phenomenon called electrowetting. Furthermore, the company develops a series of software solutions for the creation and sharing of biological protocols and for the management and visualization of biological data, with the aim of «digitizing biology».

How a biotech startup used Form3L to create large cases for customer prototypes

The team created a custom case to protect the complex genetic material storage units, with the case cover providing both functionality and protection. Furthermore, since the device was designed as an office machine, the cover also had to be aesthetically pleasing. To meet all these requirements, the team knew they would need 3D printing to produce the final part.

Volta Labs had access to several Prusa3D FDM printers, but quickly discovered that the parts printed on these 3D printers had problems. Due to the limited build volume, printing the cover in two halves and connecting them together did not create a safe enough environment to protect the internal electronic components. Govindarajan stated that «we would not have liked to implement this, the aesthetics were unsightly and allowed agents to infiltrate inside and damage electronics.» The Prusa3D printer has been excluded.

Govindarajan tried printing on a Stratasys FDM machine, but the quality of the print surface wasn’t good enough to serve as an interface. The team then tried outsourcing the SLS parts, but the delivery time was over a week. The interface design had to be changed several times and the team wanted to try various prototypes. Extended lead times were a significant barrier to making a favorable decision. Langford said that «outsourcing a piece of this size would be a significant cost that we couldn’t afford on a weekly basis, for example, if we had to do it weekly.»

So the team kept searching. They needed 3D printing technology that created parts in a reasonable amount of time, had a high-quality finish, was suitable for customer interaction and was cost-effective.

That’s how the Form3L went down. Formlabs supplied parts printed in gray resin, and after a few iterations, the team got what they needed. They quickly realized that the Form 3L parts would meet their three requirements: surface quality, size and affordability. The interface was printed in one weekend, in one piece. Gray resin is perfect for prototyping and general design and is great for capturing small details when used for end-use parts.

With the interface ready, the storage units were ready for delivery to customers.

“When the Form 3L came out, I didn’t think it was something we should be using. But after seeing this part, I totally understood. For external components, you need high-quality, one-piece SLA printing. From my perspective, what Formlabs does really well is professional-grade rapid prototyping. It allows us to deliver high-quality parts and get customer feedback very quickly,” Langford said.