Under 3D Printing Nerd’s first look at the Fuse 1, a viewer asked, “Do you have it on a dedicated circuit? I know that is very important for these.” Another owner answered that he’d had the Sift on the same circuit, though it was never running while he printed. He said he had about a 50% failure rate until he added a power conditioner, and every print succeeded after that. That’s one shop’s experience, but it’s why SLS printer power belongs on the site-prep list.
Does SLS printer power need a dedicated circuit?
For Formlabs’ compact printers, yes, it’s in the spec. Formlabs lists the Fuse 1 and Fuse 1+ 30W at 120 VAC and 15 A in the US, or 230 VAC and 7.5 A in the EU, on a dedicated circuit either way. The larger Fuse X1 needs 208 to 240 VAC single phase with a 50 A rating. It draws 3.5 kW typical and 7.5 kW max at 208 VAC.
What do HP’s MJF machines need?
A lot more. HP’s Jet Fusion 5200 brochure lists the printer at 12 kW average in Balanced mode with PA 11 or PA 12. The supply is either 380 to 415 V at 50 A max, or 200 to 240 V at 80 A max. The processing station is listed separately at 2.6 kW typical on single-phase 200 to 240 V. That’s work for an electrician before the crate arrives.
Is a power conditioner required?
Not according to anything Formlabs publishes on its spec page. The owner in that thread credited one with fixing his failures, and that’s worth knowing, but it’s his diagnosis, not a vendor requirement. If you’re seeing random mid-build failures, power is one suspect among several.
What does it cost to run?
A second viewer under Tested’s Fuse 1 demo asked how much electricity a machine like this needs. The typical-power figures are your starting point. Multiply typical kW by print hours, then by your utility rate. Use the max figure only for sizing the circuit.
What should you do before install day?
Send the exact power line from the spec sheet to your electrician, and keep vacuums and the sifting station off the printer’s circuit. Then log the clock time of every failed build. If failures line up with a compressor or the HVAC kicking on, you’ve got a strong lead.
Related on the Solvi blog: MJF Humidity: How Room Conditions Affect Your Builds; SLS Global Melting: Why the Whole Bed Turns to Brick; SLS Bed Temperature Tuning: Reading the Test Print.
Sources: YouTube: Formlabs Fuse 1 First Look (3D Printing Nerd), viewer question and owner reply; YouTube: Formlabs Fuse 1 SLS 3D Printer Demo (Adam Savage’s Tested), viewer question; Formlabs Fuse series tech specs; HP Jet Fusion 5200 Series brochure (PDF).