The US-based manufacturer of 3D printers, Markforged shook the 3D printing industry when it launched affordable and easy-to-use professional 3D printers in 2013 with the idea that manufacturers could use high-quality plastic to replace metal parts. Enabling manufacturers around the world to save billions of dollars by 3D printing their own tools, fixtures and spare parts, Markforged did it with a printer Mark One, carbon fiber printing. He said he could print "solid aluminum parts on your desktop."
Since then, the company has expanded with printers that create even stronger composite parts, Nylon continuous fiber reinforced parts with Kevlar and fiberglass, and now with its latest printer FX20, fiber-reinforced Ultem parts.
Markforged focused on metal 3D printing in 2019 with the launch of the system Metal X, which brought technology to the desktop for the first time. Metal X Gen Two, perfecting the technology to make it even faster, launched in 2021.
Linking all this to the company's Eiger and Eiger Fleet software, which connects printers in a factory, and Blacksmith, an adaptive production platform that connects the design, manufacture and inspection of AI parts.
If you are thinking of investing in Markforged, read our unbiased review of everything you need to know.
Why Markforged printers?
The attractiveness of printers Markforged can be reduced to a combination of technology, materials and price. Include solid construction, intuitive software and a global support network and you will have many satisfied customers.
All3DP presented a Markforged customer in a case describing an automotive parts company replacing its traditionally machined aluminum parts with nylon carbon fiber parts. The result was 70% cost savings plus weeks of time. Markforged X7 was the printer of choice because it could produce parts that competed with cast aluminum, but was more affordable than other solutions.
Another attraction for Markforged is the material Onyx of the company, which is patented Nylon, full of micro pieces of carbon fiber. It is a reliable and well-researched material and all Markforged printers except Metal X are set up to print with it. However, despite the convenience, using only patented materials can be a disadvantage depending on your purpose. One reel with Onyx is about $ 200.
Stronger than Onyx is the company's continuously carbon-reinforced material available at Mark Two and X7which is considered to be about 20% stronger than aluminum.
The printer Metal X is attractive to non-industrial companies - it does not use hazardous bulk metal powders and can print completely sealed but hollow parts. It uses a type of metal powder material in the form of a thread, which the company calls atomic diffusion additive production (ADAM). This type of material is used basically in the same way as polymer threads. The metal parts after the printer should be washed and sintered in an oven, but fortunately Markforged sells both washing machine and sintering machine. Connect this with the company's software and you have a complete mini metal factory in your shop, office, workshop or studio, capable of making prototypes and parts for end use.
All machines Markforged are equipped with software Eigerthat allows you to print from your browsers and manage multiple devices at once. Furthermore Eiger receives real-time updates, offers additional innovations, and even offers settings and designs based on what you're trying to print.
The latest software that Markforged used, is known as Blacksmith, launched in March 2021, which is at the top when it comes to the production of additives at the industrial level.
S Blacksmith your 3D printer X7 (currently only works with X7) can print and scan a part at the same time to see how close the printed part is to the original digital design. It can warn you of any typographical errors, saving potential hours of printing time plus materials. Even better is that Blacksmith constantly learning from every imprint, guaranteeing, he says Markforgedthat the parts can be printed accurately and precisely every time. Blacksmith calibrates the machine, prints, scans, analyzes data and generates field reports for any errors so that your work is traceable and repeatable. This helps improve the output and reliability of their printers.
One of the advantages of buying a printer Markforged is that this technology will not be available to competitors for many years. It is this way because Markforged there are patents for many of the unique parts of their printers and even the material Onyxconsisting of nylon and carbon fiber is its own blend.
Markforged was very active in 2021, with the release of software and hardware, plus changes to its already popular machines, which we cover under each product below.
However, it is completely new for the company FX20, just launched in November 2021, which is the company's first venture into high-temperature polymer 3D printing with the ability to enhance Last with continuous carbon fiber. The industrial machine aims to meet the growing demand for high-performance 3D printed parts in the aerospace, military and heavy industries.
Below we break down each product Markforged in more detail. Check here again for all updates on Markforged.
Onyx One (Gen 2)
Desktop printers on Markforged on Onyx One start at about $ 4,500 (prices are approximate. We from "3MG Bonev“Ltd. we can give you current prices upon your request). He uses only the material Onyx of the company, which is Nylon, reinforced with carbon fiber, which offers much more strength and hardness than commonly used thermoplastics, such as PLA or ABS. On top of that, the material provides an elegant finish, making it ideal for end applications or even aesthetically pleasing prototypes.
Another intriguing feature of the 3D printer Onyx One is scalability. Those who want to produce even stronger 3D printed parts can upgrade to Onyx Pro (priced at around $10,000), which uses their patented dual print head technology for continuous reinforcement with fiberglass.
With this, customers can reach even more to the industrial 3D printer Mark Two, which is able to supply composites with metal strength that are 10 times stronger than other thermoplastics.
Markforged created Onyx One as an entry point for beginners and businesses who may one day switch to their more advanced machines.
Onyx Pro (Gen 2)
With the same abilities as Onyx One, version Pro goes one step further with its ability to print not only with materials Onyx, but also with continuous Nylon reinforced with fiberglassmaking it one of the most affordable continuous fiber 3D printers on the market. Markforged says that the material from Onyx fiberglass is extremely durable and can replace some machined aluminum parts.
Looking almost identical to Onyx One, version Pro there is a second thread holder for the continuous fiber.
Mark Two (Gen 2)
Markforged Mark Two (Gen 2) again offers all the features of both printers Onyx and looks almost identical, but this 3D printer can also print with continuous Nylon reinforced with carbon fiber, continuous Nylonreinforced with Kevlar and continuous high-strength high-temperature (HSHT) Nylon reinforced with fiberglass.
The machine is also designed to optimize precision. The print bed snaps into place with 10-micron precision, so you can pause printing, remove the bed, add components, click the bed back, and then continue printing as if nothing had ever interrupted it. .
The device has a touch screen interface and uses Eiger, cloud-based software for tracking the materials used and optimizing the print settings accordingly. Eiger It can also work in most browsers, easily importing CAD drawings without the need for cumbersome software.
X3
The series X on Markforged is characterized by a larger print volume than Onyx or Mark Two.
X3 does not print continuous fibers such as Mark Two, instead printing with Nylon filled with carbon fiber Onyx of the company, also in fireproof and ESD versions. Essentially X3 is like a larger version of Onyx One, but can print at a higher resolution (50 micron Z-resolution against 100-micron Onyx One).
Designed for industrial and continuous use, any hardware in the thread extrusion system - from nozzles to extruder countertops - can withstand wear from nylon threads filled with micro carbon fibers and maintain print quality for thousands of hours, they say. from the company. Out-of-material sensors ensure that you always print, while the scanning laser on the print head allows the printer to dynamically adjust the first layers of the print to achieve perfect bed adhesion.
X5
So if X3 is the industrial version of Onyx One, X5 is the industrial version of Onyx Pro. X5 prints with the same materials as Onyx Probut as X3, is larger than its desktop brother and can print with finer detail.
Markforged offers this printer for commercial use with more precisely processed hardware for better accuracy and advanced sensors in the series Onyx. X5 also features micron-level laser scanning for closed-loop calibration, reliable extraction of high repeatability parts and high surface coverage.
X7
Including all the abilities of X5, X7 is the most popular 3D printer on Markforged. It can print with all the company's carbon fiber and continuous fiber materials, but it's more than just materials that stand out. X7.
In early 2021 Markforged announced the availability of its machine learning software Blacksmith for X7. Blacksmith uses AI to help the 3D printing system adapt and read variables so that it produces parts that are accurate and precise, the company said.
Blacksmith can use data from each individual printer setting, as well as from the entire printer fleet X7to learn with each print. With the support of Blacksmith, the integrated laser micrometer of X7 and a patented intelligent scanning process, can compare parts while printed to the design file loaded in the machine.
In 2021 Markforged present Markforged X7 Field Editionwhich is essentially X7 in a cool military travel case.
If it wasn't the price, you may want it in your luggage, but that's the case X7 "Field Edition" , is a timely response to the growing use of on-site metal additives production in remote locations in the oil and gas industry or in the military. In fact, the XFAB program of the US Marine Corps uses Markforged X7 in the field.
The main difference between X7 and X7 Field Edition is the outer case, personalized impact polyethylene case and included tools, consumables and spare parts such as print head and extruder. The printer X7 Field Edition also replaces the lower storage cabinet, which is located on the standard X7, by choosing a simple dry box such as Mark Two.
The X7 FE starts at $89 500
Markforged says you can "drop" - probably from an airplane - the device directly into harsh environments such as battle zones and research sites, and start printing in less than two minutes. The impact-resistant Pelican plastic case will protect the printer inside.
FX20
The new one FX20 is the most ambitious 3D printer in the industrial class Markforged. It's bigger, faster, and the company says it's "more sophisticated" than the rest of the family. Markforged. A distinctive feature is its ability to print at high temperatures Last 9085, flame-retardant, high-performance thermoplastic, used to create tools and parts for end use in the aerospace, automated and heavy industries.
Although you have several options on the market if you want to print with filament Last, FX20 it may be the only one that can strengthen the already healthy Last s continuous carbon fiber. Last has lower impact strength compared to other high performance plastics such as PEEK and PEI, but is generally less expansive, so reinforcing this material with continuous fibers it must solve the problem of strength while remaining accessible. Extremely large filament reel Last 9085 on Markforged is about $1400 (still less than the same amount of PEEK).
FX20 can print with the full range of materials on Markforged.
Markforged says that FX20 is the most precise machine the company has ever produced and is huge compared to the rest of its family. Its turbo mode builds parts faster than any other machine Markforged. The new XL reels offer four times more material without changing the reel.
FX20 has a 7-inch touch screen from which users can control every aspect of the printer. Automated calibration and leveling reduce operator intervention, while a wide variety of sensors provide live feedback on machine performance. The material compartment contains two active XL reels and can store two more with precise moisture control.
FX20 works with software Eiger and there is still no news whether the software Blacksmith on Markforged is available for FX20.
The Ultem 9085 and FX20 are expected to ship worldwide in the first half of 2022, and we'll hear a market price for the device soon (check back here).
Metal X System (Gen 2)
Metal X System is one of the most affordable metal 3D printers on the market, especially attractive to small manufacturers. The systems can print in a wide range of materials from stainless steel to copper with very minimal training.
Especially compared to other more industrial metal 3D printing systems, Metal X is affordable and because it does not use metal dust like most other systems, it is safe for the office. The printer uses bonded powder and FDM technology, so the production of metal parts requires a few more steps than just the printing part. After printing, your metal parts need debinding to remove the polymer that holds the metal dust in a stick, then sinter your parts in an oven.
Fortunately, Markforged also makes a debinding machine, Wash-1, with a specialized liquid to remove the primary binder, leaving the part semi-porous so that the rest of the binder can easily burn during sintering. The Markforged furnace, Sinter-2, has a 17-hour express mode for sintering at night in batches of parts weighing less than 250 grams.
Unlike most other printer manufacturers, Markforged does not issue specifications such as nozzle temperature, bed temperature or chamber temperature. These measurements don't seem to matter because you can't use third-party materials.
In 2021, Markforged announced a software update that actually increased the speed of Metal X. Called Next Day Metal , the update is the culmination of process improvements over the past three years. It is now possible to go from design to ready-to-use part in just 28 hours.
The version Gene 2 on Metal X, which was also introduced in 2021, includes some small but significant improvements. For example, the printer receives door position sensors that automatically stop active printouts when the door is open, and improved camera insulation that shortens warm-up time and improves print consistency.
Eiger & Eiger Fleet software
(Source: Markforged)
Eiger is an integrated, connected platform of Markforgeddesigned to translate you quickly from CAD to a functional part. The browser-based workflow is fast and intuitive.
Eiger allows you to print composite parts reinforced with continuous fibers and metals. You can prepare the parts for printing with one click or take a thorough look at the settings of the parts to optimize your final product.
The secure parts library allows you to dynamically manage engineering projects of any size. Files with parts of Eiger are stored securely and can be edited, edited and printed anywhere.
Eiger Fleet Launched in September 2021, is one place to manage your fleet of printers in real time, whether in one place or around the world. Take advantage of automatic updates while receiving analysis, usage data and live telemetry in one place. You can also give the right people access to the right devices and parts - when and where they need them - based on projects and team responsibilities.
Eiger Fleet it also allows you to track and analyze the cost of parts and execution time, to understand your return on investment in the production of additives.
Blacksmith Software
Blacksmith is the adaptive production platform of Markforged, which connects the design, manufacture and inspection of parts with powerful AI (artificial intelligence).
Blacksmith allows Markforged X7 change the way future parts are printed based on scans of previous prints. First, the on-board laser micrometer scans an OEM-certified artifact to calibrate X7 on-site, allowing software-enhanced printer consistency and scanning accuracy. Then, while cutting the part, the patented "smart scanning algorithm" of Eiger creates an integrated scan tool path. X7 scans the part during printing and creates a cloud of dimension data points. Then Blacksmith compares the point cloud measured during printing with the design file, generating a detailed error field for the part, and overlays it with the original .STL. Eiger presents this error field in an easily parsed online report. Using these tools, you can set tolerance limits, compare different fingerprints on the same part, as Blacksmith uses the unified training with the large fleet of connected 3D printers on Markforged.
The company expects adaptive manufacturing technology to expand beyond X7, allowing corrective actions by metal and composite printers.
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