Markforged's precision PLA expands the possibilities for a full product life cycle

The material expands the applications of Markforged from functional carbon fibers and metal parts to cost-effective design validation and rapid prototyping.

Markforged added Precise PLA to its portfolio of materials for use with its integrated Forma and Carbon Fiber (AM) manufacturing platform, Digital Forge, to enable more cost-effective design validation and rapid prototyping.

The company says using the new material on its platform allows users to handle all stages of product design, from validation to strong end-use applications that rely on the company's carbon-fiber and metal-reinforced parts.

Precise PLA is Markforged's specialized version of Polylactic Acid (PLA), one of the most widely used prototype materials in the AM industry, the company said. The material is available in eight color options, including yellow, red, green, blue, orange, black, white and gray. The company has calibrated its platform through Eiger software updates to print Precise PLA with excellent quality and repeatability.

With the release of Precise PLA it is said that consumers can make designs available on the same reliable, high-quality platform used to create parts for end use in demanding industries such as aerospace, automotive, defense and healthcare.

With the latest addition, the company now offers 28 materials, from plastics to continuous carbon fiber and metals. According to the company, these materials offer consumers flexibility in options ranging from high hardness, impact resistance, temperature resistance, surface coating and now affordable price. From the initial stages of product development through production and even the repair of after-sales service, consumers can now use a single platform to meet their needs for custom parts, the company said.

Precise PLA is compatible with Mark Two (Gen 2) and Onyx Pro (Gen 2). The material is also scheduled to be available on all Markforged Industrial series printers equipped with the latest A3648 extruder, including the X3, X5 and X7 in the second quarter of 2022.