Markforged has created a platform of printers, materials and software that enable manufacturers to print industrial-grade metal and composite parts. These parts are ready to use right out of the machine, requiring minimal post-processing.
Markforged’s Metal X prints using a new process called Bound Powder Extrusion, which closely mirrors conventional Fused Filament Fabrication (3D printing) with two additional steps — washing and sintering. This allows for closed-cell structures that reduce weight without compromising strength.
The Digital Forge
The Digital Forge is an intuitive Additive Manufacturing platform that removes the barriers between design and functional part. With a fleet of printers, materials and software working seamlessly on a single unified platform, The Digital Forge helps global manufacturers transform their process to drive productivity and innovation.
The company’s flagship metal 3D printing system, the Metal X, delivers industrial-grade parts in under 72 hours using a safe, reliable process that is 5-10 times less expensive than traditional powder-based systems. The patented system features best-in-class software, materials research and a revolutionary motion system that has been engineered to make it easy for anyone to print metal parts.
The Digital Forge uses something called fleet federated learning, which essentially means the platform gets smarter day-by-day by leveraging data from across the Markforged global fleet of printers. This enables the printers to correct themselves mid-print when they encounter an error, significantly reducing total printer failures and part quality while also increasing print reliability.
The Metal X
The company behind MarkForged’s carbon fiber 3D printers has pushed the bar even higher with the Metal X, one of the most affordable end-to-end metal additive manufacturing machines on the market. The Metal X uses advanced technology to print complex metal parts overnight using a new process at a fraction of the cost. It enables you to leave 20th century manufacturing in the dust by creating everything from industrial replacement parts to injection molds to working prototypes.
The machine is designed to be safe and easy to use, printing in a closed workflow with no hazardous powder handling. In addition, the sintering furnace is connected to the Markforged Eiger software, which allows you to monitor your print in real time from any device with an internet connection.
Besides printing a huge range of metals, the Metal X also enables users to create unique geometry that can’t be produced using traditional subtractive techniques or Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMSL) technology. For example, it’s possible to print closed honeycomb structures that offer strength, durability, and weight savings.
The Mark Two
After the excitement surrounding MarkForged’s groundbreaking Mark One desktop printer, the team has worked hard to bring high-powered hardware to your desk. The Mark Two delivers with incredible strength and functionality in a sleek machine that feels great.
Reinforced with continuous fiber composite, the Mark Two offers unprecedented strength, rigidity and durability. By choosing from a selection of materials (including carbon fiber, fiberglass and HSHT fiberglass) you can print parts that are up to five times stronger than steel, twenty times stiffer than ABS and ten times more resistant to impact than Kevlar.
The Mark Two is powered by Eiger, a cloud-connected 3D printing software that simplifies operations with features like over-the-air updates, material usage tracking and out of material detection. The machine uses a heated print bed to deliver strong first-layer adhesion and prevent warping. A 4.3” touchscreen makes managing prints easy. The bed also locks into place with 10 micron accuracy, so you can remove it to add components or pause the print and return it without risk.
The Mark Three
The Mark Three features a new integrated 5MP camera and long-range Bluetooth 5.2 that Arable says allows it to connect at 7 times the range of a smartphone and works in areas with low solar activity. It also has twice the battery capacity of the Mark Two and can be powered by a variety of power sources.
The Mark 3 provides a daily high-resolution crop image and puts it in context, which allows for fewer trips to the field, rapid identification of issues that compromise yield and quality, optimized timing of field work and continuous phenotyping.
The Mark Three is featured in the 1977 horror film Goosebumps as a haunted car designed by famed Hollywood car customizer George Barris.
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