At the intersection of traditional manufacturing and cutting-edge materials, markforged is transforming how products are made. From design to production, their machines and continuous fiber reinforcement technology deliver reliability across thousands of print hours.
All markforged 3d printers feature Eiger printing software, a powerful cloud-based solution that allows you to easily import CAD models and orient them with strands of continuous fibers. This intelligent software also determines the best printing parameters and offers granular control over every print job.
High-strength 3D printing
When it comes to 3D printing, strength is a key factor. After all, nobody wants their 3D printed parts to break, and the strength of a part depends on both the design and the material used to make it. Stronger materials tend to be stiffer and more compact than weaker ones, and they offer better resistance to impact and certain chemicals.
In the consumer sphere, the strongest FDM filaments in terms of tensile and impact strength are polycarbonate (PC) and polyethylene terephthalate glycol-modified (PETG). Nylon filament is also very strong in these areas but slightly easier to print with, as it requires lower extruder and build plate temperatures. More expensive nylon filaments offer additional chemical and temperature resistance, which makes them suitable for more industrial applications. TECH-G is another great FDM filament for strong prints, as it offers high tensile and compressive strength along with low shrinkage. It’s especially useful for printing large models that would be difficult to do with other stronger materials like ABS.
Industrial-grade 3D printing
With large print chambers, industrial 3D printers are capable of printing multiple parts at once. This reduces costs and allows for more iterations during the prototyping phase.
These machines use high-strength materials like ULTEM 9085 to achieve good mechanical properties and accuracy. The printers also require special print ‘profiles’ optimized to the material to ensure optimal performance.
Compared to other industrial 3D printing technologies, FDM has the lowest resolution and accuracy, and requires labor-intensive post-processing. While some FDM printers offer soluble supports to mitigate these limitations, they tend to produce less complex shapes and have difficulty printing thin walls or negative features.
SLA printers are great for highly detailed prototypes with tight tolerances and smooth surface finishes. They’re also the best choice for manufacturing aids such as jigs and gauges, medical models and patterns. Because SLS printers don’t need dedicated support structures, they’re also the best option for prints with complex geometries including undercuts and thin walls.
Additive manufacturing
Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, has a bit of a bad reputation. It conjures images of hobbyists printing from their garages with visible layers and poor resolution. But industrial 3D printers like the Markforged X7 and X3 offer production-grade finishes and engineering-grade properties.
They also produce parts at a fraction of the cost of traditional machines. This allows manufacturers to save on the tooling, fixtures and jigs required by traditional methods.
Markforged uses a process called Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), which uses a laser to ‘sinter’ or bind together material powder into the final part. Using high-performance materials like ULTEM 9085 and carbon fiber, Markforged printers can deliver strong and durable components. They also offer a 4.3” touchscreen interface, allowing users to start or evaluate prints quickly and run utilities efficiently. Cloud connectivity means that print times, usage metrics, material consumption and more are monitored automatically. This enables continuous improvements via software updates that are pushed to your printer over the air.
The future of manufacturing
As manufacturing evolves from labor-intensive to technology-intensive, companies are searching for new ways to make more efficient use of their resources. This includes leveraging tools like industrial robots to reduce production costs, improve quality, and increase speed.
The future of manufacturing will also involve the maturation, commoditization, and widespread adoption of computation in manufacturing processes to reliably translate design to manufacturing plans; process control to ensure execution of those plans produces products that meet specifications; the invention of new materials, chemicals, devices, systems, machines, and work methods; and secure, integrated system tools for monitoring, measuring, and controlling manufacturing operations.
Get started with Markforged’s desktop range of 3D printers and build stronger components from the comfort of your office. With cloud-managed software, engineering-grade materials, and a 4.3″ touchscreen, getting to work is simple and fast. Watch how consumer packaged goods manufacturers like Saint-Gobain are transforming their workflow with the power of Markforged.