Mark X large carbon-fibre 3D printer.
Since its launch in 2014, Markforged has released two desktop 3D printers onto the marketplace capable of producing on-demand, high-performance, functional carbon-fibre reinforced nylon parts at an incredibly competitive price tag of around $5,000. Now the Massachusetts-based company has announced the launch of a new, more powerful fibre composite 3D printer, the Mark X, boasting a larger print volume and in-process laser inspection.
Markforged’s Mark X builds on the success of its existing technology and materials available in the Mark Two, launched earlier this year. With a build volume of 330mm (X), 250mm (Y), 200mm (Z), users can now print larger high-performance parts or multiple components in a single print run at a fine resolution up to 50 microns.
The new in-process inspection is led by a laser sensor on the print head, which is used to measure tolerances and dimensional accuracy and gives engineers and designers the ability to close the loop on production, all controlled by the Markforged Eiger software. In addition, the Mark X includes a high precision build plate, encoders on the print head for high accuracy, silent stepper motors, and a high stiffness Z-axis motor all for a high degree of part quality. Users also have the option of managing multiple printers concurrently using the Eiger software, a Google Chrome-based cloud solution.
“We have taken a different path from most of the 3D printing industry with innovation that will create a new bottom line benefit for many manufacturers,” Greg Mark, CEO and founder, explained. “We already had success with the breakthrough strength and light weight of continuous carbon fibre in our Mark Two printer - now we added in-process inspection for exact dimensional accuracy, high resolution beautiful surface finish, and scale to open entirely new segments of the industry to efficiencies of what printing can accomplish.”
In-process laser monitoring.
"For over a year many of my customers have been interested in a Markforged 3D printer with a larger build volume,” Daniel Held, CEO of Coffee GmbH - a value-added reseller of Markforged in Germany, added. “The combination of a large build size, in-process inspection, composite reinforcement, and the continued reliability and robustness that has become synonymous with Markforged 3D printers is a powerful solution. For companies looking for a way to speed up product lead times or increase bandwidth for revenue generating parts without taking on an expensive total cost of ownership, the Mark X is a must-have."
With a significantly higher price tag than its predecessors, the Mark X will ship in Q4 of this year at $69,000 USD. Despite the jump in price point, the machine's unique capabilities and material options, mean that the Mark X is still competitively priced compared to other machines of its size in the industry. The machine will be available in all territories where Markforged currently retails.
Greg Mark, founder of Markforged talks 3D printing with kevlar and carbon fibre.
