Markforged has announced the availability of a new Onyx composite material for its Industrial Series of additive manufacturing systems.
Onyx FR is a V-0 flame-retardant nylon thermoplastic designed for application in industries like aerospace, automotive, and defence, where parts are required to be strong, durable, and lightweight. It is also said to feature high print quality and surface finish.
The new material product has been formulated from the standard Onyx material Markforged provides for its Desktop and Industrial Series of printers. It gets its strength and stiffness from chopped carbon fibre which is mixed into the filament, enabling it to be a suitable choice for tooling, jigs, fixtures, and end-use parts. The Onyx FR is the company’s second product under the Onyx brand, the first to meet the V-0 flame retardancy rating, and is only processable on the X3, X5, and X7 machines under the Industrial Series umbrella.
“Manufacturers choose Markforged because our industrial 3D printers deliver strong, lightweight end-use parts at significant cost and time savings,” commented Jon Reilly, VP of Product at Markforged. “With Onyx FR, customers with automotive, aerospace, and defence applications can now make parts that meet fire safety standards. When these parts are reinforced with strands of continuous carbon fibre, they are as strong as aircraft grade aluminium at half the weight.”
The material is the latest addition to the growing Markforged portfolio of composites and metals. It is now available to new and existing users of the Boston-based company’s X3, X5, or X7 printers through Markforged’s webstore or local distributors.