Markforged has added to its line of 3D printers with the release of the X3 and X5 Industrial 3D Printers. Markforged has established a reputation as “the only 3D printing platform that prints the entire range of strong parts, from carbon fibre to metal, as well as offering a complete cloud-managed 3D solution to clients.” Its Industrial Series is a range of high-end 3D Printers ideal for companies who still want to manufacture locally. The OEM added that local 3D printing is growing in popularity but can still often prove difficult for companies to implement, due to “the long lead times involved with some machines, and the relative weakness of parts produced using other, faster 3D printing systems.”
“For 30 years, 3D printing customers have been forced to accept trade-offs between strength, time, and affordability – lacking the opportunity to benefit from all three. With the complete Industrial Series and new Metal X printer, these trade-offs no longer exist,” said Greg Mark, Markforged’s Founder and CEO. “Customers can now, with ease, print same-day parts that optimize strength and affordability for their specific needs.” The company’s flagship Continuous Carbon Fiber (CCF) 3D printer is the X7, previously known as the Mark X. It’s capable of printing parts that are 23 times stronger than ones 3D printed using conventional ABS materials, said the company.
The X3 prints with Onyx, a high-temperature-capable carbon-fibre-filled nylon. The thermoplastic parts it produces are all engineering-grade, with exceptional material strength and stiffness. The X5 also prints with Onyx, but offers other features and capabilities that make it stand out. For example, it can reinforce its 3D printed parts with a strand of fibreglass, which makes them 19 times stronger and 10 times stiffer than those produced using conventional 3D printing plastics, the company added. Markforged is also offering an affordable, industry-exclusive upgrade program that allows customers at any time to leverage their initial investment in an X3 to upgrade to an X5 or X7 – thus gaining access to stronger materials and better inspection utilities.
