Markforged’s New FX20 3D Printer and Proprietary Materials Increase Markforged’s Addressable Market for Bigger, Faster, Stronger, and Heat Resistant Parts.
Markforged, creator of the integrated metal and carbon fiber additive manufacturing platform, The Digital Forge, is advancing its position as a leader in point-of-need production of industrial-strength end use parts with the FX20 printer. This new production-ready hardware prints the flame-retardant, high-performance thermoplastic material with ULTEM™ 9085 filament in combination with Markforged’s proprietary Continuous Fiber Reinforcement printing technology for high-strength, heat resistant, and higher performance parts that can meet the needs of the most demanding industries such as aerospace, defense, automotive, and oil & gas.
Built to scale distributed global production, the FX20 is precision-designed and sensor-driven to deliver breakthrough accuracy, quality, and reliability to fabricate parts directly at the point-of-need with the simple click of a button. As the biggest, fastest, and smartest 3D printer Markforged has ever produced, the FX20 pairs size and throughput to make larger parts at incredible speeds. This new technology, alongside high-temperature printing capabilities, elevates the Digital Forge platform from accessible industrial-strength composite manufacturing to robust production applications. The FX20 has a heated build chamber capable of maintaining up to a 200°C temperature and the capacity to print parts up to 525 mm x 400 mm x 400 mm in size. The FX20 is up to eight times faster than the default print settings on Markforged’s existing line of composite printers and prints nearly five times larger builds than its next largest printer, the X7.
Bringing together ULTEM™ 9085 filament with Markforged’s proprietary Continuous Fiber Reinforcement technology will help manufacturers move from augmenting manufacturing operations with composite 3D printing to replacing entire segments of the supply chain by bringing strong, accurate parts that solve demanding, end-use applications right where needed.
Vestas Wind Systems A/S , a global leader in sustainable energy solutions, plans to use the FX20 with existing Markforged composite materials and the new ULTEM™ 9085 filament with continuous fiber reinforcement to print stronger, higher volume parts.
“The Digital Forge has given Vestas a powerful platform to circumvent expensive, multi-step, and time-consuming conventional manufacturing methodology,” said Jeremy Haight, Principal Engineer at Vestas. “When you factor in design iterations, these conventional parts are obsolete in a year or two. With the FX20 and ULTEM™ 9085, we will be able to design and manufacture larger, stronger parts, press a button and take that part right off the print bed to use it immediately with the confidence that it is very durable and robust.”
Printing the ULTEM™ 9085 filament with Continuous Fiber Reinforcement expands the advantages manufacturers can realize through additive technology. Adding the FX20 to the Digital Forge platform addresses a broader set of needs and applications.
Markforged continues to build on our innovative legacy and lead the way in composite 3D printing—the future of manufacturing. With the releases of the FX20 and Continuous Fiber Reinforced ULTEM™ 9085 filament, we’re now fulfilling that promise to manufacturers who previously, in the most demanding environments, were unable to experience the benefits of the Digital Forge and our unique materials,” said Shai Terem, President and CEO of Markforged. “By helping move composites toward robust production, we’ll unlock more functional parts, made of stronger materials of even more impressive size, with applications from the factory floor to flight.”
The FX20 and ULTEM™ 9085 filament are expected to ship worldwide in the first half of 2022. FormNext attendees can see the printer at Markforged’s booth, 12.0 D01, from November 16-19. To learn more, please join us for “Introducing the FX20” webinar on Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. ET (USA time).
The ULTEM™ and 9085 trademarks are used under license from SABIC, its affiliates or subsidiaries.
3D Printing is a popular and valuable technology in the hobbyist, design, and industrial worlds. As a dramatic departure from the traditional subtractive manufacturing technique, both at-home and industrial 3D Printers employ an additive manufacturing approach to create 3D objects layer by layer.
As a result, 3D Printing allows for quick prototyping, durable small-batch end-use parts and efficient tooling applications whilst lowering material and labour costs for both commercial and consumer applications.
But deciding on 3D Printers can be complicated, as there are various models available on today’s market – with each model offering unique features, positives and negatives depending on the user’s application. Significantly this article will dissect the few major distinctions between consumer desktop printers and lab-level industrial 3D Printers.
Hobbyist & Industrial 3D Printers: Ease of Use & Accuracy
Though home 3D printers are perfect for printing a few things like Baby Yodas. On a larger scale, hobbyist 3D Printers have print limitations (typically with tolerances of ± 0.5 mm), require frequent calibration, and frequent maintenance. For example, it’s common a user will have to reprint once, twice, three, or four times to get the 3D Printing 100% precise.
Thus, most home 3D printers can provide acceptable print quality; however, the results achieved are highly dependent on the abilities and experience of the person running the printer, and end-print models often take additional processing time.
Professional industrial 3D printers, on the other hand, are designed for reliability, speed, performance, and large batch printing. Even today, users of industrial 3D printers don’t require tons of complex training to operate the machine as most machines are so highly automated, they can run independently from the user.
While hobbyist 3D desktop printers are not far behind, industrial 3D Printers facilitates the printing of complex structures and allows for a smoother surface unmatchable to the hobbyist models. Industrial 3D printers deliver high accuracy mass printing with a minor error tolerance of up to ± 0.15 mm.
Hobbyist & Industrial 3D Printers: Applications
Although the ease of use of desktop and industrial 3D Printers differ, it is important to understand when the hobbyist desktop printer may be utilised more successfully than the industrial versions.
Most home 3D Printers are insufficiently robust for fast prototyping in industrial applications. Hobbyists and home users who want to produce replacement parts, personalised goods, toys, and ornamental objects are the target market for desktop 3D Printer. Thus, if you want to make a prototype, you may utilise a desktop 3D printer with a print accuracy of approximately 1 to 0.5 mm.
In contrast, industrial 3D Printers offer almost an endless supply of industry applications currently utilised in the aerospace, defence, medical, consumer goods, automotive, and architectural industries. If you want to create an object with the best dimensional accuracy, repeatability, particular material characteristics (such as high strength, temperature and chemical resistance etc.), and large dimensions (more than 200 x 200 x 200 mm), you will need to utilise an industrial 3D Printer.
The cost of desktop 3D printers and industrial 3D printer prices are a significant distinction when choosing between the two devices. With the growth in popularity of desktop 3D printers, the cost of owning and operating a hobbyist printer has dropped substantially. But as a buyer, you must not only consider the cost of the machine, but by the materials and maintenance, it requires. For example, well-made, better materials are less expensive because they tend to be replaced less often.
Furthermore, the best 3D Printer for you should be determined by which printer will save you money in the long term. For example, there is a way to save money in the long term by spending more initially, with the Markforged Mark Two.
Designers and engineers will use the Mark Two to substitute machined aluminium tooling with stronger parts for a fraction of the cost. Incorporating commercial 3D Printing with unique continuous carbon fibre reinforcement and distinctive software with flexible parts that are ready to use right away and have up to 26 times the strength of normal 3D printing products like ABS.
Thus, the best 3D Printer price depends entirely on what you wish to achieve. For factory and production manufacturing, High Accuracy, large format printers would best suit. For engineering designs, you’ll need to decide if a higher performance printer is worth the extra few thousand dollars. For smaller-scale shops like jewellery designers or sculptures, resin SLA printers can produce fine and intricate details.
Why Choose a Consumer/Personal/Hobbyist 3D Printer?
Consumer 3D printing seeks to mimic the professional 3D printing experience on a smaller scale and for a lower price. For basic applications, where a user has the luxury of time and tinkering, these are a great way to get your feet wet with 3D printing.
When used in a professional environment, however, these printers may provide somewhat underwhelming results. Due to the limitations of personal/hobbyist 3D Printers, these businesses will eventually need to switch to a professional FDM 3D Printer.
Why Choose a Professional/Industrial 3D Printer?
When you upgrade to an Industrial 3D Printer, one of the biggest improvements you’ll notice is the simplicity of usage. These printers are intended to be trade tools, and as such, they are meant to function perfectly right out of the box, set up to operate with the proper material immediately, so the user doesn’t have to worry about print failures, part performance, melt temperature, build tray preparation, etc.
Sourcing Commercial 3D Printers and 3D Printing Materials at Emona
Over the last few years, 3D Printing has advanced tremendously. As a result, the consumer 3D printing sector has expanded, offering various low-cost choices for enthusiasts and home users.
Professional 3D printers, on the other hand, continue to improve in terms of speed, dependability, and quality. As a result of these developments, the 3D printing market is anticipated to expand at a rate of 20% per year.
Hence, the potential of 3D Printing is still in its infancy; in the coming years, almost all industries and companies will use the technology to enhance their manufacturing and supply chains. Emona Instruments caters for a range of budgets, functions and technologies, suitable for R&D professionals, production lines or the classroom.
Whether you are looking for high-quality electronic test and measure instruments, test and tag instruments, state of the art 3D printers, 3D printer accessories or engineering teaching & research equipment, Emona supplies only globally trusted manufacturers. Emona caters for a range of budgets, functions and technologies, suitable for R & D professionals, production lines or the classroom.
From Markforged Carbon Fibre Composite and Metal 3D Printers printing in stainless steel, tool steel, copper and Inconel, through to Formlabs SLA 3D Printers printing resin, the Emona team are ready to help with expert advice and benchmark sample part printing. Contact the Emona team for more information or technical support on (02) 9519 3933, email testinst@emona.com.au or visit www.emona.com.au/markforged.
The cutting-end technology of commercial 3D printers can be a truly great asset to your business, but alike all technology, it may not suit every business…
If correctly utilised by small businesses, there are an abundant number of benefits that can ensure business success. From reducing costs, optimised business efficiency and enhanced product construction, providing a competitive advantage ahead of industry competitors.
3D printing can allow a business to climb its industry, but the common misconceptions surrounding 3D technology often discourages small businesses and entrepreneurs. While some believe the technology is too futuristic, expensive and hard to use – but in reality, 3D technology is becoming more accessible, better quality and cheaper. With commercial 3D printers, your business uses fewer employees, less equipment, and fewer resources – keeping most of your manufacturing line in-house.
At Emona Instruments, we sincerely believe that most small companies should invest in 3D printing immediately, but don’t just take our word for it! We have put together this helpful guide to bust some of the myths surrounding the technology so you can discover if your business is suitable for 3D printing.
Since 2015, Emona Instruments has offered industry-leading Additive Manufacturing Products and 3D Printing Materials to industries Australia-wide, we know exactly how small companies could benefit from this form of technology.
For more expert knowledge, check out Emona’s recent articleto discover how five early adopters of Industrial 3D Printers improved their business models and optimised their scope of production.
Optimised Production Lines
Without a doubt, 3D manufacturing makes production lines more efficient, 3D printing does not require a mould to create a product, so if a product requires any modifications, it can be completed easier with Production 3D Printers.
3D manufacturing makes mass-producing products possible with near-zero manual labour, thus creating the overall scope-of-product a much more affordable process. With no need to go through multiple middlemen and consultants to achieve a finalised product with commercial 3D printing. Soon the initial costs of a 3D printer will pay its self-off.
In addition, if in the rare situation where something goes wrong with your machine, replacing or fixing the broken parts of a 3D printer is a much quicker process than with traditional machinery, overall saving money and time.
More Advanced & Specialised Product Manufacturing
If your business is primarily based on creating customised products, 3D printing is the most beneficial type of technology for your business. With a build-on-demand business model, you can allow your customers to customise their product at any batch size, without many extra costs.
Product specialisation is one of the most significant advantages of additive manufacturing. Unlike traditional methods, the customisations of products are less expensive and take much less time with 3D printing. Achieving such mass-customisation into your production line expands the opportunities of your business.
Final products can be made more specialised with the accuracy of additive manufacturing which can create anything you can think of, and not just default designs. Even more complex geometries with impressive unique designs and special joints are easily accessible to 3D manufactures. For example, commercial 3D printers can create complex jigsaw-like structures which not just look good but allows your product to gain extraordinary strength and resistance.
In addition, Production 3D Printing can easily make your object weigh less, and innately your product will be lighter as the technology uses more lightweight raw materials to form the product. But other design tricks can be included in production to make the product even more lightweight – such as hallowing out your objects to make them less dense.
Better and More Affordable Prototypes
Often prototypes are essential marketing materials for businesses as they are used to attract investors and potential customers. Usually, this phase is costly and time-consuming, but Additive Manufacturing can fully optimise this process quicker and more efficient.
Prototypes are specifically beneficial to bring at trade shows and for in-store displays. Having a product sample allows your prospective clients to get a physical feel for your brand, helping you stand out from the competition. Showcase the functionality of your product without spending too much money with 3D printed prototypes.
Furthermore, with commercial 3D printers, you can create small-batch specialised products to bring with you to trade shows; for example, you can sell merch or create 3D business cards to give to potential buyers. Such little additions can make a big impression on clients and investors, ultimately representing your business as out-of-the-box creative, impressive, and a step ahead of your competitors.
Additive manufacturing will considerably improve your R&D process. The prototyping process is made more accessible and can significantly accelerate your whole product development. As a small company, you will be able to develop your project without wasting time and money.
Storage and Resource Reduction
In contrast to traditional manufacturing where the process begins with a large amount of resources requiring an ample space for storage, and then created into a product. Additive manufacturing only requires the exact amount of resources needed to create a product, optimising overhead costs and less physical storage space required.
Notably, for small businesses, storage is a common issue with expensive costs and the problem of sourcing enough physical space. Commercial 3D Printers allow for a mostly digital inventory and on-demand manufacturing, permitting a lot more feasibility within supply-chain management.
Sourcing Commercial 3D Printers and 3D Printing Materials at Emona
Particularly from a small business perspective, your customer base will be more satisfied with the benefits of 3D printing mentioned in this article, including the excellent quality of your product and the hyper-customisation when you work with additive manufacturing.
The potential of 3D printing is still in its infancy; in the coming years, almost all industries and companies will use the technology to enhance their manufacturing and supply chains. Be an early adopter of commercial 3D printing with a state-of-the-art 3D printer and high-quality 3D printing materials from Emona Instruments.
Emona Instruments caters for a range of budgets, functions and technologies, suitable for R&D professionals, production lines or the classroom. From Markforged Carbon Fibre Composite and Metal 3D Printers printing in stainless steel, tool steel, copper and Inconel, through to Formlabs SLA 3D Printers printing resin, the Emona team are ready to help with expert advice and benchmark sample part printing. Contact the Emona team for more information or technical support on (02) 9519 3933, emailtestinst@emona.com.auor visit www.emona.com.au/markforged.
Nano Dimension, developer of the DragonFly 2020 Pro 3D PCB printer for printing professional multilayer circuit boards, appoints Emona as Australian and New Zealand distributor.
The DragonFly™ 2020 Pro 3D Printer produces professional multilayer printed circuit boards (PCBs) and 3D circuitry. It is the ultimate rapid prototyping tool for electronics professionals.
3D printing (also known as additive manufacturing) has earned its position as one of the most exciting technologies to come to market in the last decade. It has transformed the world of product design and is now making significant inroads into manufacturing.
The DragonFly 2020 Pro system brings together an extremely precise inkjet deposition printer, high performance silver nano-particle conductive and dielectric inks as well as dedicated software, in order to bring the benefits of 3D printing to electronics professionals. This advanced printing platform is dedicated to the production of professional multilayer PCB prototypes and other circuitry inhouse, within hours.
The innovative hardware, dedicated nano-inks and novel software offers virtually limitless design flexibility to a wide range of research and development, prototyping and custom manufacturing projects.
The rapid prototyping capabilities of the DragonFly 2020 Pro 3D Printer for professional 3D printed electronics completely transforms the ways product development teams work. No more waiting days or weeks for a custom PCB prototype that has to be fabricated offsite. The DragonFly 2020 Pro 3D Printer offers the flexibility to print an entire board or just part of a circuit. You can develop the RF and digital sections of the board in parallel, test and iterate on the fly. The DragonFly 2020 Pro 3D Printer empowers progress and encourages innovation, lessening development risks and enabling faster times-to-market – and ultimately, better products.
The DragonFly™ 2020 Pro 3D Printer deposits two materials, one conductive and one dielectric, in order to build a complete multilayer PCB from the bottom up. Each pass of the printhead deposits dielectric and conductive material at the exact location specified by the design file. Starting from the underside conductive traces, the materials are built up to finish with the topside conductors. This process means that vias are built up, drop by drop, either as blind, open or complete vias.Plated and non-plated through-holes are created by repeatedly leaving a space at a particular XY coordinate, thereby building surrounding materials up around a void. The dielectric ends up as a solid piece within which the conductive traces are positioned at the precise XYZ coordinates specified.
