Video: An introduction to MarkForged and its 3D printer.
The Mark One machine, which is 322 mm x 360 mm x 575 mm in size, employs the patent pending Composite Filament Fabrication (CFF™) process. Parts made with CFF contain continuous strands of fibres embedded in a thermoplastic matrix that hardens during printing.
The patent pending towpreg developed by MarkForged allows the Mark One to produce parts up to 20 times stiffer and 5 times stronger than the traditional unreinforced commodity thermoplastics like ABS used by most 3D printing systems.
MarkForged currently offers three different continuous reinforcing towpregs in a proprietary polyamide (PA) blend:
- MarkForged Carbon Fiber CFF filament has the strongest strength-to-weight ratio (stronger than 6061-T6 aluminium by weight);
- MarkForged Fiberglass CFF filament has the best strength-to-cost balance, and is also EMR transparent and electrically insulating; and
- MarkForged Kevlar® CFF filament provides high abrasion and impact resistance.
"Many of our customers had never made composites before, and they are using the Mark One to produce brackets, tooling and fixtures that they used to make from aluminium," reports Greg Mark, CEO and Founder of MarkForged.
MarkForged is backed by Matrix Partners and North Bridge Venture Partners.
- The Mark One 3D printer won an American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) Award for Composites Excellence (ACE) in the Manufacturing category at the 2014 Composites and Advanced Materials Expo (CAMX) trade show in Orlando, Florida, on 13-16 October.
