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 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. The FX20 pairs size and throughput to make larger parts at faster speeds. The 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 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.
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.
The FX20 and ULTEM 9085 filament are expected to ship worldwide in the first half of 2022.