The Markforged FX20 and a new Continuous Fiber Reinforced Ultem 9085 filament have been launched, furthering the reach of the brand’s 3D Printing technologies into evermore demanding industries like aerospace and automotive.
Markforged’s latest 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.
The team behind the FX20 say that it is built to scale distributed global production, and is the ‘biggest, fastest, and smartest 3D printer Markforged has ever produced’.
Markforged says that the FX20 has a 525 x 400 x 400mm high-temperature build chamber, capable of maintaining the 200°C needed to reliably produce Ultem parts.
With a layer resolution of between 50 μm – 250 μmis, Markforged says the FX20 is capable of printing 8-times faster than the default print settings on its existing line of composite printers.
Given the high temperature resistance of Ultem, the ability to reinforce it with the new carbon fibre material that is pre-pregged with Ultem resin for compatibility with the Ultem 9085 will be of great interest to designers working on end-use parts for aerospace and railways, where flame retardancy is a key driver of materials and production methods.
Markforged CEO Shai Terem, said: “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.
“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.
