For prototype to end-use, Markforged leads the way. Their industrial 3D printers for manufacturing shops and factory floors empower manufacturers and engineers to create strong, real working parts in just a day or two. Compared to subtractive manufacturing processes like machining, the Markforged alternative is state-of-the-art. And it works. Make no mistake, these are best-in-breed 3D printers.
The range kicks off with the Desktop series. It includes the Mark Two which prints Onyx, carbon fibre, fibreglass, nylon, Kevlar, and high-temp fibreglass. There’s also the Onyx One which prints Onyx, and the Onyx Pro which prints Onyx and fibreglass. These machines are desktop and user-friendly and immensely capable.
The Industrial series kicks things up a notch. The Markforged X7, X5, and X3 are for factory floors. The X7 is the pick of the bunch printing the same materials as the Mark Two, but with an enhanced build volume and footprint.
The Metal X is another beast entirely. It empowers engineers to manufacture parts with complex geometries and details that would be impossible with subtractive manufacturing. It can directly replace many of these traditional processes. The Metal X uses metal powder to create true-to-design parts. Parts are then sintered in a furnace to become solid, afterwards demonstrating the same strength and durability as cast parts.
