Markforged Releases Three New Additions to The Digital Forge

Markforged has announced upgraded printers and software for their signature Digital Forge to offer even more capability.

Markforged’s Next Day Metal digital platform helped Angus 3D solutions rapidly prototype and produce specialty wrenches. (Credit: Markforged)

Markforged’s Next Day Metal digital platform helped Angus 3D solutions rapidly prototype and produce specialty wrenches. (Credit: Markforged)

Markforged, an innovative force in additive manufacturing and 3D printing, has announced exciting additions and upgrades to their leading metal and carbon fiber additive manufacturing platform, The Digital Forge. The company is making three additions to its platform: Metal X Gen 2, Next Day Metal and the X7 Field Edition. 

The hardware and software releases have been designed with an eye on helping manufacturers produce parts more efficiently and quickly in the face of a continuing global supply chain crunch. Markforged’s digital manufacturing platform is made with manufacturers across all corners of the globe in mind and can be deployed right on the production floor or in very remote sites. Every manufacturer needs to be able to respond quickly when parts break without having to keep significant inventory on hand.

The Metal X Gen 2 follows its predecessor, the Metal X System, which first hit the market in 2017. The system has been upgraded with advanced hardware developments that make the platform more user-friendly and safer for operators. Key features of the Metal X Gen 2 include a larger touch screen, door position sensors, and chamber insulation to make the system more energy efficient.

Next Day Metal will work hand in hand with the Metal X Gen 2 across Markforged’s entire installed base of metal printers. Next Day Metal is a software platform that has the potential to double print speeds for the company’s metal printers while delivering durable metal parts. Markforged has improved the printing process through the rollout of this software with more precise wash and dry times for small parts and a 17-hour small parts express run in the post-processing oven. All of this leads to additive manufacturers being able to scale their operations much more quickly.

Users of the platform are already reaping the rewards of Markforged’s new technology. Angus 3D Solutions, a Scottish company that works with some of the largest energy companies in their country, utilized Next Day Metal and its rapid production speed to hit a tight deadline for a client who required specialty tight-clearance wrenches. Angus 3D Solutions was able to develop a prototype in only three days instead of two-plus weeks and got the entire order to their customer ahead of schedule, helping them avoid unnecessary downtime.

“The Metal X has been an important part of our business since we first began using it,” said Andy Simpson, managing director of Angus 3D Solutions. “Our customers rely on us to produce specialty parts that can be time-consuming to make and expensive to ship quickly. Our Markforged Metal X printer enables us to fulfill orders in a fast and timely fashion. Next Day Metal unlocks a new level of potential for us to scale our metal printing business and satisfy customer needs on even quicker turnarounds.”

Finally, the X7 FE is a rugged, durable 3D printer that can be deployed remotely to field operations and has been used by the U.S. Marine Corps to deal with inventory shortages. The X7 FE comes with a high-impact Pelican case, tools, spare parts and extra materials for maintenance and repair on the fly. The device has been designed to be able to be dropped directly into combat zones or exploration sites and be fully operational in under two minutes.

“Manufacturers are up against many challenges in today’s market — from supply chain challenges like rising supply costs and shipping delays to increased pressure from the market to innovate faster and stay ahead of the competition,” said Shai Terem, president and chief executive officer of Markforged. “Since Markforged shipped our first printer, we’ve been committed to quality and continuous improvement, always looking for simpler, smarter, and more robust ways to empower our customers to build anything they can imagine. The addition of the Metal X (Gen 2), Next Day Metal, and the X7 FE to our Digital Forge are important steps towards reinventing manufacturing today so that we are all more resilient tomorrow anywhere in the world.”

The latest round of new products from Markforged is another big win for the fledgling company that became public via SPAC with one in March. The potential for long-term success with additive manufacturing and a revolution of the way products are prototyped and produced remains huge and becomes closer to being realized each time a company like Markforged upgrades its products. With ample investment capital backing them, Markforged is well on its way to becoming a major player in the 3D printing sector.