Fifth-generation system incorporates automated quality assurance and print routines for consistent additive manufacturing.
Not so long ago, the idea that you could walk into a factory and find 3D printers on the production line was basically science fiction. Go back in time a little further, and you’d come across the same skepticism about having PCs on a factory floor. We don’t think twice about seeing a computer on a production line nowadays, and as we enter the age of additive manufacturing (AM), machines such as Markforged’s new FX10 3D printer will be just another part of production.
Announced at this year’s Formnext, the fifth generation of Markforged’s industrial 3D printers boasts the same trifecta of benefits over traditional manufacturing methods that we’ve been hearing for years: cut costs and lead times while building supply chain resiliency by replacing physical inventories with digital ones. Nevertheless, the refinements and new features introduced in the FX10 make it clear that these are more than just pie-in-the-sky promises.
To take one example, the FX10 is designed as a modular system so that it can be upgraded and given new capabilities. Users can add printheads with integrated vision modules that capture part images and data for quality assurance. Markforged has also focused on the manufacturing half of AM with the latest version of its Continuous Fiber Reinforcement (CFR) print system that uses a heated print chamber to nearly double print speeds and sizes. Markforged is betting this will enable and incentivize more users to replace their metal parts and tooling with additive composites.
“Coupled with our Digital Source platform, we are truly starting to bring the vision of distributed manufacturing into reality,” said Markforged CEO Shai Terem in a press release. “The FX10 features a full suite of automation built to simplify the usage of the printer and increase adoption to build resiliency into our customers’ production. When a line is down, or a tool is needed, FX10 users can simply Press Print.”
The actual users are clearly top-of-mind here, with a touchscreen interface and additional automation that reduces the number of interactions operators need to have with the machine before and during printing. Optical sensors mounted in the FX10 printhead automatically verify part dimensions, as well as providing data for monitoring machine health and performance. A laser micrometer also scans the parts during printing, and helps with automatic calibrations.
A true production machine, the FX10’s material drawer contains storage bays for up to four 800cc spools of filament that can be automatically swapped out during printing, and the bays themselves can be reloaded without disrupting operations. Combine the FX10 with Markforged’s Digital Forge—an AM platform designed to integrate into existing manufacturing ecosystems—and you get something that looks very much like the sci-fi promise that got everyone so excited about 3D printing in the first place.
It’s a good time to be getting into 3D printing for production.
