January 6, 2017 Markforged announced a breakthrough technology in metal manufacturing – Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing (ADAM), along with the introduction of the Metal X – the first ADAM 3D printer. Extending the success of its revolutionary carbon fiber printing technology, Markforged now provides a rapid technique to produce metal parts for manufacturers in demanding industrial, automotive, medical and aerospace industries.
“Until today, the story of metal 3D printing has been million-dollar machines that fill a room,” says CEO Greg Mark. “With the introduction of the Metal X, metal production is easier and more available than ever. Manufacturers and machine shops looking to augment CNC machining or find alternatives now have an answer.
“This revolution is not just about making metal parts – it’s also about making plastic parts from a 3D printed metal mold created in days, instead of months,” Mark continues. “Our mission is to help companies make better products, and get them to market faster.” Not only does the Metal X printer make robust metal parts easy and inexpensive to produce, but it’s now possible to create shapes and geometries that cannot be machined or produced with today’s metal printers, opening up new possibilities for lighter parts with advanced built-in functionality.
A New Way to Manufacture with Popular Engineering Metals: Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing
The ADAM technique produces robust, accurate parts across a wide range of engineering metals. Parts are printed, layer-by-layer, using a metal powder contained in a plastic binder. After printing, plastic binders are removed and the part sintered into customary engineering metals. By sintering the entire part at once, ADAM technology allows metal crystals to grow through the bonded layers, effectively erasing the layer-to-layer strength reduction of many other 3D printing processes.
At launch, the Metal X will print high-end stainless steels such as 17-4 and 303. Tool Steel for injection molding applications and other metals are actively under development and will be available later this year.
The Metal X Print System
Built on innovations pioneered in the Mark X carbon fiber printer, the new Metal X features an industrial-grade print platform, enabling accurate creation of metal parts in an amazingly compact enclosure. The first printer to feature ADAM technology, the hardware, software, and materials work together to ensure a seamless printing experience that any engineer or manufacturer can learn quickly.
The Metal X Also Offers:
● Large build volume (250mm x 220mm x 200mm)
● In-process laser inspection for dimensional accuracy, introduced with the Mark X in 2016
● Integrated metal-material handling system
● Full integration with Eiger cloud software platform (available also in local storage and on-premise versions)
● Cloud-enabled build camera
Pricing & Availability
● The Metal X starts at $99,500 and is available to order now with the ability to print high-end stainless steels 17-4 and 303. It will ship in September.
● The Metal X and Mark X, the Markforged $69,000 industrial-grade carbon fiber 3D printer, are available in a bundle starting at $149,000. This package enables 3D printing of everything from plastic to metal to carbon fiber.
● Purchasers of the Metal X may apply to participate in the Metal Materials Beta program, extending the metal options to include Tool Steel (A-2, D-2, M-2), Aluminum (6061, 7075), and Titanium (6AL 4V).
● Additional technical specifications and information is available online at www.markforged.com.
Markforged’s mission is to provide its customers with high strength parts, built right the first time. In 2014, Markforged revolutionized 3D printing with the introduction of the world’s first carbon-fiber composite 3D printer. Today, Markforged’s lineup of innovative printers and their groundbreaking materials along with Eiger cloud software are making strong parts for thousands of customers in over 50 countries around the world. Markforged Industrial Strength 3D Printers produce mission-critical, workhorse parts that solve real problems for their customers, and realize structures never before possible.
