Founded in 2013 in Massachusetts, the American company Markforged is known for developing and designing both carbon-fiber and metal 3D solutions for companies working in industry. With customers such as Google, Amazon, General Electric or Ford, the company is now one of the main players in the sector. After unveiling in 2016 one of the first 3D printers capable of extruding carbon fiber-based filaments, Markforged continues to innovate in 3D printers. Among its flagship machines is the FX20.
Features of the FX20
Introduced by the American manufacturer at Formnext 2021, the FX20 is the largest 3D printer designed by the company. With a print volume of 525 x 400 x 400 mm and a resolution between 50 and 250 microns, it is compatible with not only Markforged’s composite materials but also Ultem and nylon, giving users a wide berth of technical filaments to choose from. According to the manufacturer, the FX20 combines size and performance to print larger parts at incredible speeds, taking the processing capabilities of The Digital Forge platform to a whole new scale. With a print chamber that can maintain 200°C heat during the printing process, it is designed to design robust, large parts.
As far as connectivity is concerned, it is possible to use an Ethernet cable, a usb key or an SD card to load live files. Finally, the FX20 is equipped with a 7-inch touch screen, which makes it easily controllable by the user, according to the manufacturer. In the press release from Summer 2021, Markforged talks about the importance of this latest addition, noting, “The FX20 is a beast of a machine and represents our commitment to providing innovative solutions to our customers to empower them to build anything they can imagine. The addition of the FX20 to the Digital Forge strengthens our leading position in the additive manufacturing market by enabling the robust production of lightweight, advanced composite parts.”