The MarkForged Mark One carbon fiber 3-D printer debuted recently at SolidWorks World 2014, San Diego.
Gregory Mark, co-owner of Aeromotions and inventor of the 3-D printer, said the Mark One can print in carbon fiber, fiberglass, nylon and a thermoplastic, PLA, according to a report in Popular Mechanics. The compact printer has an anodized aluminum unibody and a translucent printing bed, and employs kinematic coupling for consistent bed leveling. It can print parts 20 times stiffer and five times stronger than ABS. The Mark One also has a higher strength-to-weight ratio than NCN-machined aluminum.
“There are a bunch of people who are interested in the prosthetics side,” Mark said in the report. “There’s a whole fit component. It has to fit on your body. That’s something that’s more art than science, you want to print out a whole bunch of different versions and test them out. But then when you have your final version, you want to make exactly that, but really strong. [With] this printer, once you want to make it strong, you print it in composites.
“We made the price low…we wanted to make it easy for people to start printing with it, so they can explore prosthetics, tools and fixtures,” Mark said in the report.
The MarkForged Mark One will be available for pre-order starting in February and will start shipping in the second half of 2014.
For more information:
Chang A. New 3D printer by MarkForged can print with carbon fiber. Available at: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/news/new-3d-printer-by-markforged-can-print-with-carbon-fiber-16428727#ixzz2rok461U6. Accessed Jan. 30, 214.
