Markforged, creator of the integrated metal and carbon fiber additive manufacturing platform, The Digital Forge, announced the addition of Precise PLA filaments to its portfolio of materials. Customers can now design and iterate products more cost-effectively thanks to the new capability. Markforged’s Precise PLA filament is compatible with Mark Two (Gen 2) and Onyx Pro (Gen 2).
The Digital Forge platform can now handle all stages of product design, from validation to strong, end-use applications reliant on Markforged‘s carbon fibre reinforced and metal-printed parts.
The new material is also scheduled to be available on all Markforged Industrial Series printers that are equipped with the latest A3648 extruder, including the X3, X5, and X7, in Q2 of this year.
Markforged’s Precise PLA Filament
Markforged’s version of Polylactic Acid (PLA), one of the most common prototyping materials in the additive manufacturing industry, is called Precise PLA. Markforged’s Precise PLA filament will be available in eight colours: yellow, red, green, blue, orange, black, white, and grey. The Digital Forge has been calibrated to print Precise PLA filament with excellent quality and repeatability thanks to updates to Eiger™ software.
Users can now create affordable designs on the same reliable, high-quality platform that is used to create mission-critical, end-use parts in demanding industries like aerospace, automotive, defence, and healthcare, thanks to the release of Precise PLA filament.
The addition of the Markforged’s Precise PLA filament means that the company now has 28 different materials offerings including plastics, continuous carbon fibres, and metals. These materials, when used together, provide users with unrivalled versatility in capabilities, including high stiffness, impact resistance, temperature resistance, surface finish, and, most recently, affordability. Users can now address their custom part needs through one simple platform, from the early stages of product development to production and even aftermarket repair.
Customer Perspective
Zero Tolerance LLC, an injection moulding and machine shop, has expanded its use of the Digital Forge to bring an end-use motorcycle display adapter from concept to final product now that Markforged’s Precise PLA filament is available.
According to Steve Michon, Zero Tolerance President and CEO, “When using other 3D printers and PLA materials, the results were not as precise as required, even after multiple iterations. Printing parts to the size and quality we need, with the required functionality and at a great price point is critical for our business. Once design validation using Precise PLA is completed, we move to production with Markforged’s Onyx material for functional testing, followed by printing with continuous carbon fiber for added safety for our final, end-use part. With this new material, we can now utilise our Markforged printer to deliver great results repeatedly throughout the entire design and manufacturing process. This is the most reliable additive platform we’ve ever used. It just works.”
In addition to prototyping, Zero Tolerance creates fiberglass-reinforced assembly tools with color-coded inserts printed in Precise PLA and Markforged’s high-strength continuous fibre composite materials. The colours make it easy for the operator to identify the correct tool, while the fibreglass provides strength and stiffness.
“An affordable material devoted to design validation was a top request from our customers to deliver a uniform and smooth print on the Digital Forge from the beginning to the end of the product life cycle. The growth and adoption of the Digital Forge depends upon our ability to address our customers’ requests and introduce new capabilities that grow our addressable market. This added dimension of versatility will expand the use cases our customers can address with the Digital Forge, and drive adoption in segments such as education and design services thanks in part to the lower cost of entry.”
– Shai Terem, Markforged President and CEO
Markforged’s Precise PLA filament is priced at $50/600cc and will be available for orders on March 15th.
To learn more about completing the product life cycle with Precise PLA, you can register for an upcoming webinar on March 29 at 10 a.m. ET.
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