{"id":165990,"date":"2022-12-17T10:32:40","date_gmt":"2022-12-17T02:32:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/?post_type=kb&p=165990"},"modified":"2023-01-06T15:37:47","modified_gmt":"2023-01-06T07:37:47","slug":"markforged-metal-x-review-the-specs-use-cases","status":"publish","type":"kb","link":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/markforged-metal-x-review-the-specs-use-cases","title":{"rendered":"Markforged Metal X: Review the Specs & Use Cases"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The\u00a0Markforged Metal X<\/span>\u00a0is a groundbreaking metal 3D printer that offers an affordable way to produce custom metal parts. Review the specs and use cases to learn more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The Massachusetts-based 3D printing company Markforged began back in 2014 with the release of their first marquee product, a composite 3D printer called the Markforged Mark One. The company continued its successes with further composite machines and then with the announcement of the Markforged Metal X in January 2017 at CES. The Markforged Metal X comes in at $99,500, a low-cost entry point in comparison to the $500,000+ industrial DMLS\/SLM machines.<\/p>\n

Learn more about metal 3D printing:<\/strong>\u00a0The Best Metal 3D Printers of 2022<\/a><\/p>\n

The move into metal 3D printing was met with pushback in March 2018, when competitor Desktop Metal filed a lawsuit for allegedly copying portions of its patented metal 3D printing processes. The lawsuit would be concluded shortly after with Markforged being\u00a0cleared of any IP infringement<\/a>. By November 2018, Markforged had shipped out 100 Metal X 3D printers and post-processing stations to clients across the globe.<\/p>\n

With a groundbreaking metal 3D printer and a boatload of financial backing propping them up, Markforged has garnered a lot of recognition on the industrial additive manufacturing stage. What makes the Markforged Metal X so unique? And how has it been used by some of the world\u2019s leading companies? Review the specs to find out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Technology and Workflow<\/h3>\n

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The Markforged Metal X 3D printer is based on the company\u2019s renowned composite 3D printing technology, but using metal powder instead of composite materials. This machine features a 300 x 220 x 180mm build volume and a 50-micron layer height. Essentially, the Metal X 3D prints metal powder that is bound in a plastic matrix, effectively eliminating risks associated with traditional metal 3D printing, while also reducing part weight and production costs.<\/p>\n

The metal 3D printing process used in the Markforged Metal X, called Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing (ADAM), involves the process of using a bound metal powder rod embedded inside a plastic filament. Similar to more common 3D printing technologies like FDM, the metal parts are built up layer by layer, but compensations are made during the design stage to account for part shrinkage.<\/p>\n

One of the main benefits of ADAM technology is that it allows for closed-cell structures. Previously, traditional metal 3D printing technologies required the 3D model to have an escape hole for unused powder. This isn\u2019t the case with the Markforged Metal X, however, as the powder burns away during the sintering process. This means designers can create complex enclosed internal structures to create light parts that don\u2019t sacrifice on the part strength.<\/p>\n

Once the part is finished on the Markforged Metal X, the so-called \u201cgreen\u201d part is then taken to two post-processing stations. Firstly the part goes through the Wash-1, a debinder that immerses the part in a specialized fluid to remove the primary binding material. This process leaves the material semi-porous so the remaining binder can be burnt away easily in the next step.<\/p>\n

The final stage uses the Sinter-1, a high power furnace which sinters the part burning away any, fusing it into a solid metal part. This final stage makes the part around 99 percent dense which is on par with high-end DMLS machines on the market. To provide more expansive sintering capabilities, Markforged recently released the Sinter-2, a larger-sized furnace for medium volume batch production and large-scale parts. Compared to the Sinter-1, which offers a 4,760 cubic cm of active hot zone, the Sinter-2 has a much larger active hot zone of 19,644 cubic cm.<\/p>\n

Both the Wash-1 and Sinter-1 together weigh 274 kg (600 lbs), taking up 1067 x 505 x 720 mm (42 x 20 x 28 in) and 609 x 685 x 1067 mm (24 x 27 x 42 in) respectively. Although the dimensions and weight of the setup is certainly hefty, this still represents a huge reduction in size, cost and weight compared to current post-processing methods employed by other industrial metal 3D printing processes.<\/p>\n

There will always be a need for some sort of post-processing with industrial 3D printing technologies. By providing control over the entire process, from CAD to finished part, Markforged can offer quality guarantees that other systems fail to provide. The primary competitor in the space is the\u00a0Desktop Metal Studio System<\/a>, which employs a three-step process that is similar to ADAM technology. According to Markforged, the main difference between the two processes is that ADAM utilizes crystal growth throughout all axes, giving parts the mechanical properties of solid metal in all directions.<\/p>\n

There are many advantages to metal 3D printing, one of which is the ability to create one-off parts with highly complex geometries. The Markforged Metal X provides to those benefits in a more affordable way with less of the overhead that often burdens large-scale industrial machinery. Although the metal 3D printing process has not really been shortened and still requires extensive post-processing, the Markforged Metal X proves to be a good entry point for businesses and manufacturers to begin 3D printing end-use metal parts.<\/p>\n

Priced at under $100,000, the Markforged Metal X may sound like an extraordinarily expensive machine, but the cost is a fraction of what other metal 3D printing systems cost. In order to get an accurate quote for the Metal X system or receive a demo, you\u2019ll have to contact the manufacturer directly (or request a quote by clicking on the button below).<\/p>\n

Materials and Software<\/h3>\n

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The first material launched with the machine was 17-4 PH stainless steel, an all-purpose metal that combines high strength, corrosion resistance, and hardness. This metal material is commonly used in the aerospace, medical and chemical industries due to these properties, and is perfect for manufacturing tooling and assembly fixtures.<\/p>\n

Other materials released for the Markforged Metal X include:<\/p>\n