Markforged launches Metal X Gen 2 and Next Day Metal software
Markforged, Watertown, Massachusetts, USA, has launched the Metal X Gen 2, a new metal Additive Manufacturing machine based on its Metal X System released in 2017. The company also announced the release of Next Day Metal, new software that will be available across its entire global fleet of metal AM machines.
New features of the Metal X Gen 2 include an external 18 cm (7″) touchscreen, door position sensors, and additional chamber insulation, said to make the system more energy and time-efficient than the previous iteration. Key hardware developments have been made that improve user experience and increase operator safety, helping to make metal Additive Manufacturing even easier.
Alongside the machine launch, Markforged has released Next Day Metal across its range of metal AM machines. This over-the-air software update reportedly offers speeds up to twice as fast as before. Wash and dry times are also said to be more accurate for smaller parts, shortening the required debind cycle time.
These factors, combined with an approximately seventeen-hour small parts express run in the Sinter-2 post-processing oven, can give manufacturers the parts they need more quickly and, due to an increased capacity on each machine, allow them to scale AM production.
The company also announced that it is introducing the X7 Field Edition, a deployable carbon-fibre AM system. The X7 Field Edition allows Markforged technology to be sent to the most demanding and harsh environments, such as combat or exploration sites.
“Manufacturers are up against many challenges in today’s market – from supply chain challenges, like rising supply costs and shipping delays, to increased pressure from the market to innovate faster and stay ahead of the competition,” stated Shai Terem, president and CEO of Markforged. “Since Markforged shipped our first printer, we’ve been committed to quality and continuous improvement, always looking for simpler, smarter, and more robust ways to empower our customers to build anything they can imagine. The addition of the Metal X (Gen 2), Next Day Metal, and the X7 FE to our Digital Forge are important steps towards reinventing manufacturing today so that we are all more resilient tomorrow anywhere in the world.”
The Metal X Gen 2 and Next Day Metal for both the Metal X Gen 1 and Gen 2 are currently available. The X7 FE is available for pre-order, scheduled to ship in the autumn of 2021.
