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Do any of the bigger commercial hubs read through the forum? I’m looking to expand out in materials beyond FDM/cnc/laser/etc. I’m curious what the next best step is? The Markforged machines look interesting and would fit with the prototypes I primarily work with. Then there are the bigger beasts. SLS and polyjet seem like good options. Anyone have opinions?

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Can you please attach some pictures of the prototypes you work with? That will give us an idea if Markforged is a good fit or not. If it is, we have several options for fibers depending on your needs (strength, heat deflection, price, etc.).

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I was looking at buying a markforged not having prints made.

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Hey Miaviator,

We’re authorized MarkForged resellers and would be happy to answer any questions you might have regarding the MarkForged models.

Give us a call at 319-364-2473 if you need answers more quickly regarding MarkForged.

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DMLS printing is quite spectacular and accurate. As well as Polyjet which will give you astonishing results. The Markforged printer is phenomenal for structural parts without the high cost of DMLS or Polyjet. The resolution of the Markforged is nice and very adequate but if you are looking for finer high resolution detail, the Markforged will only get you so far. Most of my customers and clients love the structural aspect of what the Markforged brings to the table, in an affordable price per print.

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We bought a Markforged Mark One about a year ago for short run prototyping and have filled its downtime via 3D Hubs. As edsongebo mentioned, smaller parts aren’t really the forte of a Markforged unit, but it does a great job with larger stuff. We’ve done everything from work holding and fixturing to a full size racing intake manifold and it really does put out great parts. No unit I can think of can come close to the Markforged machines in the bang-for-your-buck category. We were looking at the $25,000 range Stratasys units and decided on the Markforged for its price point and capabilities. The customer service is as great as the printer. Look at their blog and track down some of their case studies to check out what their customers are making.

Edit: Forgot to mention that the only shortcoming is in relating the minimum part size requirements for fiber reinforcement compatibility to customers who want parts that are too small to accept fiber. The Mark One requires that parts have a minimum layer surface area of 610mm^2 for each layer that is to have fiber added to it. This has to do with the minimum length of fiber the printer is able to cut and deposit onto each printed layer of nylon. Their new printer, the Mark Two, can cut the fiber much much shorter and thus requires a minimum surface area per layer of 40mm^2, resulting in the capability of fiber reinforcement in much smaller parts. That’s definitely something to consider when virtually every customer who submits an order to a hub running a Markforged printer is looking for fiber reinforcement for their parts.

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I should have clarified the types of prints you are planning will determine whether Markforged is a good fit or not for you accomplish your printing needs. We are a Markforged reseller and have come across a number of clients interested in the Mark One, but it was not a good fit due to the size and geometry of the parts they were looking to print. That said, the Mark Two is much more amenable to small parts, and is a good option for high strength 3D printed parts. There are also a number of materials from which to choose, and they each have their own unique properties and associated costs.

If you would like to discuss this further, or if you have any specific questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at mstorey@beckatt.com or 847.912.4795. We are in the Chicagoland area, so if you are nearby, or coming to/through the area, we have a Markforged here, as well as a number of benchmark parts.

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Thank you for the information. I currently add 1 machine every month so I’m looking at July timeframe. I’ll likely shoot you over an email with some questions.

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Thanks for the details! Out of curiosity can the printer do plain nylon prints? I would imagine these machines excel at nylon printing even without the fiber added?

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Sorry to jump in, but I saw your question. Yes, the MF printers can do nylon prints without fiber. In fact, the nylon parts are quite strong with some flexibility. They do excel at nylon printing.

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Please do; I’m happy to help you out however I can. Now is a great time to look into adding a MF printer due to the release of the Mark Two and the introduction of the high temperature fiberglass material.

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I’ll second that on nylon being strong. I tested a part with bonding two halves with a cyano adhesive and applied pressure to the joint and it split/sheared away from the joint. And I will add you can dye nylon in an array of colors. Lighter colors take some practice but dark colors work best. Black is my biggest request.