The SolidExperts Blog

Factories of the Future: Powered by 3D Printers and High Performance Materials

Written by The SolidExperts Marketing | Mar 11, 2022 6:41:49 PM

Compared to traditional manufacturing methods, industrial 3D printing has provided numerous benefits for manufacturers— such as reducing costs and supply chain risk, making it easier and more economical than ever to build tooling, allowing for more iterations in design cycles, and enabling customers to solve problems directly at the point of need. With the Digital Forge’s proprietary Continuous Fiber Reinforcement (CFR) technology, users can print strong, lightweight functional parts out of composites that are capable of replacing metal parts.

For factory settings, the introduction of a large-format industrial 3D printer, capable of printing high-performance materials with CFR for added strength, not only unlocks familiar applications on a larger scale, but opens up a range of new uses and benefits for production-ready environments, such as:

  • Automation — end of arm tooling, sensor brackets
  • Continuous improvement — covers, ergonomic trays
  • Tools and fixtures — assembly fixtures, custom hand tools
  • Finish components — mounts, covers, plugs, handles, bumpers

When Bigger is Better

Industrial 3D printers come in various sizes and speeds. While smaller industrial 3D printers may be sufficient for printing smaller parts at lower volumes, having access to the size and power of a large-format printer offers many benefits for manufacturers:

Improved speed, accuracy  powerful large-format industrial 3D printers can print parts significantly faster than smaller 3D printers. Compared to our smaller composite Markforged 3D printers, our newest flagship printer, the FX20, is capable of printing 8x faster than stock settings and 2x faster than maximum speed.

Furthermore, large-format printers like the FX20 house far more sensors than smaller industrial 3D printers. Parts will not only be printed faster, but with superior accuracy, reliability, and quality.

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To learn more about Markforged products, contact an expert at The SolidExperts.