Thank you to everyone who posted comments or questions on this video! It was very educational on what topics are important to you and what we need to be more clear about in future content. MLC CAD Systems hosted a Metal X Webinar recently and spent some time addressing the most commonly asked questions from the comments of this video, I recommend you check it out if you are interested in more information about the process, common questions, or how it might fit into your organization with a realistic ROI. kzread.info/dash/bejne/f5apmrGhob3eZ5c.html Skip directly to the comments FAQ: kzread.info/dash/bejne/f5apmrGhob3eZ5c.html?t=1176

@Ken-le6hw

2 жыл бұрын

Q

Guns, car parts, shop tools, Infinity Gauntlet... The possibilities are... Inevitable.

@civicturbo4790

3 жыл бұрын

lol

I want this for Christmas and the time to play with it :)

Incredible!!

Nice video! I saw they are going public through a SPAC so I HAD to buy some shares. Love this company!

@MLCCADSystems

3 жыл бұрын

Agreed. They don't get as much press as some other additive companies, but they are leading the way in this space so I expect the name recognition will increase a lot with this move.

Amazing!!

Future looks bright.

I would kill for one of these.

Me: Wow, i'd be able to reprint broken parts! 99% of people: guns guns guns.

@Kenji1685

4 жыл бұрын

Guns? That would be a waste indeed. :D 316 stainless steal, Inconel and titanium... OMG Amazing. it can make parts that are impossible to mill conventionally. Rocket Labs for instance uses printed metal parts. Or Christian von Koenigsegg was saying he 3d printed his turbos and it would be impossible otherwise. If I had to guess it's probably because the compressor blades are wider than the opening. :O

@jeffreymuu5451

4 жыл бұрын

It’s America, it’s part of our culture

@cavitycreep

4 жыл бұрын

Id print bullets, lmmfao

@Kenji1685

4 жыл бұрын

@@cavitycreep People already make their own bullets. Lead has a very low melting point, 327C. You just need a pot, barbecue coals and a mold. Then just get a bullet press for the brass, some caps and powder. It's a little more complicated if you want a fmj. The point is, bullets are pretty cheap to make your self, but actually cheaper still to buy.

@Kenji1685

4 жыл бұрын

@@LenniL-ob4ll You need to make it to know how to make it? That makes no sense. Being able to make them when sht hits the fan is good. 👍

I’m in love 😍

Finally! These are no longer million dollar machines! They are only 100,000 dollars. 😜 But seriously...impressive stuff.

@arrowstheorem1881

4 жыл бұрын

Just one Ferrari?

@murc111

4 жыл бұрын

@@jacksaccount standard 3d printers can't print metal, only plastics.

@murc111

4 жыл бұрын

@@jacksaccount the general public wants an affordable metal 3d printer, where you just click print, and hours later you have a fork/crescent wrench/silencer/mower blade. I have a standard 3d printer (cr-10), and have learned they are currently very impractical.

@Kenji1685

4 жыл бұрын

Yup. but you'd kind of need a kiln/oven too. Unless it comes as a set. But if you had a small business or tuner garage 100,000 isn't so bad.

@robertnicholls9917

4 жыл бұрын

@@Kenji1685 That's actually cheap for a custom business. This isn't mass production speed yet.

Everything looked good, but then - a wild "ALWAYS ONLINE DRM" appears in the form of "cloud-based slicer".

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

The Markforged ecosystem is self-contained to maintain a quality part production and to eliminate a lot of the variables that a user must dial in to get a high quality print. This is not the printer for you if you plan to dig into the code, try to make your own material, or tinker with the settings heavily. If you've ever used the wrong size of print nozzle or used a feed rate that caused a part to fail you'll be happy to know those kinds of issues simply don't exist with Markforged, the entire system manages all of the variables for you so you can focus on the parts rather than the process. Eiger is also free to use by the way.

@Duraltia

4 жыл бұрын

​@@MLCCADSystems Just offer an Offline Version as a Fallback Solution and no one will bat an eye...

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the feedback, an offline version does exist but the cloud version is so much more convenient and powerful (and free)

@BrotherCreamy

4 жыл бұрын

MLC CAD Systems I don't see how you couldn't replicate the same convenience/powerful functionality offline, since it's not as though slicing is particularly processor-intensive. It's not that we want to tinker with your code, just that no serious machinery requires full-time cloud connectivity. Imagine if a factory had 10 of your machines, and they lost internet connectivity. It just doesn't make sense. If you were giving the machines away for free and relying on software subscription/material sales then yeah, maybe your cloud model is justified. But you're not. Just a shame to see another good hardware company get sucked up by the allure of cloud service models to the detriment of their loyal customers.

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

@@BrotherCreamy Thank you for the feedback and the questions! One example where the offline version would not be as powerful as the online version is when they released an update to the wash cycle parameters. After additional testing and research it was determined that the wash process could be stopped much earlier than they had previously recommended with no ill-effects on the parts or the equipment, so an over-the-air update changed the parameters and all pieces of equipment updated themselves to incorporate the new code, and parts were done significantly faster. With the offline version the updates would have to be applied to each machine manually, and currently the offline version does not perform updates regularly to the code, so the offline version would take longer to print than the online version and require more time and effort to implement and use. Obviously for ITAR/Military applications this is an acceptable trade-off for security, but for the majority of users the online version would be preferred. Also, one note about internet connectivity, the machines don't require 100% internet up-time, the job is loaded over the internet and stored locally, so a print would never be interrupted by internet that has gone down, and programs can be loaded by USB if you prefer to stay offline the majority of the time, you simply lose the ability to monitor progress and be notified of issues.

This REALLY reminds me of subnautica.

Very cool! But please be specific about the dimensional accuracy/stability post sinter. I would love to know. Thanks!

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Great question, and I wish I had a simple answer for accuracy, but the answer can vary quite a bit depending on geometry and size. I do know that they are using artificial intelligence to teach the slicer how to account for the shrinkage to improve accuracy. I'll keep an eye out for some general guidelines, and if you have a specific need feel free to reach out for more information. As for stability, the process is very repeatable and the parts are as stable as any metal parts, so let me know if you have additional questions on stability.

Impressive!

Print up a brand new 55 Chevy. Now dont go stealing my idea, that was mine!

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

They may call it a small block engine, but I don't think it would fit in the oven! Now if you are looking for various other components that are out of production and would be prohibitive to machine from a billet, that would be a great application for the Metal X, especially anything forged where strength is a concern and tooling is unavailable.

Hi there, how do you manage the shrinkage effect to maintain precisely matching product, if the part will shrink in the oven as showed in the video

@MLCCADSystems

5 жыл бұрын

Hello! The shrinkage of parts is a controlled process and is handled by the Eiger software. The software will automatically account for the shrinkage and scale the part accordingly. The user will not have to do anything with their model. The final sintered part will match the final dimensions of the model that is uploaded into Eiger.

@Bikoldis450

5 жыл бұрын

could i ask about accuracy

@MLCCADSystems

5 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately there is no simple answer because each shape will shrink a bit differently than other shapes. Check out Blacksmith, it is an AI tool designed to learn how the final parts deform and to account for them in the print phase, it learns from each print that is scanned and can automatically account for any variations to get more accuracy, plus it is globally connected so every part that is fed into the system helps it to get better. What I can say is that we find the shrinkage on each part to be very repeatable, so although it may deviate a few thousandths here or there, it typically does so with great reliability from part to part, so Blacksmith should be able to build it correctly once it is fully implemented. We'll do a video here as soon as it releases and we have some feedback for you, but great things are coming!

@DavidG2P

4 жыл бұрын

@@MLCCADSystems You're literally talking about microns here. So are you saying the parts will be accurate to like a couple hundredths of a millimeter everywhere?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Hello @DavidGP, let me clarify that we are a company based in USA, I should have specified the units I was referring to were inches. I would expect accuracy to be closer to a few tenths of a millimeter, depending on the size and shape of course, and as AI is applied and educated I would expect that to improve by some amount. If you have a specific application in mind let us know and we can see if it would be a good fit for your needs.

So, I guess this shrinkage factor might vary a lot between batches and pieces, which basically means that, depending on your spec tolerance, your piece dimensions can be off the mark, or have different shrinkage factors on different regions of the piece

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

The variation depends on the part geometry and its orientation in the printer but is amazingly consistent for a single design across multiple print instances and batches. Once the behavior of that part is known and either offset or accommodated in some way, you can hit very repeatable tolerances despite the very minor movement during sinter. Expect 1% tolerances to be possible on almost any shape. (100 +/- 1) or (1 +/- .01) Keep an eye out for Blacksmith AI, it allows for the machine to learn from print outcomes and offset them to predict warping and shrinking behavior better for more accurate first-run designs.

Very cool ! But what about the nozzle? Have you solved the problem of abrasions?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

We haven't seen issues with abrasion, although the nozzle is considered a wear item so it can't be ignored either. Both the Metal X and the Onyx composite print heads work with abrasive materials, the recommendation for Onyx is to replace it about every 1,000 print hours, and we're finding that the metal print head is likely to fall into the same ballpark on life expectancy.

I see I don't have to worry about CNC machining, forging, or casting becoming obsolete yet. It just another printer with all the post processing of SLS metal printing. Tolerances are probably in the tenths of milimeters at best, and with the inert gas and printing time it's probably way to expensive for large production.

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Correct, this type of technology will not replace traditional manufacturing technologies any time soon for the majority of parts, especially anything with a significant volume, but it does provide many additional capabilities that allow easy creation of designs that were previously difficult, expensive, or impossible to create. It differs from SLS in its ability to make sparse-fill parts, its avoidance of explosive metal powders, and a much lower price tag for the equipment.

@theclephane2914

4 жыл бұрын

Sander Vercammen This process is good for prototype and home part replacement for DIY people that like to make things and can afford it for wowing their friends and family.

Incredible

Thank You, could we view Macro Structure to assess stress resilience and integrity

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

For a more in-depth review of the suitability for a given application, I recommend you reach out to a reseller to discuss your questions with an expert directly. If you are in our service area we welcome a call any time! mlc-cad.com/markforged/

3d printing will change everything. But this is assume. For some time now investment casting was THE thing 3d model made out of wax then cover in clay heat let the wax run out then fill with molten metal. But this changes all that. if i win a loto ill buy one.

I know this is a dumb question but is that oven machine tempering the metal ? Or binding the layers of metal together?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

This is a great question, sintering shares a lot of similarities with heat treating. The primary function of the sintering oven is to bind all metal particles together, removing all remaining binder material in the process. The part is taken to a temperature just below melting, so the metal remains solid but the crystalline structure is able to relax and bind to neighboring metal particles, solidifying the part to a single solid component. Sintering takes time to occur, so the temperature profiles are carefully controlled and the material is kept at specific temperatures according to a sintering procedure and it is cooled carefully to avoid deformation. This leaves the part in a near-annealed final state, but the final heat treatment state is a side-effect of sintering, not the goal of sintering. Although the sintering oven is capable of getting hotter than the required temperatures for heat treating, it is not designed or equipped to perform any heat treating, and subsequent heat treatment may be desired to achieve the necessary final material properties. One more note: although the material is deposited in layers, the material is a metal powder with no residual layers, orthotropic properties, or weaknesses caused by the printing process.

Also for design calculations for shear and stresses if you printed a mild steel component how would the modulus of elasticity of the steel differ to common hot/cold rolled steel?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

The final material in finished Metal X parts is 99% dense and chemically identical to material that was hot/cold rolled. The only variation is the heat treatment and cold working state. For most materials you can consider these parts to be in a "near annealed" state after they are sintered. Additional heat treatment is possible and the Metal X design guide includes recommended heat treatment procedures for each material, but cold working would be difficult to achieve on a finished part.

@RT-kr7dk

4 күн бұрын

Can you weld on these parts with no contamination?

Can you guys talk about the maintenance required and waste generated?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your question, we are planning on producing more videos to help you get a better feeling for using the system but I can give you a few additional details. The maintenance is relatively minimal, you'll have to replace/change the material spools, occasionally top up the fluid on the wash, and swap out gas canisters. Waste generated during each cycle would include the piece of wax paper on the print bed and any supports that were printed but that aren't part of the final part, which can be recycled as normal metal waste. It is also worth noting that the support plate under parts is optional, but does give a much better flatness for parts on that bottom surface, so depending on settings and part geometry there will be some metal waste.

Kind of incredible, comparing with machining a piece on a mill or lathe in a conventional way...

Awesome

Really cool. Nozzle is a bit big, but w/e can machine it to tolerances later. Why not allow the client to run the slicer on their own AWS or webapp server?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your question, the slicer runs on the cloud by default which is hosted on AWS, but you can also choose to slice using local resources and storage if you prefer or go completely on-premise.

@bobbiac

4 жыл бұрын

@@MLCCADSystems Considering thats a major factor for some of your clients, not mentioning a dedicated server option in your marketing might lead to issues.

20% shrinkage seems pretty standard.

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

20% shrinkage is appropriate when a binder is used, such as metal injection molding, and then the result is sintered. Metals that have a very high melting temperature are harder to melt fully for casting, and MIM is great for complex parts in high volume. The metal is injected in powder form with a binder, and sintering is used to merge the metal together slowly as the binder is evaporated through the porous metallic matrix. Sintering is a pretty amazing process that is used for a lot of common applications like gears, and the Metal X makes it possible to do the same thing with no tooling investment for each new part.

Are the finished parts recyclable? Can they be processed as to be reprinted into something else. For example, a gear which can be recycled, repprinted to be wrench etch?

@MLCCADSystems

3 жыл бұрын

The materials are pure metal so they can be recycled in a traditional sense, but they can't be directly converted into a filament that can be printed again. The filament needs to be supplied by Markforged for quality control.

I've got a location out in the country that doesn't have access to Internet. Do you have an on-premise solution for using the Metal X process to manufacture parts without internet access?

@MLCCADSystems

5 жыл бұрын

Hello! Unfortunately, you would need an internet connection to run the Eiger software and Metal X. EDIT: an offline version is available, see below.

@bolodotdk

5 жыл бұрын

So a closed platform, that have to be connected to the internet... that would mean no sensitive jobs. A shame, sounded like a pretty interesting machine.

@MLCCADSystems

5 жыл бұрын

@@bolodotdk Eiger Cloud backs up your data in a secure cloud storage system. Only members of your Organization on Eiger have access to your data. Markforged employees cannot access any of your data without explicit permission from you.

@bolodotdk

5 жыл бұрын

Secure? Do you offer any insurance in case of a leak? Not that it matters, if clients want my head on a platter :-P Anyways... not for me. We lose connection from time to time, due to internal and external issues. Besides that, the system seems interesting.

@MLCCADSystems

5 жыл бұрын

@@bolodotdk There is an on-premise version of Eiger, but we discourage it's use because it is not free like the cloud version, and without constant updates it will be limited in capabilities. The Metal X materials are still being improved in terms of how they are processed, but if a no-internet version is critical for air-gapped environments it can be done.

So you could create new replacement parts like gears, brake shoes, etc without forging and/or milling from a huge block of metal? Awesome!

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Exactly! If you need to make a large volume of a single part design, forging or milling will almost always be cheaper, but for prototypes and one-off design variants this creates a metal fabrication option with no tooling costs.

@bendrenth441

4 жыл бұрын

@@MLCCADSystems That was one of the things I never could figure out. How you'd forge a complex part like a carburetor for a small engine always boggled my mind. I'm thinking these things should be in custom fabrication shops, so the customer can get a new part for even an out of production machine without needing to search overseas for them.

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately costs are still a major concern. The machine is significantly less expensive to buy and install than previous metal printers, but still represents an investment. The parts as well are going to be more expensive than most people typically pay for them in a consumer realm. For something like a carburetor, you could retrofit an off-the-shelf part to work with your old vehicle cheaper than you could print a custom replacement on a metal printer. The target audience for this tends to be companies that are searching for solutions for some very expensive equipment or parts, such as military, medical, or oil and gas, where alternatives don't really exist.

@bendrenth441

4 жыл бұрын

@@MLCCADSystems It could be used as a cheaper method of developing prototypes too, instead of having foundries customizing countless moulds through the process.

Are multiple components which are "printed" weldable by conventional mig or tig processes? What is the maximum component size which can be printed?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your questions! Refer to traditional guidelines for welding these materials, as the final parts from the Metal X will be identical to any other part using the same material. So if the material you use to print can be welded, the parts from Metal X will be similarly weldable. The maximum component size is often limited by the Sinter oven size. There are two sizes of Sinter oven available depending on your needs and larger parts can be sintered externally if you have that capacity. Full details on printer volume and maximum size for sinter can be found on our website, mlc-cad.com/markforged/markforged-metal-x/

What stops the use of tungsten carbide blends . I understand that cobalt is used and that hydrogen is used in senters . What in the printing itself would cause tungsten blends from not being doable .

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

I did some quick research on the sintering of Tungsten Carbide and it appears to require an oven operating at 2,000°C. The currently available Markforged Sinter ovens are currently listed with a maximum temperature of 1,300°C. I don't know what the future holds or if other complications exist, but there will likely need to be some more advancements in the technology before we see tungsten carbide blends on this printer.

@texasdeeslinglead2401

4 жыл бұрын

@@MLCCADSystems the sintering would be done third party , as the hydrogen environment makes it extremely touchy and the cobalt off gassing needs to be sequestered during cool down . As you said , you folks are not ready for the sintering . I'm personally far more interested in finding out if you could print the blend . You already compensate for shrinkage in product and that's a huge issue with forming molds for tungsten blends . Each blend shrinks at different rates . So , if you were able to add into computation the base lines for each blend then that leaves figuring out how to print it in a manner that would yield the correct density and hardness of the desired blends . Don't dwell on the sintering aspect for the customer . Hey , thanks for responding.

I didn't find any information about price and when you will start to sell it? Ofcourse if we can also buy it in Europe ?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Please contact Markforged or a distributor near you for pricing, and yes they have been shipped and installed for almost a year now at customer sites but I don't know the specifics of their worldwide distribution network at this time.

Very cool, but I can't see the everyday consumer buying this system, because it doesn't seem to be who its meant for. Still very cool! Can't wait for consumer metal 3d printing

@MLCCADSystems

3 жыл бұрын

Very true, like many industrial technologies it will take quite a bit of time before it is viable to make parts like this in an inexpensive consumer machine, and there are going to be many challenges to overcome beyond what normal 3D printers have managed to solve. Still, it represents a 10x decrease in up-front investment required which is a breakthrough for sure.

What does a cross-section of the grain structure look like? Is it uniform? Is there any qualitative or quantitative destruction test data available? Can solid parts be hardened and tempered? Nevermind, I found an abstract.

@MLCCADSystems

3 жыл бұрын

Metal X parts can be treated like any other part of the same alloy for heat treating. With sparse-fill the failure behavior will be different than solid materials and fatigue crack propagation points are more available, but in general you can consider these parts to be similar to Cast parts in terms of durability. Definitely refer to primary sources like abstracts and white papers rather than the comment section on KZread if you have serious metallurgical questions that require sources.

Are the parts porous?

@MLCCADSystems

5 жыл бұрын

This is a great question, the final part is up to 99.7% dense, which puts it generally better than cast metals, but not quite as dense as a forged part. I've sanded and polished a few parts and they look excellent, not porous at all!

Still a long way though from speed of cnc doing production. Save material yes, but by looks of those parts they cut, Cnc could have cut 10 or more, no washing etc needed

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Agreed, for any parts that can be machined efficiently they would be faster and cheaper to use a CNC. There are a few factors to consider that control how efficiently a part can be machined. The Metal X is ideal for parts that will be extremely difficult or impossible to machine due to complexity or shape, which is often a minority of parts but may be key to successfully complete a product or improve performance. It is also great for low-quantity parts and prototypes, where the tooling design and fabrication costs cannot be offset by any meaningful quantity. Parts that require a significant amount of material removal, especially parts that are very weight-efficient or oddly shaped, are often cheaper to print than they are to machine. If raw material availability is an issue, such as remote or off-shore installations, the Metal X can build any part with any shape or size from the same spool of raw material. We don't expect the Metal X to compete with CNC machining directly for most parts, but it can vastly expand design and fabrication capabilities in industries with extreme design challenges.

@foodgexindo6398

4 жыл бұрын

It save materials, and it can make super complicated shapes that is impossible with cnc. Depend on the applications, i think this thing is a breakthrough

how accurate and predictable are the parts after shrinkage? I wish you guys showed some parts being measured

@MLCCADSystems

Жыл бұрын

Considering the shrink rate from the printed shape, it is amazing that the final tolerances are typically +/- .005" per inch of measurement. The printed shape, with the shrink and warp calculated for your specific 3D model, is powered by/optimized with artificial intelligence. It continues to get better as printed parts are scanned back into the algorithm, but it can also depend heavily on the geometry of the part.

cloud based slicer...so it is a 100,000$ junk when your company go under?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your comment. The cloud based slicer is the default configuration, but there are on-premise options as well if you want to take your data or the entire operation offline, or if you are concerned about longevity of the company. Markforged has some very powerful financial backing, so I don't see any concerns for them shutting down any time soon.

@meowmeowbobo

4 жыл бұрын

@@MLCCADSystems There are offline slicer options? why didnt you say that in the video? As you can see not everyone is too hot about cloud based anything.

@Rcmike1234

4 жыл бұрын

@@meowmeowbobo He might have just forgot? It is a paid option though which i'm not hot on but they do have it

@meowmeowbobo

4 жыл бұрын

@tyvek05 If you spent even a little energy instead of writing this useless comment you will see that even their website only mention cloud based slicer. This is the first time I've hear about offline options if you paid extra.

@allenl9214

4 жыл бұрын

Does this cost 100k? No wonder they wont tell me the price

Would love to see if Markforged has an off-line version of their "cloud service". There's no way I'd put any of my proprietary robot end effector designs through an offsite system I didn't still have 100% control of (just the fixturing designs can give away details about the part being held). And nothing is worse than buying a $100,000USD printer and more for materials, then having the company go out of business and not being able to use the equipment any more (even with alternatively sourced raw materials and repair parts). "Subscription" type hardware is a no-sale for me.

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Great question. The Eiger software does have an offline option for applications such as ITAR military technology, and the Eiger software is free to operate so it does not require any ongoing subscription to continue utilizing the hardware.

can you print electrically insulating material in the metal parts?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Great question, especially with Copper hopefully coming relatively soon! Parts will be limited to one metal due to the sintering requirement and the ceramic release layer, which is not structural. Even if the ceramic is electrically insulating it will not be reliable to mechanically connect two pieces of copper that are separated completely, so you should expect to add insulation separately.

@darrenmarchant1720

4 жыл бұрын

@@MLCCADSystems I am interested to find out if electrical components such as transformers might be 3D printable in the near future. IFTHEN/GOSUB new transformer designs that could not be manufactured up to now might be possible. what are your thoughts on this?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

This sounds like a discussion that should be elevated beyond a KZread comments section. There are certainly going to be completely new and unique approaches discovered with this new manufacturing technique but those will require study and development. If you have a specific design or application you would like to discuss please get in touch with us at our website. mlc-cad.com

what kind of tolerances ( thousandths of an inch) can be obtained and what kind of finishes can be obtained ( I need 8-16 microinches) .

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Great questions. These parts will "near net shape" with typical tolerances of +/- 0.5% in all three directions, and if the Blacksmith AI is utilized we expect those tolerances to tighten up with more data. So for example for a 1" overall feature length, you should expect a tolerance of +/- 0.005". Regarding surface finish you should consider these parts coming from the oven as being similar in finish to cast parts, sealing or sliding faces would need to be machined to final dimensions for the required flatness and surface finish.

@joeshmoe5935

4 жыл бұрын

@@MLCCADSystems so clearly +/-.005 will not suffice for me. Luckily the complex aspect of teh part is not calling for tolerances better than that but the O.D. and the thickness needs +/-.0015 and a very fine finish. What is the machinability of this as opposed to "from the mill" metal 17-4 ? second of all, IF I bother to have this ground and lapped will I end up with the 8 micro inch finish or is that impossible because the material already inherently has pits and voids inside? less than .002" I understand.

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

The final material will be dense, up to 99.7, so we typically expect it to be similar to billet material, better density than a casting, perhaps worse than a forging. Machinability will be the same for these parts as any other of the same material.

@joeshmoe5935

4 жыл бұрын

@@MLCCADSystems looking good.

Good one. How much does it cost?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Before the Metal X was released, it would cost upwards of 1 million USD to fully print metal parts using other systems. This system has dropped the cost of entry by about 10x. Reach out at our website or call us to get more specifics based on how you might use the system.

For the expense, I'd want to own everything. Cloud based anything is a joke. I use fusion360 at times, but when "something" happens, your models are gone until "it" is fixed. I own a version of solidworks and I know where my data is all the time.

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the feedback, and keep in mind that the only data in Eiger is data you have previously uploaded to it, so your data should be stored and backed up offline separately. Only the print settings and a copy of the model will be stored securely in the cloud. Also, keep an eye on the technology if you are still interested in buying it, things are constantly being improved.

Is this the same technology SpaceX uses to print the SuperDraco thrusters or am I confusing 2 different forms of manufacturing?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Great question, the Metal X is not the first additive manufacturing technique for metal alloys, but it is the first one to come in substantially below the $1M price point among other innovations. SpaceX probably used SLS, where the powder is loose, rather than suspended in a binder. It is capable of creating larger parts, but the equipment, facility requirements, and post-processing equipment make it completely out of reach for most companies.

@MassLox

4 жыл бұрын

@@MLCCADSystems Thanks for the reply, always interesting to learn something new. :)

3:32 Minimum wash time 1d 9h for a 42x26x38mm part !

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Depending on the geometry wash times can last for several days, it usually depends on the shape more than the size. A large slender frame would take less time than a small thick object for example. It is crucial that all of the binder is removed prior to sintering, but there has been some good news since this video was released. Markforged was able to adjust their algorithm based on additional testing and research and most of the recommended wash times have been cut down considerably. Because the software and the machines are cloud-connected the update was pushed through and now all parts are given shorter recommended times while making consistently high-quality parts. The 1d 9h part is now likely to be an overnight wash, I hope that helps!!

Hello there. A question. How much did you spend on those 3 machines ? Regards.

@DrLol07

3 жыл бұрын

The whole set is around 200k

i cant understand the difference between ultimaker and markforged metal x . print part by %20 bigger on ultimaker and put the part in furnace. it looks filament is important not huge expensive printer....

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Great question, you may want to look for people who are trying each approach and find out how much time and effort they are investing to get usable parts. Markforged Metal X will create consistently high-quality parts with excellent metallurgical properties and they provide the entire system required to do it. It works right out of the box and you don't need to become an expert to get it done or carefully monitor every step yourself. Depending on how you value your time and production schedule would likely be my determining factor. I wouldn't buy a Metal X for a hobby for example, but I would never attempt to figure out metal printing on company time if it has the potential to impact part quality and production timelines. I've been to a lot of shops where printers sit idle because they were "almost good enough" but were unable to meet the needs on a daily basis.

print a benchy to see quality!

@MLCCADSystems

2 жыл бұрын

How about a baby yoda? kzread.info/dash/bejne/loR5p5qlprrXlqg.html

Its almost hard to believe

@MLCCADSystems

3 жыл бұрын

Like so many others I was skeptical of the process and the results, but we've been pushing out high-quality durable metal parts for almost a couple of years now and customers are seeing great success. Let us know if you want to learn more or have specific questions!

What? I thought it was a powder bed printer. I received a sample from them and it said nothing about shrinkage. Only that if heat treated it would go from 1000 to 1250MPa tensile.

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Powder bed printers are available from other vendors, but they are significantly more expensive to purchase and operate. The Markforged Metal X avoids the hazards and costs associated with free metal powder by using bound metal, similar to Metal Injection Molding (MIM), but as an additive manufacturing process. The parts are automatically scaled up to account for the shrinkage, so the final parts are near net shape just like any other manufacturing process. It is true that any post-processing techniques appropriate for each alloy can be applied to parts printed with the Metal X, including heat treating.

How does this compare price wise to the HO MetalJet?

@MLCCADSystems

3 жыл бұрын

We've been shipping complete Metal X systems to our customers for almost 2 years now and the part quality and system reliability has been fantastic. Many competitive systems that use a similar approach remain on pre-order only or are still working out technical issues, so be wary of comparing by price on this leading-edge technology. You can get a quote on our website www.mlc-cad.com/markforged/metal-x/

@ 3:32 Material cost of $11.70 for an 84g part !

@lgtwzrd

4 жыл бұрын

In the manufacturing industry this is acceptable cost for R&D. Not for the average maker that's for sure.

So.... when will somebody make a Sinter that can be 3d printed using itself?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

A common misconception is that 3D Printing is going to take over all other traditional manufacturing processes. It excels at some tasks but you should always expect any manufacturing to be a combination of technologies and processes, as it is done today. We could print a Sinter oven today, but we would have to add in the electronics, heating element, build plate, and other items from other manufacturing processes. Who knows what is coming next though!

@ezramantini8078

3 жыл бұрын

@@MLCCADSystems Space manufacturing. 3D printers. Especially metal ones that can print alloys are crucial for future space manufacturing. Astroid mine anyone?

don't understand and hope you can simplify in steps w/o ad. thrink ABOUT 20% means no precision or not?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Great question, when we said ABOUT 20% it was not for lack of precision, but to try to simplify a sophisticated process. 20% shrinkage is an average volumetric shrinkage value that can change slightly throughout the part based on the geometry or shape of the part. The goal is to accurately predict local shrinkage for each geometry, and expand the part to the exact right size and shape so it shrinks back to your desired final net shape. "20% shrinkage" is an average value that is easier to say than to try to explain the complex calculations that are done automatically by the software. Artificial Intelligence is also coming to this algorithm to enable even higher precision without adding any complexity for the operator.

When will the price for these metal printers dip below $10,000? Right now they seem to be geared more to be sold to companies that need them for r&d and prototyping new products. Do you think within the next decade these metal printers will become more afforadble and accesible to the average consumer?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Great question, and for a number of reasons it will still take quite a while for the cost to get down to that price point. For reference, about 2 years ago it would have required a minimum initial investment of $1M USD to get started printing metal, and that cost of entry has plummeted by an order of magnitude with the release of this new style of bound metal powder printing. It will be interesting to see what breakthroughs are up next for metal printing. You are correct that these systems would not be well-suited for an average consumer yet unless they are dealing with some pretty tremendous design and manufacturing challenges!

Well at least you know all your 3D designs are always safe with the company kiss your privacy goodbye aside from that it's pretty cool machine

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

The problem of information security was not invented by Markforged, but they take privacy and intellectual property concerns very seriously. For reference, here is their privacy policy and terms and conditions. markforged.com/privacy-policy/ markforged.com/terms-conditions/

We'll be printing pizza soon!

How much it cost a 3d metal machine?

@MLCCADSystems

3 жыл бұрын

If you would like a formal quote please reach out at our website, mlc-cad.com/markforged/markforged-metal-x/. Before this technology was available metal printers would cost $1 million +, but this system is in the low hundreds of thousands, almost 10x less!

Sand casting never looked easy till now.

@MLCCADSystems

3 жыл бұрын

The video goes into a lot of detail about the process and the technology behind the equipment, but when you see it in action it is really simple and clean to operate. No molten metals, no sand or slag, no metal grinding or cutting of sprues, no CNC machines at all unless you want to post-process for surface finish or tighter accuracy.

What cad files can be used? Solid Works AutoCAD ACIS Inventer. fusion 360 ?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Currently the only files you can directly import are STL files, which is a pretty universal file type that most CAD programs can save to, including all of the programs you listed.

I really do want to buy it. But, mmm... I wish I don't have financial issue.

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Metal printing would be hard to financially justify as just a fun activity or hobby. For companies with complex requirements, critical challenges, or who need to iterate quickly with strong metal parts it really is a huge source of cost savings and opportunity for profit!

Pistol and rifle parts been made this way for years and years. This one looks good, very expensive.

How much?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Give us a call for pricing, we'd love to hear from you! 800-364-1652

how much is the metal 3d printer

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Give our team a call to learn more, but it is in the neighborhood of $100k, which is a major improvement over previous metal printing systems in the $1M ballpark. 800-364-1652

This is super cool, I love it, but it makes me sad... I've seen too many new products fail because the creators try to do everything themselves. Especially when current design trends are moving to open source and crowd sharing development. (Which can also be difficult with niche products) Personally, I like sponsoring new ideas and creators, but they often fall into the "perfection is the enemy of good enough" - trap. One creator I supported failed because he couldn't understand tolerance vs cost and didn't want to change his designs. Another failed because he was too obsessed with the packaging (True story). Cloud based software is a problem for me because the creator can just hike the price and hold my expensive machine hostage (been there, bought the T-shirt). Of course zero support also sucks. Another major turnoff is when companies expect me to send them all my particulars for a quote. How do I begin to explain this? It sets me up with creating an expectation for both parties and then dealing with the embarrassment of being to poor to afford the product. Coupled to the embarrassment, I suspect someone will be wasting half a week to figure out what shipment and import duties to the other side of the planet will cost. Truth is, I don't care about those details upon a first inquiry. The question should be; If I walk into your shop, what will it cost as it sits on the shelf? Expecting me to ask for a quote, tells me you don't really have an inventory... and you are still feeling the market. Maybe you are kinda-sorta doing the machines one at a time with very little profit margin. Nothing wrong with that, just look at the early days for Occulus. Finally I dread being harassed by emails asking me to reconsider, as if I magically discovered half a million dollars in my couch (also been there). This is the final reason I won't ask for a quote. If I have to ask, I probably can't afford it anyway! - Goodbye. There are better ways around this. Some companies give you a range expectation of price like $100 for one item but $1 each if you buy a thousand. Ask yourself this; Why are you not able to at least give a costing envelope? - You have a good product, be upfront with your customers and fanfare! Your products look awesome, you've done some amazing development work, well done! Be proud and set your price. I wish you every success, you obviously deserve it! Keep up the good work!

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your feedback, keep in mind that the Eiger software that runs these machines is free, even if you don't own a Markforged printer, and offline options exist if cloud or internet connection issues are a problem. We're working on content to address the true cost of printing metal, as in many cases the facility and support equipment required to simply operate what you buy can exceed the price of the machine itself. For ballpark numbers it used to require a minimum of $1 Million USD to get started printing metal between the machine itself and the facility investments, and this system easily cuts the required minimum investment by about 4x, but there are still several factors that would impact your cost that would require a conversation to understand. We have been installing these machines across the country all year and they are ready for delivery.

@oreobambi9056

2 жыл бұрын

Tldr

I would print Jaguar X type parts :)

How much

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

It depends on what components you select and a few other factors, but the ballpark is 100k (previous technologies were in the 1M ballpark). If you would like to get more specific than that please give us a call to discuss your application!

Can I pay you guys to print and complete a part for me?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

We would love to discuss your application, give us a call or visit our website and reach out! mlc-cad.com, 800-364-1652

@TreadTalk247

4 жыл бұрын

MLC CAD Systems thanks for your quick response! Absolutely, we are designing and testing fit on the parts at this time so once we have the fit 100% then i will give you guys a call. We are working on a few mid 1920’s speedometers for our vintage cars. The current parts were made of pot metal which over time swells and destroys its self. So we want to have a few “new” parts made of a stable metal. Again, thank you for getting back to me and I’ll touch base w you Guys once we are ready to do final prints in metal. William

@rixiv7868

4 жыл бұрын

CrazyfamilyTLR You could also contact a local CNC machine shop near you and I’m sure they could produce what you want for a lot cheaper

@TreadTalk247

4 жыл бұрын

Rix IV thanks for info, it’s actually a few small parts that would prob be easier to print in metal. I’ve tried to find a CNC shop local to me and haven’t found anyone unfortunately

Do they use a shit ton of electricity like other metal printers?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Great question. The actual printer has no lasers or arc welders, so the primary printing process is similar to more traditional plastic 3D printers. The power-intensive step is sintering, where the oven must reach temperatures just below the melting point of the metal. It uses electrical heating elements, but it is very efficient for what it does and multiple parts can be sintered in a single batch. Feel free to reach out on our website if you would like to discuss in more specifics. mlc-cad.com

How much for one of these printers?

@MLCCADSystems

3 жыл бұрын

Give us a call if you're interested in details or how it might impact your business. Order of magnitude price range is 100k+, unlike the 1M+ of previous generation metal printers.

@Stormseer88

3 жыл бұрын

@@MLCCADSystems Wow thanks for the really swift reply. Is that for just the printer or does it include the sintering owen and wash as well? I notice that markforged has non-metal printers as well. How much for an onyx series printer?

@MLCCADSystems

3 жыл бұрын

@@Stormseer88 Now you should DEFINITELY give our team a call :) 800-364-1652 There are several options to choose from, and your question is similar to asking "how much does it cost to get a machine that can take me places" and I can answer with a moped, a dump truck, or a minivan and technically be giving you an accurate answer, but of course those are all very different things for very different purposes.

Just buy the Rapidia. Cheaper. More materials. Water based binder. No infill. No debinder. More environmentally/office friendly. Cheaper.

Stick to sand casting allot cheaper for the money and time and very little production time i don't see how you could ever make your money back on making parts to order sorry but if it can't produce the product a lot faster don't see how it will ever work out. and doesn't seem safe to use in high strength/torque applications seems you can only use it for decorations and the shrinkage after the product? So you gonna have to put it on a milling machine anyways why not just use a CNC to make your part!? think your product needs A LOT of redesigning and improvement

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your comments. It is important to understand where a system like this fits into the realm of manufacturing, and it isn't to produce parts that can be easily or inexpensively sand cast or machined. In a typical design, most of the components can be made less expensively using traditional methods, and it would not make any sense to shift those designs to this machine. Where the Metal X is seeing profitable adoption is where an assembly of multiple components can be replaced with a single part, printed in high-strength materials, in shapes that are impossible to make using any other method. Also, it is worth noting that the final porosity of metal on the Metal X is superior to a typical sand-cast process, and the strength of the material is not directional after sintering or compromised at all from the fabrication process. Accommodations for shrinkage and the final surface finish are comparable to sand-casting parts as well so the results are very serious parts. Another consideration is access to a foundry or a suitable machine and raw material. The Metal X can create metal parts in complex shapes using high-strength alloys with no foundry access and a very small facility footprint. Consider locations such as off-shore rigs or extremely remote installations where it would not be possible to stock up on every possible variant of machine and raw material shape to build replacement parts, and you'll see that there are many markets that the Metal X would serve very well, but they are not typical main-stream needs.

Ever heard of CNC machine

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

The Metal X does not compete directly with subtractive manufacturing like CNC machines, it ideally would be used to augment their capabilities when design challenges can be solved better using additive processes. One very powerful example is Black and Decker, we have the case study on our website. mlc-cad.com/markforged-teams-up-black-decker/ The short version is that they needed a part with geometry that could not be machined, so it had to be assembled from many pieces, and the assembly was never strong enough for the application. By printing the part in metal, the part became cheaper and immeasurably stronger and more reliable. Only one part was made on this printer, the rest was made using conventional manufacturing approaches.

@DrLol07

3 жыл бұрын

How dense can you be

i wonder if you can print chain mail with this system

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

It is certainly possible in theory, but I doubt it would be worth the challenge of supporting the part during printing, keeping it intact during washing and handling, and then with the size limitations of the sintering platform the part would be too limited to have much of a payoff. Great idea though, we'll keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible and some day a technology may come along that is perfect for chain mail!

@warlord5295

4 жыл бұрын

@@MLCCADSystems that would be amazing chainmail is hard to make by hand and the chainmail people seem to buy all the time are either made from sub par material or its just butted meaning the ends are just touching and in and that can kill somebody but if you can make a whole chainmail shirt with this thing that would be amazing

Shrinkage?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

As the part is washed and then sintered, the wax and plastic binder material that allowed it to be extruded in the printer is removed, and the remaining part solidifies and shrinks. It is amazingly stable and repeatable for as much as it shrinks, but it does have the potential to warp a bit depending on the part. Check out Blacksmith, it allows Eiger to learn using AI to better predict warp and shrinkage and the slicer will automatically reverse the warp in the initial part to make the final part much closer to the intended size and shape.

@72mardy

4 жыл бұрын

Only when it's cold

Aluminium

We want it to reduce car parts price down to sustained.

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

For parts that are available off the shelf, the Metal X is unlikely to represent a great value. Additive manufacturing is still much more expensive than other methods, especially for car parts. It really shows benefits though when the part is completely unavailable, meaning you are choosing between various expensive options, or if the part is extremely hard to made, such as parts that require very high strength or very complex geometry. I hope that helps! If you are interested in how much the parts cost in material, here is a video that should give you some idea of how much parts might cost: kzread.info/dash/bejne/qaqFrY-Oo5bfkbA.html

Hold on wait.... wait.... Here I’m shitting money

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

It certainly isn't going to be a purchase "just for fun" but the system represents a 10x price reduction over powder-bed solutions like SLS.

20% shrinkage? For real? What is it, a balloon?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Great question, the sintering process is not unique to a machine like this and it can seem crazy at first, but it is a very cool process. Sintering starts out with a powder, you could visualize sand particles for example, and think about the air in between particles that can't be filled because they are non-uniform. Sintering causes these particles to bind together with neighboring particles by heating it to near melting, and as the particles slowly bond to and merge with surrounding particles the voids are slowly removed. Done correctly, the slowly shrinking voids allow the gas in the empty spaces to leave the part and the final part is dense, solid, and the same overall shape that you started with (minus the air spaces which are now gone). Pretty amazing!

Price? 10 000$? You need a washer and a oven too. 1000$ a pice?

@MLCCADSystems

Жыл бұрын

This is not a machine for hobbyists or a replacement for basic machine tools. But, for a shop making low-volume parts in materials that are notoriously hard to manufacture, this is a very attractive price point. Keep in mind that all other available technologies were 10x more expensive than the Metal X when it was first released.

Ultra expensive stuff i really would like on thought.

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

It is definitely not a machine you buy just for fun, but it costs a small fraction of what previous technologies did, and the ROI for most companies that have a legitimate need is surprisingly fast!

@platin2148

4 жыл бұрын

MLC CAD Systems I wonder is that just a basic filament that any 3d printer is able to print or does it need some special heat? Yeah i know our company looked into 3d metal printing i mean we have now a xjet or however the call it…

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

The filament is a mixture of metal particles, wax, and a plastic binder. It resembles a basic filament, but the machine has several thermal considerations. The spool itself must be heated slightly to soften it for unspooling so the chamber is heated, the head is obviously heated but it doesn't have to melt plastic in quite the same way as a traditional printer might, it just needs to soften the binder and wax. The bed is also heated, I assume to aid in dimensional stability throughout printing.

now put that part through inspection! This is just a slow and inaccurate machine with the only benefit that it can make more complex parts, and you really have to pay for that. It is a cool concept but its far away from being accurate. ill just stay at the cnc milling machine, much faster, accurate and cheaper 😇

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

There will always be designs and applications that are faster and cheaper to make using subtractive methods like CNC machining. Currently nearly all designs are optimized for this type of manufacturing, and designers are conditioned to make parts that work for this method, which is a good thing! As this technology expands however we have seen multi-part assemblies replaced by a single part with amazing outcomes in cost, durability, and performance. Nobody is advocating a complete replacement of machining, but it adds a new layer of capability for designers in both product development and full production. Regarding Inspection it is actually possible to perform inspection and validation of parts on the X7 printer while in process! Imagine being able to get a full inspection report on the INTERIOR of a part that is inaccessible to scanning or measuring equipment! And with Blacksmith, the inspection feedback loop actually teaches the machine how to print the part correctly the first time, and is not subject to tool wear. Regarding accuracy there is a limit to what can be achieved, but with Blacksmith AI and in-process scanning and correction the accuracy has the potential to meet that of CNC. It won't be able to replace the surface finishing capabilities of machining however, so post--processing would be required where a surface finish specification is required.

@DrLol07

3 жыл бұрын

Machine me an internal channel with a helix structure for a heat exchanger on your cnc. Additive opens up design criteria, CNC and additive are complements of each other, you just have to think about it

It shrinks about 20% ? That is not an exact science ...

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

The exact shrinkage value is managed automatically by Eiger, and may vary based on the geometry of the part and the type of material. Luckily all of this is seamlessly integrated and transparent to the end user.

@Tight4Skin

4 жыл бұрын

@@MLCCADSystems That is really cool, just this should be emphasized maybe next time. Lot of people are looking at 3d welding as the future. Thanks for your answer great product!

Can I make dental framework from your machine?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Great question. You can make just about anything on these machines, but there are a few additional considerations when talking about dental framework. Luckily, the issue simplifies quite a bit when you realize that the net end result of the process is a part that is composed of the build material, with similar density and purity as billet material would have. So although I'm not aware of any current applications using dental framework, there would be no specific restrictions on using it for that purpose due to the Metal X system itself. I hope that helps!

@malaysiadentist4637

4 жыл бұрын

@@MLCCADSystems thank you for your prompt reply. In fact your rep from Singapore has come to our office yesterday to discuss this matter

@malaysiadentist4637

4 жыл бұрын

I hope I can work with your company on the manufacturing of dental framework soonest possible

There must be an easier way... P.S. that finished product looks.... bad. The part will require post production work. Probably on a CNC VMC. I bet even a hobby grade CNC is still a much, MUCH more efficient method. I look forward to an affordable metal printing solution, but this ain’t it I’m afraid. What about those Aluminium looking rods for diy ‘welding’ of aluminium with just a small jet lighter/blow torch? Was that tech patented and released as that product to stop it appearing here? I reckon that stuff is the way forward

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your comment, the surface finish of some parts will be better than others and the surface roughness will be similar to a cast part, if you need a high-tolerance flat surface then it will require post-machining operations to clean it up. The software has been upgraded to produce better parts since we created this video, keep an eye out for more Metal X content soon to see how far it has come! The welding-based machines are extremely slow and energy-intensive. The technology is out there, but nobody is releasing it as a product because the process is likely not viable for commercial operation.

Shrinkage!

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Shrinkage scared me too when I first learned about this process. Even with shrinkage of 20%, the final accuracy expectation is +/- 0.5%, meaning a part that is 1" long should land at 1" +/- .005". Sintering is an amazing process and used heavily in high precision applications like gears. And, with Blacksmith coming soon, accuracy should improve even beyond that as machine learning is employed to provide better predictive offsets.

shrink about.... i just forget it for ever..

Could I print a firearm

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Without commenting on the legality of it or the details involved, the answer is yes, that has been done by others before and there is nothing inherently limiting about the Metal X that would make firearm printing impossible.

@harleyswenson5402

4 жыл бұрын

@@MLCCADSystems huh that's cool so it can actually hold up to the pressure

This does not seem mega useful because of the shrinking and warping.

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Shrinkage and warping were some of the issues that prevented this technology from being possible until now. The shrinkage is very repeatable and can be predicted with a high degree of accuracy using computer software, all of which is baked into the Markforged solution. Simply upload the file and choose to print on a metal machine and you can expect +/- 0.5% on all measurements. So that means for a 1" nominal part, it will print approximately 1.2" and will sinter down to a final size of 1" +/- .005". I say it prints approximately 1.2" in the green state because the actual shape is determined using artificial intelligence that is constantly learning. As more parts are run through the system, the tolerances will get even tighter. When I first learned how the system worked I expected the sinter process to be much less predictable, but in fact sintering has always been a reliable manufacturing approach for even high tolerance parts like gears. Pretty amazing!

woo woo black market gun manufacturing!!!! hahahahaaha

Is he wearing eyeliner?

@MarcusMLC

4 жыл бұрын

Me? 🤣

Wow this looks like nonsense, why have the unit desk top sized if everything else is so huge? And the part shrinks after baking? So you cam never produce accurate parts?!

@MLCCADSystems

5 жыл бұрын

This technology is based on an age-old technology that is very controllable. The printer doesn’t need to be any larger to get the job done, all the equipment is sized to do their specific job in the process. The part does shrink during SINTERING, this is a very controllable process. The software automatically scales your CAD model upon import to produce a true to CAD end part. We'd love for you to come to one of our 3D printing events so you can be more informed about the process. Check our calendar here: mlc-cad.com/markforged-events/

@carneeki

5 жыл бұрын

Sintering is a pretty common way to produce gears nowadays, and it's also how carbide inserts are produced. Not a machine for the average home user, but could be something a prototyping workshop might be interested in, and if the ovens are able to be used for heat treating too, then it's not really a lot of wasted space.

@JTMarlin8

5 жыл бұрын

​@@carneeki Nobody's going to be using those overpriced sintering ovens for heat treating. The whole process is so slow those ovens are going to be backlogged in sintering jobs. As for size, they sure didn't advertise the giant argon tank that you'll need to wheel into your office!

@JTMarlin8

4 жыл бұрын

@@anirudh9995 It is not. Powdered metal sintering is a mature technology that has been around for decades. The printing is new, but that's only half the battle.

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

@@JTMarlin8 We are planning to continue producing content to help potential customers understand all facility requirements, and yes you'll need quite a bit of argon gas to run the machine. For more detailed information, check out the Markforged Metal X System Facilities Guide. support.markforged.com/hc/en-us/articles/360005115379-Metal-X-System-Facilities-Guide

His heads in the clouds... To risky

100,000 dollars??....no thanks

Nice acting.

@MLCCADSystems

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! We certainly had fun making it.

@joeKisonue

Жыл бұрын

@@MLCCADSystems very well done

those 'metal' parts look PRETTY fucking weak to me

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Don't let the appearance of the outer layer fool you, the metal is extremely dense internally (better than casting) and the materials used are some of the strongest alloys available. After the sintering process there are no residual weaknesses from the manufacturing process, these are full-strength metal parts. They feel as light as aluminum though when they are printed with a sparse fill, so it is very confusing to hold them in your hand.

@antigen4

4 жыл бұрын

not according to this: kzread.info/dash/bejne/mK52tLusmdzemqw.html

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

That is a great video that describes the challenges of the DMLS process, where a laser solidifies metal directly in a very rapid process, leaving voids such as bubbles and directional properties that leave it weaker in the direction of the build platform. Metal X does not use a laser and instead uses a long-proven process called Sintering, which slowly allows the metal crystals to form and leaves the final part in a near-annealed state. That is one of several reasons the Metal X process represents a major leap forward in metal printing technology. It is not a new method of creating metal parts, it is simply a new method of arranging the metal accurately prior to sintering.

@antigen4

4 жыл бұрын

OK thanks! OBVIOUSLY we have a long way to go before we can confidently integrate this into existing manufacturing. should be mostly fine for non critical parts in HUGE volume. Do you have any data on repetative stress failure on YOUR process vs traditional castings?

@MLCCADSystems

4 жыл бұрын

Another great question, I'm not aware of any formal lab testing of Metal X parts for fatigue, but I often find that fatigue data is the hardest data to find because of the length of time and cost associated with the tests. From a process perspective, the only novelty to the Metal X system is the process of printing the part layer by layer instead of using fixed tooling. I would recommend researching sintered metal part fatigue behavior in general. Based on some initial research it seems that porosity is a strong influencer, and with highly dense parts the fatigue behavior is very good. My personal suspicion regarding fatigue is that the bulk material fatigue behavior will be relatively similar to cast materials, but the surface finish and the sparse fill are the wild-cards that must be considered more heavily. Crack initiation and propagation are possible across the entire part, interior and exterior, which is a new wrinkle. Metal X parts have rough surface finish and a triangular sparse fill by default, which is really a worst-case scenario for a part subjected to repeated loading. I would recommend keeping the design load below the fatigue limit for these parts. Until a wider strategy can be adopted that would allow certification of these types of parts, I suspect each part and application will require its own extensive testing, which is already in place for critical system components in industries such as aerospace. Metal AM parts are in service today in aircraft engines, so it is certainly possible, but it will require additional considerations where human safety is a concern.