Recently, the MarkForged Mark One 3D printer became available for pre-order. This new printer represents a first in the world of 3D printing in that it allows you to print in carbon fiber. If you don’t know why this is something to be excited about, our Seattle 3D printing company has the facts you need.
Carbon fiber, also known as either fiberglass or Kevlar, is a material that is valuable to many manufacturing applications. This material is made up of long strings of carbon, often woven into sheets that combine impressive strength with versatile flexibility. It is also good at conducting both heat and electricity. It is used for many products, from jet engine blades to cellos.
One of the big drawbacks of using carbon fiber has historically been how difficult it is to incorporate it into a product. It is a labor-intensive process, often worked into an object manually. The emergence of carbon fiber in 3D printing promises to revolutionize this process.
Generally, a product only needs to incorporate a small amount of carbon fiber to add strength to key areas. A 3D printer can allow you to make composite materials like this, providing separate printing heads for both the carbon fiber and the secondary material. In this way, you can make strong carbon fiber composites without the excess expense that comes with trying to make solid carbon fiber products.
The Mark One 3D printer is currently available for $4,999, and the developer version for $8,799. It promises to ship in the latter half of 2014. The company is only accepting a limited number of pre-orders, though, so be sure to place your order quickly if you want to take advantage of this new technology.
