Created 3D printer that can print carbon fiber parts
At SolidWorks 2014, held at the end of January in San Diego, MarkForged introduced a 3D printer that can print not only in plastic but also in carbon fiber. Printed carbon fiber parts are five times stronger and twenty times harder than ABS parts. The flexural strength along the fibers is higher than that of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy parts of the same weight. This grade of aluminum is widely used in aviation and shipbuilding, a similar domestic grade of aluminum is AD33 . In addition to carbon fiber and ABS, the Mark One printer can print with fiberglass and nylon. For printing with fibrous materials, a separate print head of a special design is used.
MarkForged emphasizes that a continuous carbon fiber filament is used for printing, not just a polymer with short carbon fiber filler. This gives the products a strength comparable to that made by industrial carbon fiber - printed parts are on average inferior to the best commercial carbon fiber grades by three times, but full control over the location of the fibers during printing allows them to be laid exactly as the operating conditions require, so that 100% of the fibers went in the right direction. This is not possible in the manufacture of carbon fiber parts from carbon fabric, where the fibers are intertwined at an angle of 90 degrees.
It looks like a printed part
The resolution of the printer is 100 microns when printing with nylon and ABS and 200 - when printing with carbon and fiberglass. The maximum size of the printed product is 305x160x160 mm. Since a separate head is used for printing with fibrous materials, it is possible to print simultaneously with two materials - ordinary and fibrous plastic, combining these materials in one part. The price of Mark One is quite high, but not prohibitive - five thousand dollars.
MarkForged emphasizes that a continuous carbon fiber filament is used for printing, not just a polymer with short carbon fiber filler. This gives the products a strength comparable to that made by industrial carbon fiber - printed parts are on average inferior to the best commercial carbon fiber grades by three times, but full control over the location of the fibers during printing allows them to be laid exactly as the operating conditions require, so that 100% of the fibers went in the right direction. This is not possible in the manufacture of carbon fiber parts from carbon fabric, where the fibers are intertwined at an angle of 90 degrees.
It looks like a printed part
The resolution of the printer is 100 microns when printing with nylon and ABS and 200 - when printing with carbon and fiberglass. The maximum size of the printed product is 305x160x160 mm. Since a separate head is used for printing with fibrous materials, it is possible to print simultaneously with two materials - ordinary and fibrous plastic, combining these materials in one part. The price of Mark One is quite high, but not prohibitive - five thousand dollars.