Choosing the right 3D printing material is also particularly important in additive manufacturing! Which technical properties are particularly important for my application? What do the terms bending strain and bending stress as well as tensile strength mean? How important are chemical, mechanical, thermal or electrical properties of the material?

An exciting new five-way collaboration agreement provides access to state-of-the-art additive manufacturing technology for the aerospace and high-value manufacturing sector in the South West of England.

YEOVIL, UK – 4 November 2022 Offering a unique environment in which talent, creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation within SMEs can flourish, the iAero Centre in Yeovil has proven to be the perfect setting for a new five-way collaboration between industry, education and local government.

The announcement of a 5 year joint funded agreement sees the team behind the £10m iAero project, led by Somerset County Council, bring together Leonardo UK, Markforged Inc, Yeovil College and Mark3D UK Limited to open and fully support a state-of-the-art additive manufacturing centre.

Austin Chick, Head of iAero, explains “one of the main aims of iAero is to provide an environment where new products and high value design and engineering solutions can be developed in collaboration with key industrial partners. Engineers from all over the West of England will be able to use this first-class facility to further develop ground breaking ideas and turn them into reality.”

Located on land owned by Leonardo and situated next its UK end-to-end helicopter facility, the ‘Home of British Helicopters’, the new iAero Innovation Centre in Somerset provides a purpose-built 2,398m² research, design and innovation facility to support the growing aerospace sector in the region.  As an anchor tenant and collaboration partner, Leonardo is currently utilising the centre with a number of projects already planned for the new capability.  

Simon Stacey of the Research & Innovation Team at Leonardo Helicopters UK stated, “Leonardo has recently won a number of prestigious VTOL projects. These will benefit from the technology we now have available to us, we will be able to think ‘outside the box’ in the development of new ideas across many areas, resulting in better overall solutions for our customers and those of our partners.”

Cllr Val Keitch, Executive Member for Local Government Reorganisation and Prosperity at Somerset County Council, said: “The progress at iAero since it opened earlier this year shows the value and strength of our delivery partnerships. Since its inception, a key aim of the iAero project has been to deliver innovation through collaboration. That is exactly what this project does. It brings together local government, industry, and academia to deliver the very latest in innovative manufacturing capability, which will benefit local businesses and help up-skill the future workforce.”

The centre will be equipped with the full portfolio of 3D printers available from Markforged, including its newest large format FX20 printer alongside its range of highly advanced polymers such as ULTEM®, composite materials such as carbon fibre and an expanding range of engineering metals such as tool steels, Copper and Inconel. Each printer is part of Markforged’s cloud-connected Digital Forge platform, powered by its award winning Eiger software to control fleet management, provide online part verification with inspection reports and enable desk-based accreditation via the Markforged University. For those applications with strict security protocols, there will be secure offline access too. Leonardo also plans to begin testing and certifying parts using the new materials recently announced by Markforged for flight, through its Materials Laboratory and Structural & Mechanical Test Centre at Leonardo in Yeovil.  

In the near future, it may even be possible that parts printed in stainless steel with a honeycombed infill will replace machined aluminium components in certain applications. Markforged UK Territory Manager, Kevin Murphy states, “The joint investment we see here today is further proof that the Aerospace and Defence industry in the South West of England is buoyant and ready to develop new products to support the world market.” He also adds, “Markforged is delighted to be involved with this project and we look forward to helping both today’s engineer and the engineers of the future learn how additive manufacturing can turn ideas in to reality.”

As a further part of its commitment to the local economy, the iAero project also enables students from co-investor Yeovil College to use the facility. Students will be able to work side by side with people from industry, gaining valuable contextual experience in project related applications.  Students can also take advantage of the Markforged University Programme adding online courses in additive manufacturing to their list of qualifications and skills. As a partner of Leonardo, the Yeovil College team consider that understanding additive manufacturing solutions within practical scenarios is an invaluable experience for today’s young engineers.

According to Alex Clancy, Assistant Principal and Employer Engagement Director for Yeovil College, “Many of the apprentices we teach here are from Leonardo and we work very closely with them as a business. We are constantly taking feedback from them and working to improve student learning. Yeovil College is very pleased to be involved with this initiative and my colleagues are excited to see the benefits over the coming months.  Although Yeovil College already has courses running in additive technology this will take it to another level for us, and students will gain access to technology, which we once thought was out of our budget.”

Mark 3D, the UK’s Markforged expert, is co-investing in the support to this high-tech additive manufacturing system. A full support package to include training and advice on optimum use of the system will be provided as well as technically supporting the equipment over the agreement period.

“We expect this equipment to be utilised fully and it is important that the materials, consumables and spares are immediately available to the team. Our role is to facilitate a smooth running environment, provide advice with manufacturing decisions during the design process and help people in their learning phase,” says Ian Weston, MD at Mark3D UK Limited. He also adds, “additive is a really exciting place to be at the moment. This system offers the ability to design and manufacture in ways not possible a few years ago. This will enable companies in the region to upskill and become more competitive in their respective specialisms.”

Our investment here at iAero is a fundamental part of our business strategy moving forwards and we are delighted to be involved’.   

Open days are planned to view and experience the additive manufacturing capability.  Dates will be issued in due course.

If you would like to know more about this collaboration or visit the iAero please contact Austin Chick via the iAero web-site.

iAeroCentreYeovil@somerset.gov.uk

About iAero:

The iAero Centre is a purpose-built 2,398 square metres research, design and innovation facility in Yeovil, built to support the competitiveness and growth of the aerospace and associated high-value design and engineering technology supply chains. https://www.somerset.gov.uk/business-and-economy/iaero-yeovil-centre/

About Leonardo UK:

Leonardo, a global high-technology company, is among the top world players in Aerospace, Defence and Security. Organised into five business divisions, Leonardo has a significant industrial presence in Italy, the United Kingdom, Poland and the USA, where it also operates through subsidiaries and joint ventures and partnerships. Leonardo competes in the most important international markets by leveraging its areas of technological and product leadership (Helicopters, Aircraft, Aerostructures, Electronics, Cyber Security and Space). Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange (LDO), in 2020 Leonardo recorded consolidated revenues of €13.4 billion and invested €1.6 billion in Research and Development. For further information, please visit: www.leonardo.com/en/

About Yeovil College:

Yeovil College remains passionate about its role as a key provider of education and training in South Somerset and North and West Dorset. It remains committed to its role as a tertiary college for the whole community and currently supports around 5000 full and part-time students, please visit www.yeovil.ac.uk .

About Markforged:

Markforged was founded in 2013 on the belief that additive manufacturing can transform how entire industries operate. Their platform, The Digital Forge, continues to make that possible, please visit https://markforged.com.

About Mark3D UK Limited:

Mark3D UK are an award winning Markforged Reseller. They supply, install and support the full range of Markforged printers and offer 3D printing project consultancy, advice on materials and help with deign for additive, please visit www.mark3d.co.uk

An exciting new collaboration agreement between Fieldmade AS, the experts in mobile additive manufacturing, and Mark3D UK Limited, the UK’s largest Markforged reseller will provide local supply and support for the NOMAD® Lightweight (LW) range of portable 3D printing solutions throughout all sectors of the UK economy.

Lillestrøm & Birmingham – October 2022 –  Today Fieldmade AS and Mark3D UK have announced a strategic partnership agreement which will see the supply of Fieldmade Nomad® LW portable 3D printers in to the UK, exclusively by Mark3D UK.

The announcement defines a step change in the go to market strategy for the supply, support and servicing of the Markforged based Fieldmade Nomad ® LW range. Fieldmade CEO Jostein Olsen explains further “Fieldmade AS are specialists in a number of primary areas, our products and services cover Digital Inventory Management, Consulting Services and the Nomad range of in-field additive manufacturing equipment. It makes sense for us to work with the UK Markforged specialists, Mark3D UK to improve our offering to the UK’s defence and energy sectors, who have shown huge interest in our LW products”.

The Nomad LW is based on the award winning Mark Two from Markforged Inc, which has proved very popular with engineers across all disciplines. As Ian Weston MD of Mark3D UK points out “ The Mark Two is a very compact and manageable size, it’s very easy to use and when combined with its ability to print parts that are stronger than aluminium, it’s the obvious choice for operationally critical 3D printing. The LW can easily be transported in the air, over the sea and across land to final destinations. Incredibly, engineers can transport this equipment whilst it is still printing, due to the in-built uninterruptable power source (UPS). The core benefit of the Nomad ® LW is continuous operation at the point of need, even in the most extreme and remote environments”.

The Nomad ® LW comes equipped with a sustainment pack, service agreement and enough materials to print for a number of months. It also ships with a ruggedised travel case which allows it to be transported without damage. Ian goes on the further say “It isn’t beyond the realms of possibility to see these units being dropped out of planes by parachute or pop up in remote jungle locations after travelling for days in the back of a 4×4, the only consideration will be a power source for longer prints and to charge the UPS”.

The Nomad ® LW is one of the range of Nomad offerings available from Fieldmade AS. Larger solutions are available in Nomad 1, Nomad 2 or Nomad 3 configurations which are designed to meet end user requirements. These solutions provide users with a pre-packaged micro-factory which is fully deployable to anywhere in the world. Materials include Polymer, Composite and Metal, providing the greatest possible choice. Integration in to the Fieldmade Digital Inventory software means it’s now possible to access fully aggregated, print-ready files, with supporting metadata and print them at the point of need anywhere at any time.

if you would like to know more please contact Mark3D UK – www.mark3d.co.uk

About Fieldmade AS:

Fieldmade is a deep tech company with expert knowledge within the full spectrum of the applied additive manufacturing domain. We use our knowledge to develop both technology and services for mainly (but not exclusively) the energy and defence sectors. Our ambition is to move the transformational AM knowledge into logistics – from the dreamer phase to the doer phase. https://fieldmade.no/

About Mark3D UK Limited:

Mark3D UK are an award winning Markforged Reseller. They supply, install and support the full range of Markforged printers and offer 3D printing project consultancy, advice on materials and help with deign for additive, please visit www.mark3d.co.uk

It’s finally available!

One of the most requested requirements in our Eiger software was the selection of a customizable support structure. You can now freely design the support structures of your components in the Eiger software.

In partial areas of geometries, the structure can now be removed and added as desired.

This saves both material and time, especially when it comes to reworking support structures that are not absolutely necessary.

For example, small cross bores that were previously supported and difficult to free can now be excluded from the support structure in advance in the Eiger software.

We have shown a short application for you in the video.
If you have any questions about the function, please contact us.

When 3D printing parts with overhangs, support material plays a crucial role in ensuring parts are manufactured as desired. After printing, the support material is usually easily removed before the part is used. When supports are enabled, Eiger’s default settings automatically generate support material optimized for most parts. However, some parts contain features such as internal channels, small overhangs, or threads that can be problematic with support material.

As Markforged have said: “We’ve heard from our customers that they would like the control and flexibility to decide which areas of a part to support and which not. In response, we are now announcing that our Eiger 3D slicing and printing software includes a new support material override feature that makes it simple and easy to select customizable support structure.”

We had some exiting news from Markforged last week with the announcement of their expansion into mass production of end-use metal parts. Markforged are set to acquire Digital Metal, the creator of a leading binder jetting solution known to be precise and reliable.

The Markforged Metal X system is a popular choice for accessible, end-to-end metal printing, used for low volume production, R&D and within education. Markforged are already well known for quality and reliability, making Digital Metal a strong addition to the line-up. We’re exited to see this technology incorporated into the Digital Forge and extend capabilities into high-throughput production of metal additive parts.

Watch this space for further updates and read the full announcement on the Markforged website here.

Before buying a 3d printer it is important to establish what you need from it. Some 3d printers are known for their ease of use and user friendliness, others for producing beautiful parts with a great surface finish, and others still for the strength of the parts they can print. Luckily, buying a Markforged 3D Printer is a great choice if you are looking for a work-horse that can produce super-strong parts with a great surface finish, easily and without much in the way of 3d printing experience.

We have put together a few key points that are useful to know before you buy a Markforged 3D Printer.

The Markforged 3D Printers have a range of sizes they are capable of printing, depending on your needs and your budget.

The Onyx One, Onyx Pro and Mark Two 3D Printers, known as the Desktop Series, can print up to 320 x 154 x 132mm in size.
The X3, X5 and X7 3D Printers, known as the Industrial series, can print up to 330 x 270 x 200mm in size.
The FX20 3D Printer can print up to 525 x 400 x 400mm in size.

Markforged have a proprietary material called Onyx. This material is Nylon-6, blended with carbon fibre, which is about 20% stronger than ABS. Some Markforged 3d printers allow the inlaying of continuous fibres, that reinforce and strengthen the printed parts even further.

Onyx is by far the most widely used, and versatile, material at the moment. Markforged are continuing to develop and release materials that extend the applications for printers. This year we saw the release of Precise PLA, a special version of the popular PLA material for quality printing on the Markforged machines, giving users a low cost alternative for prototyping and in 8 different colours.

The Industrial Series of Markforged 3D Printers have access to specialist materials as well, such as Onyx FR and Onyx ESD, a v0 rated flame retardant and ESD compliant material respectively.

The all new FX20 has taken the Markforged portfolio into high-temperature engineering polymers, namely ULTEM™ 9085. An extremely resistant thermoplastic with excellent flame, smoke and toxicity properties (FST) widely used in aerospace and automotive.

Its important to consider what materials you will need, or may benefit from, before you buy a Markforged printer.

Before you buy a Markforged, or any, 3D printer its important to understand the maintenance required. Typically extrusion based 3D printers, which the Markforged FFF technology is based on, are of the most simplest machines to maintain. Almost all parts on the Markforged machines are self-fit, allowing regular maintenance to be untaken in a short time and ensuring the printer is always running at its best. Regular maintenance is limited with only a few wearable parts needing changing, such as nozzles and tubes.

Routine maintenance is key to keeping 3D printers running at its best. Markforged offer ‘success plans’ with their printers making it easy and cost-effective to maintain machines. Wearable parts are covered and replaced on a maintenance schedule, so they are not just replaced when the wear, you’re always kept printing at the best quality. Parts are also covered for damage, if the unexpected happens.

We are seeing Markforged printers being used for a wide variety of applications, from tooling in large automotive/aerospace production lines, to bespoke brackets for cameras on film sets, to end-use production cutting tools. The possibilities are vast.

We’re not saying everything is possible, all 3D printing technology have applications they suit and do not suit. For example, you wouldn’t use a Markforged printer for fine artist detail or high volume production, but where they excel is strong, robust, reliable, function parts.

Read through the customer stories on our website to see more application examples.

We are excited to announce the addition of Precise PLA to our material portfolio! Now it’s even easier to create prototypes, develop custom tooling and manufacture parts for end users – all on one platform.

Precise PLA is Markforged’s special version of one of the most common prototyping materials in the additive manufacturing industry, polylactic acid (PLA). Markforged will offer Precise PLA in eight colours – yellow, red, green, blue, orange, black, white and grey.

The Digital Forge has been calibrated with changes in the Eiger software to print Precise PLA with excellent quality and repeatability. Priced at £50 per 600cc spool, Precise PLA is now a cost effective option for evaluating designs with the Digital Forge.

We recommend Precise PLA as a more cost-effective option for prototyping, fit testing, or other applications that don’t require the enhanced mechanical properties of onyx and/or continuous filaments. In addition, the different colours can improve the usability and safety of tools and fixtures in the workshop as they facilitate communication about colour codes.

PLA is not compatible with continuous fibers. So, as a rule of thumb, if you need your part to be stronger or more impact or heat resistant than your typical plastic, we recommend onyx and the appropriate continuous filament. For more information on the many applications that are possible with continuous fibers, read this guide. We anticipate that many engineers and designers will first prototype from Precise PLA and then move on to the production version, where Onyx is reinforced with continuous fibers.

Our engineers and material scientists attach great importance to quality. When we set out to create a more affordable plastic for prototyping, we wanted to offer the same print quality, reliability, and ease of use that our users have come to know and love from Onyx.

Zero Tolerance LLC, an injection molding and machine shop that specializes in helping manufacturers take their products from concept to production, was an early tester of Precise PLA.

Steve Michon, President and CEO, reports on his prints with the new material:

“When using other 3D printers and PLA materials, the results were not as precise as required, even after multiple iterations. Printing parts of the size and quality we need, with the functionality we need, and at a competitive price is critical to our business.”

“Once design validation is complete with Precise PLA, we move onto production with Markforged’s Onyx material to test functionality, followed by printing with continuous carbon fiber for added security for our final end part.”

— Steve Michon, President and CEO, Zero Tolerance LLC

In addition to prototyping, Zero Tolerance also uses Precise PLA in conjunction with Markforged’s high-strength composites to print fiberglass-reinforced assembly tools with color-coded handles printed in Precise PLA. The colors help the operator quickly identify the right tool for each job, reducing errors and improving efficiency.

“With this new material, we can now use our Markforged printer to deliver excellent results, time and time again, throughout the design and manufacturing process. This is the most reliable additive platform we have ever used. It just works.”

— Steve Michon, President and CEO, Zero Tolerance LLC

Historically, Markforged users have used Markforged’s high-quality printers and high-strength materials to produce mission-critical tools and end-use parts. By bringing together low-cost prototyping materials and functional applications into one easy-to-use platform, Markforged now offers users a more streamlined approach to bringing final designs to life.

“A material for cost-effective concept models and prototypes has been a key requirement from Markforged customers. We’ve taken that feedback and tuned our software and printers to print from Precise PLA, giving our users an extra dimension of versatility. We also hope that this update will allow our customers to have a little more fun in the design process with the additional colors. This is just another example of how the Digital Forge is constantly pushing new applications and getting better as we get more data and feedback from our customer base.” Said President and CEO Shai Terem.

Precise PLA will be available in our webshop from March 15, 2022. At launch, the new material will be printed on Mark Two (Gen 2) and Onyx Pro (Gen 2) desktop series printers equipped with our latest A3648 extruder. Later this year we also plan to make Precise PLA available on all Industrial series printers with the second generation A3648 extruder. Read this support article if you are not sure which generation your extruder is. As a special maintenance procedure for Precise PLA, you also need to occasionally flush the printhead. So make sure you take a flushing stick with you when you first buy Precise PLA coils.

How are the different branches of the US military using additive manufacturing?

Here are some past and current additive manufacturing projects in the US Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines:

What happens when aging military equipment and vehicles require parts that are obsolete or difficult to obtain? This is an ongoing problem faced by all six services and a great deal of time and effort is being expended in finding ways to solve this problem.

– In 2020, the US Army needed more hatch flaps: devices that attach to combat vehicles to help soldiers see during low-light missions. The original supplier no longer stocked the part and the replacement would require a three-month lead time and cost $10,000. The Army used additive manufacturing to solve the problem. Within days, two versions of the part were 3D printed using different materials at a fraction of the cost.

– The Airforce Lifecycle Management Centre regularly uses 3D printing to manufacture obsolete parts for a range of older fighter jets, including fleets of B-52s, the massive C-5M Super Galaxy and the B-2 stealth bomber.

– Since late 2020, Army Material Command (AMCOM) has been working with a team from Wichita State University to disassemble and 3D print all parts of a Black Hawk helicopter. Other branches of AMCOM are tackling a similar task, evaluating 48,000 land vehicle parts and 98,000 communications and electronics parts for 3D printing.

It is not uncommon for a single soldier to carry between 100 and 140 pounds of equipment, including weapons, ammunition, water, provisions, batteries and personal protective equipment. That’s a lot, especially in a stressful situation. And the soldiers aren’t the only ones burdened by the extra weight. Increased weight in transport vehicles, airplanes and ships can decrease fuel efficiency and reduce maneuverability and speed. As a result, the military is keen to find ways to reduce weight without sacrificing performance.

The Army Research Laboratory is currently working to produce a number of new, lightweight vehicle parts – mounts, propulsion systems, weapons and turret components – through additive manufacturing. Light metals such as titanium, titanium alloys and hybrid ceramic tile composites are being studied for the Next-Gen Combat Vehicles (NGVC) program.

Earlier this year, the Army Research Laboratory worked with a team from the University of Central Florida to improve additive manufacturing of a high-strength magnesium alloy by increasing the density enough to create 24 microlattice structures. The material has the potential to create lightweight mission components typically carried and used by soldiers in the field.

After a number of years of successfully using AM to replace obsolete parts on older aircraft, the Air Force is now focused on developing flight-ready hardware for in-service military engines, aircraft, and ancillary equipment. The Air Force is particularly interested in the increased durability and lighter weight of 3D printing with AM materials. Because less weight means more speed and lower overall fuel costs.

The military has long been interested in using AM technology to quickly produce very large, durable parts. The need for larger parts is increasing during operations, so replacing and maintaining vehicles or short-term storage comes in handy.

– Earlier this year, the U.S. DEVCOM Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) launched its Jointless Hull project. As part of this project, GVSC is developing the world’s largest metal 3D printer capable of producing one-piece hulls and other large parts for military ground vehicles. Once complete, the giant 3D printer will be able to print metal parts measuring up to 30′L x 20′W x 12′H. A smaller version of the printer is also in the works to support the larger machine.

– In late 2019, US Navy personnel at Camp Pendleton printed a bunker large enough to hide a truck-mounted multiple rocket launcher system in less than 36 hours using fast-curing concrete.

– The US The Army Corps of Engineers, which is in no way inferior to the Marines, this year developed a ready-to-use 3D printer that can be used to produce shatterproof concrete structures such as buildings, small bridges, bunkers and gatehouses in the shortest possible time.

Rugged, durable 3D printers can be deployed at remote locations to print parts on demand.

In an effort to move from form to function, all branches of the US military are exploring more efficient and effective ways to 3D print at any deployment location, be it aboard a ship at sea or at a remote base camp.

– The U.S. The Navy and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) are exploring ways to use AM to design, print, approve, and install critical or obsolete parts at sea. This allows crews to 3D print parts and tooling on-demand to reduce part production costs and repair times. A recent example can be seen aboard the USS Tulsa, where Navy sailors now have access to 3D printing technology and know how to use it thanks to training conducted by the Robert C. Byrd Institute at Marshall University. Crew members were taught how to set up, operate and maintain 3D printers. They were also trained in computer-aided design techniques and the use of precision scanners. Once at sea, they will have the opportunity to try out their new skills on the ship by 3D printing various components.

– Across the pond, in France, the Marine Nationale (French Navy) commissioned the largest 3D-printed metal propeller on an operational military ship in January this year.

– Researchers at the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) used recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from bottle and plastic scraps as the material for a fused filament fabrication (FFF filament). Ultimately, the plan is to allow US forces to use 3D printers in the field, if needed, for spare parts made from discarded battlefield plastic waste such as water bottles, milk cans, etc.

* For more information on the Air Force and their use of additive manufacturing, see one of our previous blog posts Additive Manufacturing with Aerospace and Defence Composites.

Mark3D often get asked about coating parts, so we set about finding out the best way to do it.

Electro-plating is available in many different techniques, and each method provides a solution to specific requirement. Some are used for protection against harsh conditions such as salt water or chemicals, some are used for increasing wear resistance of surfaces and some are purely aesthetic, which is the primary requirement in our case.

Don’t want your parts to break? Watch this video.

If you’ve ever dabbled in 3D printing, you’ve probably heard that the Z axis is weaker compared to the XY plane.

This can cause parts to break or crack when high pressure or impact is applied.

And if you’re not prepared for it, it can mess up the day or your plans.

In this video you will learn how to design your 3D printed parts so that they are strong enough to do the job you want them to do.

Let us know in the comments if there’s anything you’d like covered or a challenge you’re completing right now!

video chapter
0:00 – Introduction
0:34 – Why is z-axis strength important?
1:13 – What is anisotropy?
2:41 – What makes the z-axis vulnerable?
5:43 – Requirements for the function
6:39 – Bending tool demo
11:51 – Conclusion