Mark One Teaser from MARKFORGED on Vimeo.
Carbon fibre 3D printer is 'world's first'
Carbon fibre has long been the material of choice for automotive and aerospace applications due to its light weight and high strength.
However, building with the material is often complex and prohibitively expensive.
Designed as a way to overcome these limitations, the MarkForged Mark One 3D printer is the world's first 3D printer capable of printing composite materials.
Unveiled at SolidWorks World 2014 in San Diego, the Mark One can print to a maximum size of 305 x 160 x 160 mm in carbon fibre, fiberglass, nylon and PLA.
The carbon fibre parts it produces are claimed to be 20x stiffer and five times stronger than ABS, and have a higher strength-to-weight ratio than CNC-machined 6061-T6 aluminum.
The printer is expected to ship from March this year for $5000 (approx. £3000).
