American metal and carbon fiber composite 3D printer maker Markforged has announced that it has developed a class V-0 fire-resistant material, onyx FR, suitable for aerospace, automotive, and defense applications. Traditional 3D printed plastics will burn quickly once they are ignited, while the new materials are self-extinguishing, which prevents them from burning further. o nyx FR combines unparalleled strength, extraordinary print quality, and high-quality surface finish.
At present, Onyx FR has been incorporated into Markforged's industrial metal and composite product series, which can be used with Markforged's industrial 3D printers, including Eiger, a cloud computing software platform that allows users to remotely design and print.
Markforged recently raised $ 82 million to expand its production line, which includes investments in composite manufacturing.
"Onyx FR can meet higher fire rating requirements, greatly expanding the market for 3D printing technology in the automotive, aerospace and defense sectors," said Jon Reilly, vice president of products at Markforged. "If a continuous carbon fiber tow is applied to onyx FR, the strength of the part will be comparable to that of aerospace aluminum alloy, but the weight will be halved.