Beckatt Solutions Becomes Official Reseller of the MarkForged Composite Materials 3D Printer

Leading Midwest 3D printer and 3D printing technology distributor Beckatt Solutions has just announced that they will be adding the MarkForged Mark One Composite 3D Printer to their range of available products as an authorized reseller. Beckatt Solutions will not only sell the Mark One Composite 3D printer, but they will completely support and service the advanced composite filament fabrication 3D printers to a wide range of consumers in the Midwest, including professionals, educators and consumers. This will include complete pre- and post-sale support for all MarkForged customers.

The MarkForged Mark One Composite 3D Printer may be at the top end of what is typically called a prosumer 3D printer, but it is remarkably affordable for what it is capable of. The Mark One is the first 3D printer capable of printing continuous carbon fiber, Kevlar and fiberglass parts that match the strength and durability of metal materials. It uses a patented pairing of a Composite Filament Fabrication (CFF) printhead, with a FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) printhead to create functional parts matching the strength of aluminum thanks to a proprietary combination of engineering-grade nylon and continuous fiber filaments. The resulting fiber-reinforced nylon parts have a strength-to-weight ratio exceeding aluminum, and are more than 5 times stronger than the plastic materials typically used by standard desktop 3D printers.

“We’re making the most mechanically robust desktop 3D printer. No other printer can match the printing repeatability and printhead accuracy at this price. On top of that, we’ve commercialized the best method for printing usable parts with fiber reinforcement to enable faster design cycles, more meaningful prototype testing and will change the way that products are developed for years to come,” says MarkForged CEO and Founder Greg Mark.

The Mark One is an especially versatile 3D printer that is highly adaptable to a wide range of industries and has some unique capabilities not often available with printers at or near its price point. With the Mark One engineers are able to produce market ready end-use parts, brackets, tooling and fixtures that are generally made from metal materials. It also has the ability to pause a print allowing non-3D printable components like sensors, electronics or hard mounting points to be manually added and embedded into the final 3D printed part.

MarkForged and the new materials and printing process of the Mark One offer designers and engineers the ability to 3D print real composite parts up to 5 times stronger and 20 times stiffer than parts made from standard materials. Composite 3D printing is quickly becoming one of the rising stars of industrial 3D printing applications due to final part quality and the relative cost savings compared to traditional tooling processes. The Mark One has the ability to place carbon fiber reinforcements inside nylon parts, granting users significant control over material cost and will help avoid the trimming, mold-making and curing usually needed for traditionally manufactured composite part fabrication.

“We are thrilled to be adding the Mark One Composite 3D Printer to our existing product offerings of first-rate desktop and professional 3D printers. The Mark One provides an unmatched ability to push product design and development for our business customers and education institutions around the country,” said Michael Storey, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Beckatt Solutions.

Beckatt Solutions is a rapidly growing Midwest US distributor of 3D printers, print materials, 3D scanners and design software headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. They have quickly become a major provider of cutting-edge 3D printing technologies and services to their local clientele, and co-founders Matthew Pray and Michael Storey focus on offering them the most advanced additive manufacturing technology in the Midwest. The affordable and robust MarkForged Mark One is just their latest attempt to ensure that their customers have access to top-of-the-line technology.

“The ability to print in nylon with carbon fiber, Kevlar, and fiberglass reinforcements provides the unique opportunity to not only create advanced prototypes, but also high quality end use parts. No other desktop 3D printer in the market offers the same combination of ultra lightweight, high-strength, functional parts and low upfront and operating costs,” said fellow Beckatt Solutions Co-Founder and Managing Partner Matt Pray.

Founded by a former MIT aerospace engineer, MarkForged and the Mark One was developed to offer industry 3D printing hardware capable of automating the composite layup process and producing high-strength parts suitable for end use applications. MarkForged also wanted to offer a broader range of applications over standard desktop 3D printers. The cost of the Mark One Composite 3D Printer starts at $5,499, and is able to connect via Wi-Fi, Ethernet or USB memory stick. It is compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems and comes with MarkForged’s cloud enabled Eiger Software.

Let us know your thoughts on this partnership in the MarkForged forum thread on 3DPB.com.

Here is a video introduction to the Mark One and the team that developed it: