Markforged Unveils AI-Powered Platform To Enable Factories To Fix Themselves
Leading metal additive manufacturing company announces Blacksmith to empower manufacturing equipment to reprogram itself to make perfect parts
WATERTOWN, Mass., May 20, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Markforged, the leading provider of metal and carbon fiber 3D printers, today announced Blacksmith — the first Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered software that makes manufacturing machines ‘aware’ so they can automatically adjust programming to ensure every part is produced as designed. Blacksmith is a breakthrough in smart factories and the first example of Adaptive Manufacturing, which will reduce the cost of production and reshape the industry as we know it.
"For the last hundred years, machines have been unaware of what they're creating and would happily waste millions of dollars producing out-of-spec parts. We’re going to fix that by connecting the machines that make parts, and the ones that inspect them, with a powerful AI,” said Greg Mark, CEO of Markforged. “Much like the way Tesla is building autopilot for cars, we are building an autopilot for manufacturing.”
Starting with Markforged’s Metal X and X7 3D printers, Blacksmith will create a continuous feedback loop to make 3D printed parts more accurate. The intelligent software massively cuts waste and accelerates time to market. It analyzes a design, compares it to the scanned part, and automatically adapts the end-to-end process to produce perfectly in-spec parts.
"3D printing is just the start — we plan to extend the Blacksmith AI to connect all machines in your factory,” said Mark. “We will enable the first generation of machines that know what they're supposed to make, and can adjust themselves to produce the right part, every time."
Blacksmith will be particularly powerful for the new generation of metal 3D printing. The latest breakthrough methods all require sintering — a process that notoriously distorts parts. Blacksmith will eliminate this challenge and deliver precise parts post-sintering.
Blacksmith will be available later this year. For more information visit: http://markforged.com/blacksmith
About Markforged:
Markforged transforms manufacturing with revolutionary metal and carbon fiber 3D printers that produce parts tough enough for end-use in automotive, oil and gas, aerospace, and in the harshest factory environments. Engineers, designers, and manufacturing professionals all over the world rely on Markforged metal and composite printers for tooling, fixtures, functional prototyping, and high-value end-use production. Founded in 2013 and based in Watertown, MA, Markforged has over 270 employees globally, with $137 million in both strategic and venture capital. Markforged was recently recognized by Forbes in the Next Billion-Dollar Startups list, and listed as the tenth fastest growing tech company in the US in the 2018 Deloitte Fast 500. To learn more about Markforged, please visit https://markforged.com.
Contact:
415-963-4174
press@markforged.com
Released May 20, 2019