New 3D Printing & Prototyping Capabilities

The Federal Group USA is excited to announce that we have been selected as the recipient of an exciting grant, which will improve our manufacturing capabilities. This grant will give us the opportunity to use one of the most innovative 3D printers in the world, the Markforged Mark Two. Markforged is one of the leading 3D printing companies in the world. They have been pushing the 3D printing industry forward for more than a decade. The Mark Two 3D printer is a powerful device that will improve our ability to meet our client’s needs.

Check out the Mark Two in this YouTube video below:

Some of our clients and potential clients may be unaware of 3D printing and how it can improve their business. There are several reasons why your business should look into 3D printing and learn more about how the manufacturing technique can transform their business.

Embracing Modern Manufacturing Technologies

The Federal Group USA is dedicated to staying ahead of the curve when it comes to manufacturing technology. 3D printing has received a ton of attention and hype over the past decade or so. A simple definition of the manufacturing technique is the creation of a three-dimensional object by laying down thin layers of material in rapid succession that is based upon a three-dimensional computer model. 3D printing truly is an innovative manufacturing technology that is rapidly changing how companies design and manufacture products.

Why 3D Printing?

One issue that has prevented 3D printing from replacing all traditional methods of manufacturing is part tolerance. Injection molding and CNC machining typically will create parts with much tighter tolerances. For example, plastic machining can achieve tolerances as accurate as +/- 0.002 mm. The Mark Two has high resolution capabilities, which enables our team to print high tolerance 3D parts.

The Mark Two offers a build volume of 320 x 132 x 154 mm. The printer uses dual extrusion to print composite parts that are as strong as aluminum by strategically reinforcing the build with one of four composite materials. Our team can take your CAD drawing and create beautiful, precise, and usable prototype parts in just a matter of hours.

An Innovative 3D Printer

One issue that has prevented 3D printing from replacing all traditional methods of manufacturing is part tolerance. Injection molding and CNC machining typically will create parts with much tighter tolerances. For example, plastic machining can achieve tolerances as accurate as +/- 0.002 mm. The Mark Two has high resolution capabilities, which enables our team to print high tolerance 3D parts.

The Mark Two offers a build volume of 320 x 132 x 154 mm. The printer uses dual extrusion to print composite parts that are as strong as aluminum by strategically reinforcing the build with one of four composite materials. Our team can take your CAD drawing and create beautiful, precise, and usable prototype parts in just a matter of hours.

Continuous Fiber Layers

The strength of the composite in parts is reliant on fibers within the composite. Many 3D printers make the chosen material printable by chopping the material’s into extremely short fiber strands. This creates a part where there is little overlap between the fibers and almost no fibers that cross adjoining layers. The chopped fibers simply fill the material matrix in the part with no orientation.

Parts that are created in this manner are only slightly stronger or stiffer than standard 3D printed parts. The Mark Two takes a different approach to this by filling the composite with continuous fiber strands. Instead of using millions of short fiber strands, the printer uses an extremely long spool of fiber to embed strands of fiber into parts. A continuous carbon fiber printed chain link was able to withstand 22,000 pounds of force in a test before failing.

The Mark Two combines the use of a lattice structure for the infill areas with the ability to infuse continuous fiber layers in the composite, which creates parts with both light weight and high strength. Continuous fibers can be run in patterns that are optimized in the Eiger software, which gives the composite more strength and stiffness compared to a traditionally printed 3D part. Your team will have more design freedom as a result of the strengthened lattice structure as less material is needed for the part. Off-the-shelf hardware can be integrated into 3D printing designs to create new products and designs that were previously unattainable.

The Federal Group USA Joins an Elite Group of Manufacturers

In addition to this grant, The Federal Group USA has entered into an elite group of Michigan manufacturers that have been selected to embrace technology and improve the local region’s manufacturing capabilities. Project DiamonD, which stands for Distributed, Independent, Agile, Manufacturing On-Demand, is a program dedicated to help manufacturing move rapidly into the digital manufacturing age of Industry 4.0. This program will help us meet your needs and improve our manufacturing capabilities.

The Federal Group USA is looking forward to helping our current clients and new clients navigate the complex world of manufacturing. Contact a Federal Group Sales Engineer today to learn more about how the Mark Two and our other manufacturing methods can help you grow your business and stay ahead of the competition.

Check out the technical specifications of the Mark Two below

Mark Two Technical Specs

• Printing technology: Fused Filament Fabrication, Continuous Filament Fabrication
• Build volume: 320 x 132 x 154 mm (12.6 x 5.2 x 6 in)
• Print bed: Kinematic coupling — flat to within 160 μm
• Extrusion: Second-generation extruder, out-of-plastic detection
• Power: 100–240 VAC, 150 W (2 A peak)
• Weight: 16 kg (35 lbs)
• Frame dimensions: 584 x 330 x 355 mm (23 x 13 x 14 in)

Materials

• Plastics: Onyx, nylon white
• Fibers: Carbon fiber, fiberglass, Kevlar®, HSHT fiberglass
• Tensile strength: 800 MPa (25.8x ABS, 22.2x Onyx)
• Flex modulus: 51 GPa (24.8x ABS, 14.2x Onyx)

Software

• Software package: Eiger (other options available at additional cost)
• Security: Two-factor authentication, org admin access, single sign-on

Part Properties

• Layer Height: 100 μm default, 200 μm maximum
• Infill: Closed cell infill: multiple geometries available

In addition, our Senior Quality Engineer, Brad Gerard, received thorough training via Markforged University and is now a Certified Additive Expert.

Brad wanted to show off his new skills so he created this composite 3D TFG logo on his lunch break.