Blacksmith learns through AI and streamlines workflow to give manufacturers accurate parts, right from the print bed

Markforged, creator of the integrated metal and carbon fiber additive manufacturing platform The Digital Forge, announced the immediate availability of Blacksmith software for Markforged X7 printers. This release of Blacksmith marks a major step on the journey toward the future of autonomous manufacturing, a world where 3D printers will intelligently adapt themselves and account for variables that can affect a part as it's printed so that it prints accurately and precisely the first time. Using Blacksmith, manufacturers will be able to instantly print accurate parts across The Digital Forge, anywhere in the world.

Blacksmith connects part design, production and inspection with the ability to learn through artificial intelligence (AI). As Blacksmith leverages federated learning across the printer fleet, manufacturers will be able to print the right part every time, bringing resiliency and agility to their supply chains. Today with Blacksmith, manufacturers can print and scan their part simultaneously to assess how close the printed part is to the intended design. Blacksmith is designed to continuously learn from each print through closed loop processing - so that parts can be printed accurately and precisely every time.

For the first time, the printer is fully aware of the parts it produces. Today, Blacksmith uses in-process part inspection to give customers confidence in the part after every print. By streamlining this workflow, Blacksmith makes the world's factories more cost-efficient, accelerates time to market and reduces the cost of production.

Blacksmith's easy-to-use intelligent software harnesses the power of the X7's existing integrated laser micrometer and a patented smart scanning process to securely measure parts as they are being printed. The part dimensional data is then automatically evaluated against the intended design files. Scanning while printing will enable inspection of the inner part structure and critical features that would otherwise be impossible in a single step after fabrication.

"Markforged's Blacksmith enables dimensional confirmation of additive parts straight off the print bed, giving engineers confidence that the parts are within spec prior to use," said Kelly Puckett, senior engineering manager for additive manufacturing, Dana Incorporated. "There is no need for secondary systems, additional equipment or separate databases for results - all of which help streamline workflows and get us to market faster. Blacksmith also allows for comparative data when printing the same part in multiple locations around the world, critical for multinational organizations like Dana."

"We knew that it would only be possible to reinvent manufacturing with a software-first approach to building hardware," said David Benhaim, CTO and cofounder, Markforged. "Blacksmith fundamentally changes the way engineers think about additive manufacturing. For the first time, they will have confidence that their parts will perform as expected without a time-consuming process. Blacksmith makes our platform smarter and is the next step on our roadmap to bring the agility of software to the world of manufacturing."

Blacksmith is available today as a software subscription on all cloud-connected Markforged X7 printers. Blacksmith is provisioned through over-the-air updates for easy customer access and requires an OEM-certified reference bed calibration. You can learn more about the Blacksmith platform on Markforged's website.

About Markforged

Markforged transforms manufacturing with 3D metal and continuous carbon fiber printers capable of producing parts tough enough for the factory floor. The Markforged Digital Forge brings the power and speed of agile software development to industrial manufacturing, combining hardware, software and materials to eliminate the barriers between design and functional part. 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 more than 250 employees globally. Markforged has been recognized by Forbes in the Next Billion-Dollar Startups list, and listed as the #2 fastest-growing hardware company in the US in the 2019 Deloitte Fast 500. In February 2021, Markforged announced it entered into a definitive agreement to merge with one (NYSE: AONE), a special purpose acquisition company founded and led by technology industry veteran Kevin Hartz. The transaction is expected to close in the summer of 2021, subject to regulatory and stockholder approvals, and other customary closing conditions. The combined company will retain the Markforged name and be listed on the NYSE under the ticker symbol "MKFG." To learn more about Markforged, please visit https://markforged.com.