From Mark One to Next‑Day Metal: Markforged’s Metal X Journey

This will be a 5‑7 minute read, so grab some coffee!

Since shipping the Mark One in 2014, Markforged has stayed true to a single promise: to elevate the user experience. Through relentless software updates, uncompromising manufacturing quality, responsive support, and continuous engineering innovation, we keep pushing the boundaries of what 3D printing can achieve. Our culture of relentless improvement is ingrained in every line of code and every part we build.

In 2017 we set out on the Metal X adventure with an optimistic roadmap: a dual‑extrusion printer that would feed MIM powder instead of Onyx, paired with ceramic release. We imagined a seamless workflow where customers could simply drop their design into a local MIM shop and walk out with sintered metal parts. The reality, however, was far more complex.

We quickly discovered that most customers did not have access to the large, on‑demand sintering furnaces required for MIM. Industrial furnaces cost around $500,000 and are designed for mass production, while laboratory units were too small for typical parts. The only viable path was to build our own sintering solution, which led to the creation of Sinter‑1 and Sinter‑2.

Since the 2017 CES announcement, we have continuously rolled out new materials, features, and performance improvements—elevating print quality, dimensional accuracy, speed, and overall usability.

2018

Metal X debuted with the printer, Wash‑1, and Sinter‑1, delivering 17‑4PH stainless steel parts. Later that year, H13 tool steel joined the lineup. Markforged University was also launched to teach Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) for composites and metal.

2019

We expanded the materials portfolio to include Inconel 625, A2, and D2 tool steels. Eiger saw new capabilities such as solid fill and a 50 µm layer height. July introduced the larger, faster Sinter‑2, while Sinter‑1 added annealing cycles for H13, A2, and D2 in the fall.

2020

Pure copper became available, and software updates introduced leak‑resistant printing for 17‑4PH, H13, and copper. Chamber temperature monitoring and gap‑filling further improved print quality. Sinter‑2’s Express Run cut cycle time for small parts to 17 hours, and raft print speeds increased 2‑3×, laying groundwork for Next‑Day Metal.

With Sinter‑2’s expanded capacity, the printer became the system bottleneck. In early 2021 we began offering multi‑printer bundles to boost throughput and focused on breaking the print‑speed barrier.

Today we proudly unveil a major milestone on our Metal X journey: Next‑Day Metal.

After three years of process refinement and exhaustive testing, the entire Metal X fleet received an over‑the‑air firmware update that reduces turnaround from concept to part to a record 28 hours.

Faster Metal Printing. Double speed, no compromise.

By re‑engineering our print heads and optimizing process parameters, we now print 17‑4PH at twice the previous rate—improvements that will soon roll out across all materials. Scaling to multiple printers doubles production capacity, making Sinter‑2 an even more powerful tool.

Improved Wash & Dry Times. Accurate estimates for smaller parts.

Ongoing characterization of debind times across settings has produced more precise wash‑time models, reducing overall cycle times for smaller builds.

Sinter Overnight with Sinter‑2. A larger furnace that runs faster.

Sinter‑2 is one of the most sophisticated pieces of equipment in Markforged’s history. With a suite of sensors and control modules, we continue to refine its performance through software updates long after delivery. Its 17‑hour Express Run enables overnight sintering of part batches weighing <250 g.

Read more about Next‑Day Metal on the Metal X customer portal.

Customers like Angus 3D Solutions have leveraged this capability to deliver critical parts to oil‑and‑gas clients, saving time and money with rapid turnaround.