Revolutionize Assembly Fixtures with Markforged Composite 3D Printing

Manufacturing engineers face a recurring hurdle: rapidly producing reliable tooling for every product line. From CMM fixtures and soft jaws to complex assembly jigs, custom tooling is the backbone of safe, efficient production.

Traditional fabrication is labor‑intensive and costly. Engineers must design, then hand‑machining, milling, drilling, and routing pieces—often with the same machines that produce the final parts. Even a single iteration can multiply cost and lead time, and the first cut rarely yields a perfect fixture.

Additive manufacturing flips this equation. Markforged’s composite printers let teams create and iterate fixtures in a fraction of the time, cost, and resource footprint of machining.

Typical applications include:

• Table‑top mounting plates
• Press‑fit applications
• Custom part carriers and poka‑yoke tools
• Welding and soldering fixtures
• SMT masks and assembly aids
• Fastener‑driving assemblies
• G‑NG gauges

Case in point: Eaton Corporation. Their production line demanded a durable stanchion adapter that could survive cyclic loading. Traditional machining yielded a brittle polycarbonate part that failed, while a welded aluminum adapter fractured under stress. Switching to a Markforged 3D printer produced a composite adapter—chopped carbon fiber, nylon, and fiberglass—that outperformed the machined and welded versions while cutting material costs.

Read Eaton’s full application spotlight to see the performance data and cost analysis.

Explore how Markforged’s additive manufacturing can accelerate your tooling cycle and slash expenses.

Request a free sample part today!