Markforged’s Mark Two Accelerates Innovation at MIT’s 2016 Hardware Hackathon

Markforged printers are driving innovation across industries by enabling engineers to produce industrial‑strength prototypes earlier in the design cycle. Our team is passionate about sharing this new perspective with peers in industry and the next generation of engineers.

In 2016, Markforged partnered with MakeMIT to supply high‑strength rapid‑prototyping capabilities for the MIT Hardware Hackathon.

According to the organizing committee, "MakeMIT promotes innovation that is geared towards those who are excited and passionate about designing and building. Over 250 students will participate in a 15+ hour hardware hackathon… the top ten teams will be invited to return for a second weekend to refine their designs." The event gave 250 students from 14 universities a chance to work with our newly released Mark Two printer.

A hackathon is a marathon of brainstorming, design, prototyping, and building that often runs all day—or all night. In a hardware hackathon, participants focus on building a physical product, frequently integrating software or an app to connect the device to the internet. MakeMIT supplies the environment and an impressive array of electronics, materials, and engineering tools: microcontrollers, development boards, plastics, metal stock, a full electronics bench, rapid‑prototyping and machine‑shop capabilities, and a wide range of components.

Hardware was always at the forefront of the day

Our team arrived early, transporting two new Mark Two printers and three Mark One units from our Alewife office to the MIT campus. Markforged provided the majority of the 3D‑printing bandwidth at MakeMIT that year, ensuring a smooth 9 a.m. kickoff.

The day highlighted cross‑departmental collaboration: mechanical and electrical engineers, customer support, manufacturing, and marketing staff ran printers, offered mentorship, and demonstrated the capabilities of Markforged hardware. We wanted to share our enthusiasm for building high‑quality hardware, and MakeMIT was the ideal platform.

By the event’s end, Markforged had evaluated over 80 part submissions, helped teams optimize designs for superior print quality, and supported projects ranging from rehabilitative devices and automated food dispensers to assistive systems for the visually impaired.

We are proud to have contributed to MakeMIT’s success and look forward to returning next year to help engineers prototype the next wave of industrial‑strength products.