Demonstrating Embedded Hardware with Dan Topjian’s Kevlar®‑Reinforced Letter Opener

In this week’s feature, we explore how MarkForged’s additive manufacturing platform empowers designers to embed hardware directly into a print. Unlike conventional manufacturing, the process allows you to incorporate magnets, RFID chips, controllers, or other components seamlessly during fabrication.

Dan Topjian routinely showcases this capability with a lightweight Kevlar®‑reinforced letter opener. The part is fast to produce—just over four hours—and requires only 5 cm³ of nylon and 5.7 cm³ of Kevlar®, making it an ideal training specimen.

Embedding Hardware with a Print Pause

The MarkForged slicer lets you insert a pause at a specific layer. For this example, the pause is set at layer 12, allowing you to place the razor blade precisely into the cavity before the printer resumes.

When “Pause After Layer” is enabled, the machine stops at the chosen layer and displays a prompt on both the touchscreen and the software interface. After you insert the blade and press the continue button, the printer finishes the part, resulting in a fully integrated, composite opener.

This demonstrates not only the precision of composite printing but also gives you a functional tool to compare against traditional metal letter openers.

Specifications

Kevlar® Reinforced Letter Opener

• Dimensions: 81.36 mm × 53.84 mm × 2.96 mm
• Estimated print time: ~4 h 11 min
• Nylon cost: $1.05
• Carbon‑fiber cost: $6.86

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