Blacksmith learns through AI and streamlines workflow to give manufacturers accurate parts, right from the print bed
WATERTOWN, Mass. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — March 18, 2021 — 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.
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This press release is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the potential transaction and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of one, the combined company or Markforged, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act.
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Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that we have a reasonable basis for each forward-looking statement contained in this press release, we caution you that these statements are based on a combination of facts and factors currently known by us and our projections of the future, about which we cannot be certain. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the proposed business combination, including the timing and structure of the transaction, statements about the expected growth of the additive manufacturing industry, the impact of Blacksmith on the manufacturing industry and the combined company, and statements related to future product innovation. We cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this press release will prove to be accurate. These forward looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, among others, general economic, political and business conditions; the inability of the parties to consummate the business combination or the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the business combination agreement; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the parties following the announcement of the business combination; the risk that the approval of the shareholders of one for the potential transaction is not obtained; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the business combination, including as a result of a delay in consummating the potential transaction; the risk that the business combination disrupts current plans and operations as a result of the announcement and consummation of the business combination; the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably and retain its key employees; the amount of redemption requests made by one’s shareholders; the inability to obtain or maintain the listing of the combined company's securities following the business combination; costs related to the business combination; and those factors discussed under the header “Risk Factors” in the registration statement on Form S-4 to be filed by one with the SEC and those included under the header “Risk Factors” in the final prospectus of one related to its initial public offering. Furthermore, if the forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all. The forward-looking statements in this press release represent our views as of the date of this press release. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we have no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
