• The new carbon fiber-filled PEKK can save weight, cost and lead time by replacing aluminum

WALTHAM, Mass. / Nov 07, 2023 / Business Wire / Markforged Holding Corporation (NYSE: MKFG), the company strengthening manufacturing resiliency by enabling industrial production at the point of need, today released Vega™, an ultra high performance filament designed for aerospace manufacturing on Markforged’s FX20™ printer. Vega not only offers exceptional strength but also is expected to bring customers substantial advantages in weight reduction, cost efficiency, and lead time savings.

Vega builds upon Markforged’s material expertise and proven track record of engineering chopped carbon fiber-filled polymers that deliver strength, precision, and surface quality. Markforged developed Vega to be compatible with the FX20’s Continuous Fiber Reinforcement technology to deliver aluminum-strength parts.

“Vega is formulated to expand aerospace applications for our customers,” said Shai Terem, CEO of Markforged. “Vega incorporates PEKK, a proven material in aerospace that possesses excellent strength and stiffness. We believe this material will set the standard in print quality for high temperature thermoplastics and expand the adoption of our FX20 printer.”

Vega exhibits excellent surface quality that exceeds most high-temperature plastics used in additive manufacturing. With a smooth black matte surface finish, Vega offers an excellent as-printed finish for aesthetic aerospace parts. The new material resists warping, a constant problem for high-temperature plastics, and exhibits Flame, Smoke, and Toxicity (FST) resistance for high-value applications.

Vega’s inherent print quality advantages are expected to drive favorable business outcomes for customers, particularly with production parts. Fewer defects and minimal warpage mean less post-processing to achieve production surface quality, allowing for higher part acceptance rates during inspection.

Combined with Markforged’s Continuous Fiber Reinforcement technology, Vega provides increased design flexibility, without sacrificing strength, which opens new applications unreachable with other high-performance filaments. The new material expands the utility of 3D printing with Continuous Fiber Reinforcement for aerospace manufacturing from aesthetic parts to non-critical structural parts in interiors and similar applications.

About Markforged

Markforged (NYSE:MKFG) is enabling more resilient and flexible supply chains by bringing industrial 3D printing right to the factory floor. Our additive manufacturing platform The Digital Forge allows manufacturers to create strong, accurate parts in both metal and advanced composites. With over 10,000 customers in 70+ countries, we’re bringing on-demand industrial production to the point of need. We are headquartered in Waltham, Mass where we design the hardware, software and advanced materials that makes The Digital Forge reliable and easy to use. To learn more, visit www.markforged.com.

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,” “strategy,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing,” “opportunity” 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 Markforged believes that it has a reasonable basis for each forward-looking statement contained in this press release, Markforged cautions you that these statements are based on a combination of facts and factors currently known by it and its projections of the future, about which it cannot be certain. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the impact of the newly-announced Vega material on the manufacturing industry and Markforged, statements related to product development and innovation, and statements regarding the potential benefits to consumers of Markforged products including, but not limited to, the Vega material; our ability to fulfill orders for our products in a timely fashion in the future; expected growth of the size of and opportunity to increase our addressable market; the timing of launches and the rate and extent of adoption of our products, including, but not limited to, our most recently introduced products; market trends in the manufacturing industry; the effects of macroeconomic factors; and the benefits to consumers, functionality and applications of Markforged’s products. Markforged 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 ability of Markforged to maintain its listing on the New York Stock Exchange; the effect of uncertainties related to economic downturns and global supply chain disruptions on Markforged’s business and financial results; the outcome of any legal proceedings against Markforged; and those factors discussed under the header “Risk Factors” in Markforged’s most recent periodic and other filings with the SEC. 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 Markforged will achieve its objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all. The forward-looking statements in this press release represent Markforged’s views as of the date of this press release. Markforged anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, while Markforged may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Markforged has 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 Markforged’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.