If FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) technology is capable of replicating the detail and geometries of your designs, Markforged’s Onyx 3D printer series is an exceptional choice when your parts need to be incredibly strong.
The Markforged Onyx One and Onyx Pro are desktop-class FFF 3D printers designed for composite engineering applications. If you’re keen to know more about them, you’ll find a variety of useful information below.
Onyx?
The Onyx 3D printer series is so-called “Onyx” because these printers print Markforged’s proprietary Onyx filament as the base filament.
Onyx filament is part nylon and part chopped carbon fibre. It’s jet black, twice as strong as ABS and boasts far superior abrasion resistance.
Another neat thing about Onyx is its dimensional stability. It doesn’t warp and there’s no thermal deformation even in thin areas and overhangs.
Onyx is engineered to print anything. It’s a replacement for ABS and similar plastics for intensive applications. You can create industrial 3D printed parts from prototypes to final products, such as grippers, cases, bumpers and hinges.
Onyx needs no dyeing to hide internal honeycombs and no chemical baths or sanding to get rid of those annoying 3D printed ridges. Parts come off the printer just how you designed them, with no post-processing needed!
Onyx Pro
In a nutshell: Printed parts can replace machined aluminium parts.
The Onyx Pro is the top-spec Onyx 3D printer. In addition to Onyx filament, it also prints fibreglass with a second extruder.
Using Onyx filament as the base material, the Onyx Pro reinforces parts with continuous strands of fibreglass. The result is parts that are 10x stronger than ABS (Onyx on its own is 2x stronger) with the abrasion resistance of carbon fibre.
The internal part geometry is closed cell infill with Continuous Fibre Reinforcement (CFF) which is a modified version of FFF with the addition of fibre. This means the closed cells are reinforced with fibreglass for consistent strength.
Parts that are reinforced with fibreglass can replace machined aluminium parts, offering an exciting range of possibilities for engineering applications.
Onyx One
In a nutshell: Printed parts can replace high-performance plastic parts.
The Onyx One is the entry-level Onyx 3D printer. It only prints Onyx filament, so it lacks the ability to print fibreglass like the Onyx Pro.
Other than that significant difference, the Onyx One is the same as the Onyx Pro. That means you get the same 320 x 132 x 154 mm (12.6 x 5.2 x 6 in.) build volume and the same precision composite print bed designed for thousands of cycles.
Other specifications shared between the printers include a 100 μm – 200 μm Z resolution and the same physical dimensions (although the Onyx One is 1kg lighter at 15kg). The only significant difference is the Onyx One only prints Onyx filament.
Is Onyx filament enough for your use case? It can replace ABS and other plastics to create housings, mounts, grippers and non-mechanical parts. However, it can’t replace aluminium parts. For that, you want the Onyx Pro’s fibreglass reinforcement.
Need help choosing?
No problem. Give us a call on 01765 694 007 to discuss the Markforged Onyx One and Onyx Pro with our experts. Alternatively, email sales@additive-x.com.