This section provides an overview for carbon 3d printers as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 9 carbon 3d printer manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked carbon 3d printer companies as of November, 2024: 1.Sculpteo, 2.Markforged, 3.Bambu Lab.
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Categories Related to Carbon 3D Printers
A carbon 3D printer is a manufacturing machine that laminates carbon-added modeling material in a 2D cross-sectional shape to create a three-dimensional model based on 3D data. Carbon can dramatically increase strength.
The method of weaving in long carbon fibers provides strength equivalent to that of aluminum. In addition to carbon, kevlar and glass fiber can be used in some products.
The lightweight and high-strength properties are used for drone parts, radio-controlled parts, jigs, screws and propellers, etc.
In addition to the advantages of being lightweight and possessing high strength, carbon 3D printers have excellent heat resistance, stability, precision, resilience, impact resistance, and thermal conductivity. Furthermore, 3D printers have the advantages of shortening the development period, instant prototyping of design concepts, and high-mix low-volume production. As a result, many companies are starting to use them for development work.
If a product using a normal 3D printer made of resin is not strong enough or does not have enough heat resistance temperature, it would be better to use a metal material. However, this would create problems in terms of equipment and cost. By adding carbon to the resin material as it is, the problem can be solved at once.
The principle of 3D printers is often based on the optical modeling method, in which thin layers of modeling material are stacked and cured gradually by applying a UV laser to the liquid resin, or the FDM method, in which the material is melted by heat and stacked.
Optical modeling has the advantage of a smoother surface compared to FDM.
Other methods include material jetting and adhesive jetting, which are similar to inkjet printing. In addition, the powder sintering method, in which powder materials are sintered by irradiating them with a laser, has the advantage of being able to use metal materials as well.
One method of adding carbon to resin material is to supply the resin material and the reinforcement material separately, compound the materials inside the 3D printer, and extrude them as a composite material from a single nozzle.
Reinforcing materials other than carbon are also used. Carbon fiber, a long fiber, is lightweight and offers the highest strength and thermal conductivity. Glass fiber is cost-effective, weighs about twice as much as carbon fiber, and is about 40% stronger. In addition, kevlar has excellent flexibility and abrasion resistance, as well as high impact resistance.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Markforged, founded in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 2013 is a manufacturer of industrial 3D printers. The company's product portfolio includes 3D printers for metal, composite, and plastic parts, and cloud software for turning drawings into printing. The company serves markets including Medical and Healthcare, Aerospace and Defense, Consumer Goods, Industrial Manufacturing and Construction and Building. The company provides services such as Product Selection Guidance, Engineering Support, global distribution and Custom Manufacturing.
Established in January 2009, MakerBot is a global 3D printer manufacturing company specializing in designing and providing user-friendly 3D printing solutions for various applications. The company’s products are designed for personal and professional use, with various types catering to everyone’s needs and budgets. Also, the company’s printers rely on software enabling users to create objects or download designs from online archives. In addition, MakerBot sells accessories like filament materials and extruders to boost its printers’ capabilities. The company has released six generations of 3D printers since 2009.
Proto Labs, founded in 1999, is a company that provides rapid manufacturing of low-volume 3D printed, CNC-machined, sheet metal, and injection-molded custom parts for prototyping and short-run production, headquartered in the U.S. The company builds strong injection-molded parts by incorporating strategic support features and selecting the right thermoplastics. They offer a wide range of materials and design tips to help customers create stronger molded parts. In 2017, they acquired Rapid Manufacturing to further expand their machining capabilities and introduce sheet metal fabrication into their suite of services. Also, global online manufacturing platform, Hubs, joined their family in early 2021.
Filamentive Limited, founded in 2015 by Ravi Toor, is a manufacturer of 3D printing filament, with its headquarters located in Bradford, UK. The company is registered in Wales and the UK and offers a diverse product range of 3D printing filaments including cosmic, matte, and wood PLA, PETG, carbon fiber, ASA, e-PLA, and ABS. The ISO 14021-certified company adheres to RoHS and REACH chemical safety standards while crafting filaments from post-industrial recycled materials.
PLG Global, headquartered in Nottingham, United Kindom was launched as a spin-off company by Poligon Engineering in 2019 as a low-volume manufacturer. The company provides ISO 9001-certified manufacturing and engineering services using cutting-edge 3D technologies in the UK market. The primary services provided by the company include 3D printing and scanning, additive manufacturing, injection molding, vacuum casting, reverse engineering, and comprehensive product development and design services. The company serves a diverse range of industries, including Automotive, Motorsports, Medical Devices, Electronics, and Consumer Goods.
Dassault Systemes, a technology company established in 1981 in France, is a supplier of the 3DEXPERIENCE (3DX) business and innovation platform and virtual software solutions. The company’s SaaS provides individuals, commercial, industrial, and research organizations with a real-time visualization of their business activity and ecosystem. Dassault Systems' core business is the provision of 3D design software, 3D digital mockups, and product lifecycle management. The 3DX cloud-based platform is available with options that include computer-aided design, project management solutions, and three-dimensional rendering. Dassault Systemes' software is used in the architecture, consumer products, lifestyle, and industrial equipment markets, among many others.
Bambu Lab, established in 2020, is a manufacturer specializing in desktop 3D printers headquartered in Shenzen, China. The company’s product portfolio encompasses a range of offerings, including 3D printers, filaments in CMYK and PLA variations, as well as essential accessories, tailored to meet diverse customer needs. Operating from three strategic sites including Shanghai, China, and Texas in the United States, the company serves over 30 countries including UAE, the UK, Turkey, Sweden, and South Africa.
SGL Carbon is located in Wiesbaden, Germany, and is a manufacturer and supplier of graphite as well as composite materials and products founded in 1992 following the merger between SIGRI GmbH and Great Lakes Carbon. The company primarily produces carbon fibers and composites for the aerospace, energy, and automotive sectors. It also offers specialty graphite products for industrial applications such as for battery production, and application-specific process technology plants, such as for industrial pumping or turbine operations. The company is ISO 13485:2016, UL, and CSA-certified, and serves clients in the industrial processing and energy sectors.
Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Sculpteo |
15.7%
|
2 | Markforged |
13.5%
|
3 | Bambu Lab |
12.4%
|
4 | MakerBot Industries, LLC |
12.4%
|
5 | SGL Carbon |
11.2%
|
6 | PLG Global |
9.0%
|
7 | Protolabs, Inc. |
9.0%
|
8 | 3DEXPERIENCE Company |
9.0%
|
9 | Filamentive Limited |
7.9%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the carbon 3d printer page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
---|---|---|
United States of America | 3 | 50.0% |
United Kingdom | 2 | 33.3% |
Germany | 1 | 16.7% |
3 products are listed.
Apple Tree Co., Ltd.
40+ people viewing
■ Vast modeling area The FX20 ™ has a 84L build chamber, and the maximum maximum modeling size is 525mm x 400mm x 400mm. This is a product with the...
Apple Tree Co., Ltd.
50+ people viewing
■ High strength modeling with carbon fiber Compatible with four types of long fibers including carbon fiber. Markforged's unique CFR (Continuous Fi...
Apple Tree Co., Ltd.
20+ people viewing
■ Practical strength improvement and use of proprietary materials By utilizing special materials that cannot be handled by general FFF method 3D pr...