Markforged Metal X Gen 2

Designing for the Markforged Metal X Gen 2 starts from three rows of its table: a build volume of 300 mm by 220 mm by 180 mm (width, depth, height), a Z layer resolution of 85 μm - 170 μm measured post-sinter, and an internal geometry that is either triangular closed cell infill or fully solid.

The infill choice does most of the work. A closed cell interior means the inside of a thick boss or block is a lattice of sealed triangular cells behind a solid skin. That keeps wall sections even, and even walls are generally easier to take through a wash and a furnace cycle than a solid block. Solid printing is reserved for thin parts or for sections that must be dense all the way through.

Because the layer figure is given after sintering, a designer should treat it as the step size on the finished surface. At 170 μm a shallow slope shows visible steps; at 85 μm it is finer, with about twice the layer count for a given height. With only 180 mm of Z, even the fine setting keeps builds short compared with the downstream steps.

The bed is heated, levels itself automatically and takes replaceable print sheets, so a worn or damaged surface is a consumable rather than a repair. The release material is ceramic and becomes powder during the sintering process. A release layer of that kind is what lets supported features come free of their supports after the furnace.

The printer is listed at 575 mm wide, 467 mm deep and 1120 mm high, and 75 kg (165 lbs). The Metal X is listed at the same 75 kg (165 lbs), and the table used here does not give a figure that separates the two names. Anyone comparing a Gen 2 against an earlier machine should ask which hardware differs.