Gregory Mark, the owner of MarkForged, Boston, Massachusetts, wanted an easier, less expensive method of laying up carbon fiber and created the Mark One, the first carbon fiber 3D printer. According to a report in Popular Mechanics, published January 27, the printer, scheduled for availability in the second half of 2014, is expected to cost $5,000 and will also print in fiberglass, nylon, and thermoplastic polylactic acid (PLA).
A working prototype of the printer was demonstrated at SolidWorks World 2014 on January 29 in San Diego, California. Mark co-owns Aeromotions, Boston, Massachusetts, a company that develops aerodynamic wings for racecars, which led him to develop the carbon fiber 3D printer.
In addition to printing racecar parts, he was quoted in Popular Mechanics as saying that there has been “a bunch of people who are interested in the prosthetics side.”
