Würth Additive Group, a Würth Industry North America company, announced that it has signed a global agreement with Markforged, the creator of the Digital Forge, the integrated metal and carbon fiber industrial 3D printing platform. The expanded agreement will incorporate the Digital Forge into Würth Additive Group’s additive manufacturing solutions on a global scale.

This agreement brings the Digital Forge’s combined precise and reliable 3D printing hardware and cloud-based learning software, along with its wide portfolio of 3D printing materials such as metals, composites, and continuous fiber, to Würth Additive Group and Würth Industry North America customers. These solutions are utilized by blue chip companies around the world in industries like aerospace, industrial automation, space exploration, military & defense, automotive, and healthcare to deliver mission-critical end-use parts on-demand and at the point of need.

“We are excited to expand our partnership with Markforged globally. As the global market leader in the sale of assembly and fastening materials, active in over 80 countries, we joined forces with Markforged to reinvent manufacturing with the Digital Forge and look forward to bringing this technology to customers looking to enable, implement and support digital supply chain solutions around the world,” said Dan Hill, chief executive officer, Würth Industry North America. “Our strategic supplier portfolio is a key part of our additive solutions strategy, and Markforged has added proven value in North America, and we are excited to take that globally.”

This arrangement expands on a previous agreement between Würth Industry North America and Markforged, signed in March 2020. The geographical reach of the expanded agreement grows outside of North America and is expected to accelerate Würth’s penetration into its install base with the Digital Forge. Ongoing collaboration between Würth Additive Group and Markforged has created innovative solutions in digital industrial solutions, including digital Kanban solutions. Virtually managed inventory is now possible thanks to Markforged’s cloud-native platform. The platform automatically connects to the Würth Additive Group’s inventory systems to produce inventory right on the factory floor by simply scanning a barcode, which triggers the Digital Forge to start printing. To further ensure high-quality parts, Markforged’s Blacksmith, an artificial- intelligence software, automates inspection capabilities by building in closed-loop quality control to validate and verify parts.

“We are excited to see Würth Additive Group’s deep experience and extensive global coverage and the Digital Forge’s capabilities come together to overcome global supply chain limitations with customers on a global scale,” said Shai Terem, president and chief executive officer at Markforged. “Our technology enables some of the world’s biggest manufacturers to create digital supply chains that transcend the limitations of conventional manufacturing by fabricating robust production parts right on their factory floors. Together with Würth, we are aiming to reinvent manufacturing on a global scale.”