Case Study: Purdue University achieves rapid prototyping and student-driven innovation with Markforged

Purdue University - Customer Case Study

Purdue University established the Bechtel Innovation Design Center to give its 40,000 students hands-on prototyping and manufacturing experience, but needed reliable, versatile additive manufacturing to support projects from electric skateboards to racing cars. To meet that need the center deployed Markforged equipment, including two Markforged Metal X systems and two Mark Two® printers, alongside traditional CNC and wood-shop tools.

Markforged’s printers were integrated into a fleet of 20 cloud-enabled 3D printers and staffed by 20 student supervisors, enabling students to take ideas from concept to finished parts with low effort and low risk. The Mark Two’s print quality and carbon infill control deliver superb fit and finish, while the Metal X produces functional metal parts in 17-4 Stainless and H13 Tool Steel—used for race car knuckle brackets and a Mach 2 wind-tunnel test target—expanding hands-on learning across the university.

Purdue University

David McMillin

Assistant Director of the facility