Case Study: Neurophotometrics achieves affordable, customizable scientific hardware with Markforged 3D printing

Using Markforged Additive Manufacturing Technology To Disrupt The Scientific Hardware Industry

Neurophotometrics, a San Diego scientific hardware startup, needed an affordable, fully customizable way to produce a precision optical device that records brain activity in freely moving animals. Traditional manufacturing was too costly and slow for their small-scale, iterative design needs, so the company turned to Markforged and its desktop composite printers (printing in Onyx) to enable rapid prototyping and production.

Using Markforged printers, Neurophotometrics iterated dozens of prototypes to a working device in three months, then expanded to seven Markforged machines to meet demand. The team prints roughly 90% of end-use parts—17 unique components—including a single-piece optical housing that takes just over two days and about $50 in material. To date they’ve logged ~14,500 printer hours and used 100+ spools of filament, shipped devices to customers in 10 countries, and continue to scale their business with more Markforged printers.

Neurophotometrics

Sage Aronson

Chief Executive Officer and Founder