Markforged and Carahsoft facilitate distribution of 3D printers to U.S. govt agencies
3D printer manufacturer Markforged, a specialist in metal and carbon fiber AM, has announced a partnership with Carahsoft Technology Corp., the U.S. government’s IT solutions provider, which will facilitate and accelerate the availability of industrial AM systems to branches of the federal government. The collaboration signals the U.S. government’s advancing interest and commitment to using additive manufacturing technologies for replacement parts.
Through the collaboration, Carahsoft will serve as Markforged’s master government aggregator and distributor. The IT solutions company will provide Markforged metal and carbon fiber 3D printers to various federal agencies and reseller partners through its NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V contracts.
“For decades, Federal agencies have used lengthy and complex supply chains to send new or replacement parts to the field,” said Brian Houle, Markforged Vice President of Global Channel Sales. “Markforged is excited to work with Carahsoft and our value-added resellers to eliminate that burden with 3D printing technologies that produce custom tools and end-use parts in real time.”
Markforged’s industrial 3D printers will enable service members to produce 3D printed replacement parts on-demand in the field. The desktop machines are specifically designed for robust applications in remote locations. As Markforged emphasizes, its 3D printers are already in use across six continents in some extremely harsh operating environments. An obvious area of interest for the U.S. government will be for military applications.
“Being able to produce tools and parts independent of existing supply chains gives field teams the ability to adapt to changing mission needs,” said Lacey Wean, Manager of the Markforged team at Carahsoft. “We look forward to partnering with Markforged and our reseller partners to offer Federal agencies the ability to deploy their own 3D printers and avoid the traditional costs and delays associated with external vendors.”
As per the agreement, Markforged’s 3D printing solution, including software, hardware and services, are now available via Carahsoft’s SEWP V contracts NNG15SC03B and NNG15SC27B. As The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, Carahsoft acts as the government aggregator for many of its technology vendors. Consequently, the company supports an extensive ecosystem of manufacturers, value-added resellers, system integrators and consulting partners committed to helping government agencies choose best solution for cost and for their needs.
In other Markforged news, the company last week released a new industrial-grade material: Onyx FR, a flame-retardant, carbon fiber reinforced polymer.
