Markforged, creator of the integrated metal and carbon fibre additive manufacturing platform, The Digital Forge, has announced a partnership with 3YourMind, a developer of additive manufacturing (AM) workflow software solutions, to integrate Markforged’s Eiger software platform with 3YourMind’s manufacturing execution software (Agile MES) and other lifecycle management tools via API. This level of seamless connectivity is the next step toward Industry 4.0 adoption and digital transformation on the factory floor.
 
“With Eiger, we are advancing interoperability with cloud and business system tooling to enable deeper penetration of additive into our customers’ manufacturing ecosystems with the traceability, reporting and security required in these digital workflows,” said Ted Plummer, Director of Product Management, Software at Markforged. “At a time of global supply chain disruption, making it easier to print, verify and use 3D printed parts in mission critical applications is more important than ever.”
 
A primary barrier to Industry 4.0 is the disjointed nature of tools in the additive manufacturing workflow which block adoption of true digital transformation. To address this gap, 3YourMind and Eiger now connect to deliver an end-to-end automated solution that is intended to enable users to create, order and schedule prints on Markforged printers directly from their product lifecycle management systems. The integration is designed to provide real-time visibility into the state and performance of a multi-vendor fleet of printers, allowing a single point of monitoring for a shop’s assets from various OEMs. The integration also includes Markforged’s proprietary Blacksmith software, which enables in-process part inspection and automatically appends a printed part’s quality assurance report to its digital record. 
 
"We are excited to partner with Markforged to expand API integrations for 3YourMind and Markforged users who value secure data handling due to the sensitivity of their data," says Aleksander Cizsek, Founder and CEO of 3YourMind. "As a result of this partnership, manufacturers will have more intuitive, streamlined access to machine data to further empower their production capabilities and discover new avenues for workflow efficiency."
 
Eiger is cloud-based and data-driven manufacturing software that enables manufacturers to 3D print parts on demand, right at the point of need. It drives the largest connected fleet of 3D printers worldwide, providing automated workflows and real-time analytics. The software leverages AI to continuously improve and provide over-the-air software updates to users. Access to Eiger’s API is included for all customers of Eiger Fleet, Markforged’s enterprise software solution. Eiger Fleet customers have leveraged the Eiger API to automatically print parts as they reach end of life, or as part of a digital kanban inventory system. The integration with 3YourMind provides an out-of-the-box experience, making production-ready performance simple.
 
“Eiger has been instrumental in harnessing the power of our connected fleet of 3D printers during our recent Project DIAMOnD initiative in Michigan,” said Tom Kelly, Executive Director and CEO of Automation Alley. “Over 300 local manufacturers have banded together to create a powerful, distributed network and today they are creating tourniquet parts to assist medical efforts in Ukraine. This use cases illustrates the power of true digital transformation in the manufacturing industry, and we’re excited to see how 3YourMind’s integration of Eiger API continues to improve these capabilities.”