U.S. FDM 3D printer manufacturer Markforged has announced Onyx GF, a chopped glass fiber-filled nylon that adds functional color to its established Onyx material family. Available in six colors — red, yellow, blue, green, gray, and white — the material is aimed at manufacturers who use color-coded tooling and fixtures for error-proofing, hazard signaling, and line differentiation on the factory floor.
Color as a Functional Property
In manufacturing environments, color is used to signal hazards, distinguish product lines, and enforce zone segregation. Achieving this on the factory floor has typically required applying paint or labels after printing, or using materials like ABS or PLA that offer a broader color range but lower mechanical performance, explains Jon Bond, General Manager of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) at Markforged.
“Bringing color to the factory floor is about far more than aesthetics; it is about unlocking a new level of operational velocity, safety, and error-proofing for our customers,” adds Bond.
Onyx GF embeds color directly into the material formulation, eliminating secondary processing. Parts retain the tensile strength, stiffness, surface finish, and dimensional accuracy of the standard Onyx line. The material is also non-conductive, which extends its applicability to situations requiring electrical isolation.
Target Applications Across Regulated Sectors
Markforged positions the material across several sectors with defined color-management requirements. In aerospace and automotive facilities running Foreign Object Debris (FOD) prevention programs, high-contrast tooling makes it easier to detect out-of-place components. In food and beverage or pharmaceutical production, color-coded fixtures can support zone segregation protocols designed to prevent cross-contamination. For general workplace safety, red and yellow parts can supplement conventional signage near hazardous machinery or robotic cells.
For applications requiring higher structural performance, Onyx GF is compatible with Markforged’s Continuous Fiber Reinforcement (CFR) process, which allows parts to be reinforced with continuous carbon fiber. The company states this can bring parts to aluminum-level strength. The material is available for the Markforged FX-series industrial printing platforms and is designed to integrate into existing workflows without reconfiguration.
Color-Coded Tooling in Industrial FFF: Where the Market Stands
The demand for color in high-performance FFF tooling has been visible within Markforged’s own customer base: a 2022 case study documented a customer using color-coded inserts in fiberglass-reinforced assembly tools on the shop floor, relying on Precise PLA — a lower-performance material — as the only available color option on the platform at the time. Onyx GF is positioned to fill that gap: color-coded tooling with the structural properties of the Onyx line.
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Featured image shows Markforged Launches Onyx GF. Image via Markforged.
