Carahsoft Technology Corp has partnered with Markforged, manufacturer of carbon fiber and metal 3D printers, to make industrial-grade additive manufacturing technologies more accessible to the US government. Using NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V contracts, Carahsoft will serve as the agency aggregator and distributor, providing Markforged 3D printers and materials to Federal agencies and reseller partners.
The goal of the partnership is to streamline the acquisition process and supply chain navigation in a way that will provide the government with more cost-effective, customized solutions. Markforged Vice President of Global Channel Sales Brian Houle explains, “For decades, Federal agencies have used lengthy and complex supply chains to send new or replacement parts to the field. 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 3D printers are operating on six continents so their reputation is solid. People may have differences of opinion on the role of government but we can all agree that government agencies should at least strive to be efficient, and this partnership could do a lot for increasing efficiency. Markforged 3D printers are significantly cheaper than other metal 3D printers as well, so agencies won’t be blowing entire budgets on the hardware.
“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.”