MakerBot is building an empire selling printers that make things—but have you ever wondered where the printers themselves are made? On June 7th, the company opened a huge new factory to accommodate the booming demand for Replicators, and we got a first-hand look inside.
     |
Between this and the Arduino, you’d think NASA’s Swamp Works was a hackerspace — though, perhaps in a sense, the research facility kind of is. And really, between the organization’s on-going fascination with the potential of 3D printing and a desire to meet budgetary concerns, we probably shouldn’t have been all too shocked to see a first-gen MakerBot Replicator on a table of the former Apollo-testing facility. The printer wasn’t actually in use during our visit, and the Hazardous Operation tag could probably be taken to be a bit tongue-in-cheek — though, when it comes to space travel, you can never be too careful.
Yep, it’s a big year from 3D printing, and no company’s got a bigger piece of the spotlight than MakerBot. The company used last year’s show to announce the release of the first generation Replicator, releasing its successor a few months back. We’ve asked the company’s CEO Bre Pettis back to our stage to discuss the 3D printing revolution.
Check out our full CES 2013 stage schedule here!
Update: video embedded
Filed under: Misc
The year of 3D printers? It’s sure looking like it from where we’re sitting. There are more companies at CES 2013 promoting consumer versions of the technology than ever before. Of course, MakerBot’s not going to sit idly by and watch this all go down. The Brooklyn-based company is set to show off its Replicator 2X Experimental 3D Printer — the dual-extruding “big brother” to its recently released second-gen printer — at a press conference tomorrow. Hopefully pricing and available will be arriving on with it.
Filed under: Misc
Today was the official grand opening of the MakerBot Store in New York. Head over to 298 Mulberry Street and you can buy MakerBot printers, filament, and pre-made items, such as bracelets, watches and toys. And that’s not all.
MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis unveiled a new 3D photo booth powered by ShapeShot. The photo takes a couple of minutes and costs $5 for three reusable shots. Then you can order prints of your head. In 3D. Depending on the size, they run $20, $40 or $60. The most important part remains the fact that there is now a physical address to experience 3D printing.
“Ever since we started, people kept saying that this is science fiction — it’s not real. So we had to make a MakerBot Store,” Pettis said. Understanding 3D printing takes time, and a store is a good way to reach a new audience. But MakerBot also hopes to sell Replicator printers, filament and little printed objects manufactured in New York.
Most of the objects in the store have been designed within the previous week and printed over the previous two days. Such a short product cycle is something new in manufacturing. With the store, it’s all about making 3D printing mainstream.
“My hope is that the next lemonade stand for kids will be a MakerBot stand,” Pettis said. For now, NASA and GE are the two most important clients, and four of the top ten architectural companies use a Replicator. MakerBot has sold 15,000 printers so far.
When asked whether it’s possible to select a 3D design at home, print it in the store and pick it up later, Pettis answered “not yet.”
Somewhere deep in the Marshall Space Center, in an unmarked beige hangar, NASA is building a spaceship. A spaceship built with spare parts, scrap hardware from the International Space Stations, a left-over aluminum-lithium cylinder and even museum mockups. One day, it may become the vessel that takes humans to Mars. More »
Many of the 3D printed products we’ve seen are for commercial purposes, prototypes or toys. But as the technology matures and becomes more affordable, we’ll start seeing more products that us ordinary folks can appreciate and more importantly use in our daily life. Objects like this 3D printed pair of headphones.
The headphones were made by John Mabry of Teague Labs, who wanted to see if he can create a functional object that can be 3D printed and then assembled without any tools. He called the headphones 13:30 because it took 13 hours and 30 minutes to print its components. That’s a hell of a print job, but I wouldn’t be able to make a pair of headphones even if I had 13 months and 30 days.
Mabry posted the files and instructions on Thingiverse. The components are meant to be printed on a Makerbot Replicator, which is certainly not a mainstream product, but is also a long way from an entire factory filled with machines and craftsmen.
[Teague Labs via Engadget]
The handsomest man in the world, Bre Pettis, gives the second handsomest man in the world, Phil Torrone, a nice visit to the Makerbot Store in Manhattan. The store is now selling Makerbots, filament, and pre-made items like watches and toys.
The store is at 298 Mulberry Street.
As Bre notes, they built the store to convince people that 3D printers weren’t all science fiction. We visited with the new Replicator, the $2,199 version 2.0, and came away wildly impressed at the fit and finish of the new model. The store, it seems, is just as cool.
As a proud (and jealous) owner of the first Replicator, I’m really glad to see this thing inch closer to what can only be termed a 3D printing singularity. Once we all have these, the network effects and improvement of general 3D printing techniques will change the way we think about physical objects. Until then, I’m going to keep printing me some proud roosters.
photo via LaughingSquid.
After the news-filled event MakerBot held, just down the street from the Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, we found a fleet of cars ready to ferry us back to Manhattan. The cars weren’t there to return the press to their various offices, instead they shuttled us en-masse to the brand new MakerBot Store that opened today in NOHO. The small shop sits on Mulberry St., just half a block north of Houston — number 298 to be specific. Out front is a small discreet sign that reads “MakerBot.” What will really draw people inside is the six-foot tall 3D-printed track that guides giant ball bearings through a maze of curves and spirals in the window. Step inside and the sculpture becomes interactive. You spin a large wheel (also printed) and a magnet slowly moves the orbs up the wall before depositing them at the starting point and sending them hurtling through the multi-track course (video after the break). Almost everything in the shop, down to the posts and locks on the display cases, is also printed out on the company’s flagship product, the Replicator 2. In addition to buying the printers and compatible spools of plastic, you can also pick up trinkets created with them, such as the MixTape. If you want a less expensive example of the Replicator’s wares, there’s a gumball-style vending machine that dispenses toys when you insert a $5 token and give the knob a satisfying twist. For more, check out the gallery below.
Gallery: MakerBot Store photo tour
Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
Continue reading MakerBot Store tour (video)
Filed under: Misc
MakerBot Store tour (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 17:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
The Replicator may have just been pushed off this writer’s Christmas list. (Note to self: send updated letter to Santa.) But, this isn’t a loss for MakerBot Industries, because it’s being replaced by the Replicator 2, the newest model of 3D printer from the company. This is a big boy version of its previous devices that were aimed more at tinkerers than serious designers, and that’s reflected in the $2,199 price. The build plate is significantly bigger, with the ability to spit out creations that measure 11.2 x 6.1 x 6.0 inches (410 cubic inches). That’s a full 37 percent larger than the original Replicator, but the machine itself is the same exact size. The frame is no longer assembled from laser-etched wood, instead there’s a powder-coated steel frame with PVC plastic sides to help shield the various moving parts and lend an air of professionalism to the affair. The extruder is designed specifically for use with MakerBot PLA, a new plastic material based on corn, that Bri Pettis claims wont expand when exposed to the heat — which means it wont contract when it cools, leading to smoother printed objects and less cracking. The new printer has a resolution of 100 microns, by comparison, the original Replicator had a layer resolution of 270 microns. Now each layer of plastic is as thin as a sheet of copy paper, resulting in smooth printed prototypes.
Gallery: MakerBot Replicator 2 eyes-on
In a departure from previous models, the Replicator 2 is shipped fully assembled. You need only lift it out of the box and plug it in to get started. And one of our biggest complaints about the setup process, leveling the build plate, has been addressed. The new model now has a simplified three-point leveling system, what should eliminate some of the opportunity for error in the four-point system of its predecessor. The Replicator 2 even comes in an experimental dual-extrusion model for those that like life on the cutting edge, called the Replicator 2X, that retails for $2,799.
To run all this there’s a new software tool, called MakerWare that greatly simplifies the act of printing objects. You can even drag and drop multiple models into a virtual build platform, scale them and tweak them (either independently or simultaneously) before sending them to the Replicator 2. Perhaps, most interesting of todays announcements is the MakerBot Store — an actual physical shop — in NOLA. The company believes this will help expose people to 3D printing who might otherwise be confused by the concept. You can order the Replicator 2 now direct from MakerBot. But, be warned, there’s a four to six week lead time on deliveries.
Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
Filed under: Misc
MakerBot unveils Replicator 2, 2X and launches retail store, we go eyes-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
