MakerBot, one of the pioneers in bringing low-cost, more accessible 3D printing to the masses, just launched its next-generation 3D printer platform, complete with a range of capabilities that make it even more interesting to professional engineers.
The MakerBot Replicator 2, and its turbocharged counterpart, The Replicator 2X, feature 100-micron layer resolution (0.10mm) and a bigger build volume of 410 cubic inches (11.2-inches-long x 6-inches-wide x 6.1-inches-high), extending the size and complexity of models that can be produced by the printers. The new 3D printer models aren't targeting the home enthusiast specifically, but rather are being aimed at engineers, researchers, creative professionals, or anyone else who loves to make things, according to company officials.
With its 100-micro layer resolution, the MakerBot Replicator 2 aims to set a new standard in professional-looking models and true-to-life replicas. (Source: MakerBot)
The larger build platform and the printers' high-resolution capabilities up the ante in terms of allowing users to output more polished and finished-looking models at a price point significantly less than other higher-end professional 3D printers. The Replicator 2 outputs 3D designs using the renewable bioplastic material PLA, not the more popular ABS material. Officials said PLA was chosen because of its strength and ability to make very large prints without cracking or warping.
The Replicator 2 printer, available now, costs $2,199, a price point that is far more attractive to small and midsized engineering shops and departments while still putting it somewhat out of reach for mainstream consumers. The original Replicator, announced earlier this year, was priced a couple of hundred dollars less and was limited to a 0.2mm to 0.3mm print resolution. The new version is also more professional looking -- it's encased in a black steel enclosure as opposed to original versions that were built of wood and looked more like a hobbyist kit or toy.
For professionals looking for even more robust capabilities, MakerBot released the companion Replicator 2X Experimental model that allows advanced 3D printer experts to work through some of the challenges associated with the use of ABS thermoplastic filament. The printer features experimental dual extrusion capabilities, which "enables the daredevils and trailblazers of 3D printing to explore the frontiers of multiple materials and colors," said Bre Pettis, MakerBot CEO, in a press release announcing the new products. This model, priced at $2,799 and available in early 2013, comes with an updated dual extruder tool and an updated heated build platform.
Beth, I notice that the Replicator 2 uses bioplastic PLA, not ABS. This appears to be an emerging trend in additive manufacturing, at least at the higher end. Do you know of any other 3D printers that use bioplastics?
This device looks very attractive for a small sized design house. I would ask the entry-questions:
1) Not familiar with the PLA material; can we compare it something familiar and provide some specs-?
2) How big is the platen-? (max LxWxH of printed result)
3) What is the expected cost of the materials to print (per unit volume of delivered objects)-?
4) While 100 microns sounds awesome, it equals .004" – nearly 10x the coarse resolution of an Objet printer; but at 1/10th the price, still very acceptable.
Realizing these value-added points, it makes this very desirable for my office. I'm looking forward to learning more about it.
Jim, I just did a little googling on the topic of PLA use in 3D printers. Here's some info: http://blog.makezine.com/2010/05/15/3d-printing-using-pla-as-a-support/
Gosh, Ann – That article is less than encouraging as an endorsement for PLA. It actually says it is best used as the support-structure for the primary material being ABS; that the PLA will degrade away, leaving the host ABS in place. The article is about 2 years old. I'm hoping that if MakerBot has invested their product line on this material as the primary building block, that it has rugged, stable material characteristics. Guess the Jury's still out.
Jim, I noticed the same things about the article. I included the link as an example of what's out there. If you Google "PLA and 3D printing", you''ll come up with a lot of other sources, some of which have a very different take. Beth's article says "PLA was chosen because of its strength and ability to make very large prints without cracking or warping."
I did some googling on my own to see what others are saying about PLA and come up with this long, but interesting video on Youtube where an engineer and maker of a printer kit is talking about the tradeoffs of PLA vs. ABS and why he sees PLA as the next big thing in home printing. For what it's worth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF-w3eT0CdY
Thanks, Beth, for that video. I got about half way through it. The guy being interviewed, who designed a 3D printer kit, says PLA vs ABS is easier to print with, harder to drill, and doesn't take the high temps that ABS does. Also, that ABS's smell is really bad. He says PLA is great for prototypes, then prints the final part in ABS.
Beth, thanks for finding that candid discussion on YouTube – I watched the entire thing, and now have very little faith in PLA, from what the guys were saying. In a Nutshell, its less heat tolerant, less process capable, less robust, so why would they use it-? Only because it doesn't smell as bad as ABS during processing. To me, that's a pretty weak reason for choosing a material. I've been in Injection-mold production press rooms running ABS, and while the odor there is strong, its not intolerable. Maybe the MakerBot apparatus really brings the 'Stink" out of it!
Based on what was said in that video, it is a bit surprising. I found a wiki page on Makerbot's site that provides some insight into their choice of PLA and provides some hands-on perspective from Makerbot users. http://wiki.makerbot.com/pla
If PLA is supposedly so difficult to use, I wonder why it's so common in lower-end 3D printing? As Beth's article states, "PLA was chosen because of its strength and ability to make very large prints without cracking or warping." I also suspect some people are a lot more sensitive to the smell than others.
I've been working on a feature on 3D printing and 3D content creation tools (stayed tuned in November) and I've been talking to a lot of engineers who use the lower end 3D printers either on the job or increasingly in their home, for hobbyist/side business purposes. Consistently, most talk about some of the messiness of traditional 3D printers (I hadn't heard about the smell) and perhaps the choice of PLA is better suited to home/hobbyist use as opposed to an office or shop floor environment. What are others experience with 3D printers on the lower end? They look like office printers, but they don't seem quite as packaged. Let us know.
Here's an example of PLA being used for large-scale 3D printing of architectural structures: http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/design-architecture/in-amsterdam-worlds-first-mobile-3d-printing-pavilion/8736
While I do agree that it does not use ABS, I still marvel at the price point of this 3D printer and the ever decreasing cost of this technology. I remember when the lowest price 3D printers were still well into 6-figures. I look forward to continuous technology and material improvements with these types of printers in the near future.
We forget that the first cell phones cost around $4,000 in the early 80's. I think it's a healthy sign for an industry when the price steadily lowers without badly effecting profit margins.
I'll have to check out the store the next time I'm in NYC. Thanks for the article!
Vapors of most heated plastics are very toxic! Check with any chemist who does not work for the plastics or pesticide industries. Treat this process with the same respect you would auto exhaust or petroleum-based solvents, since that is essentially what these materials are. Good ventilation is a must!
The 3D printing revolution seems to have a knack for quickly moving technology ahead by way of collaborative effort and even a little friendly competition -- all of course in the name of scientific advancement.
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