MakerBot Replicator 2 | US$2,199.00 | www.makerbot.com
have a great product idea? but what’s the use of a brilliant product idea if you can’t turn it into a physical item to get a real world feel and look of it? lucky for us, we are in an era that prototyping could be a relatively inexpensive endeavor and all of us could save ourselves the hassle of hunting down the right prototyping company (and among other things) – all thanks to affordable desktop 3D printer such as the MakerBot Replicator 2. the MakerBot is effectively on to its 4th generation and from the look of it, we must say that it has indeed matured to something that any style-conscious prototypers, be it professionals or hobbyists, would be proud of.
packed inside this fully assembled, black powder-coated steel chassis are a host of new features which include 100 micro print layer resolution for paper thin printing with smooth surfaces that requires no sanding, a larger 410 cubic inches (6.7 liters) capacity – 37% more volume over its predecessor – allowing for bigger models to be printed, compatibility with renewable PLA Filament with 32% energy savings as compared to the traditional ABS Filament, three-point leveling system for more precise platform adjustment, and a new slicing engine that enables quicker preparation for printing. and since it has a steel frame as opposed to its predecessor’s wooden frame, it will be much more sturdier to handle high printing speeds.
granted that its asking price of $2,199 isn’t truly an affordable proposition but as far as small businesses are concerned, it is probably an inexpensive option to meet the firm’s prototyping needs. then again, some of you may have already splurged 3k on an Apple laptop so we don’t see what makes this $2k machine anymore expensive? seriously. enough said, please do check out a gallery of this beauty, along with a couple of video – one, an announcement by Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot, and the other on how the Replicator 2 works.
MakerBot via Treehugger
