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3D PRINTERS - MAKERBOT |
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 START A REVOLUTION ON YOUR DESK
MakerBot Industries, based in Brooklyn, N.Y., has been in business longer than any other desktop 3D printer manufacturer, and it shows in the Replicator 2, among the most mature of the fused-filament fabrication printers in the desktop market today. Their fourth-generation printers stands out in a room full of plywood and aluminum extrusions as one of the few that looks and works like a consumer product.
Untethered and Intuitive
With its black powder-coated frame, black PVC panels, and soft glowing LEDs, the MakerBot Replicator 2 is attractive and durable. It has onboard controls with a large LCD screen that enable completely untethered printing directly from an SD card, so you can print all day long without having to attach your computer. MakerBot’s MakerWare software, which is beautiful, intuitive, and easy-to-use, gets you printing quickly. Last year we judged this machine “best in class” in the premium category — this year’s model is the same great machine, with a few key hardware, software, and firmware upgrades. Interestingly, although the machine and its software are now closed source, these improvements have all come from open-source projects.
Extruder Fix Now Standard
The initial design of the Replicator 2 extruder had tensioning problems that often resulted in filament feeding failures. Through Thingiverse, MakerBot’s 3D file-sharing website, an openly designed and well-publicized extruder upgrade emerged, due to the efforts of superstar Thingiverse users Dr. Henry P. Thomas (whpthomas), Emmett Lalish (emmett), and Deezmaker’s Rich Cameron (whosawhatsis). MakerBot decided the approach was “too good to ignore” and began offering it as an upgrade kit for the Replicator 2. The upgraded extruder, with a spring-loaded arm that squeezes the filament between the drive gear and a bearing, is now standard on the Replicator 2. In addition, the acrylic build plate that was formerly covered with a raised MakerBot “M” logo has been replaced by a completely smooth plate. In the previous version, the logo would emboss itself into the bottom of prints.
Firmware Improvements
The biggest change in the Replicator 2 from last year’s model is the upgraded MakerBot firmware. We noted greatly improved acceleration, better quality on high-detail prints, and an overall quieter printing experience. These improvements came directly from the Sailfish firmware project, which was created and is maintained by the dedicated efforts of two exceptional developers, “Jetty” and “Dnewman,” who have openly shared their firmware (if not their identities) with the Thingiverse community.
Contact us for pricing. |
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