In the world of 3D printing no name is more synonymous with 3D printing then Makerbot Industries. Makerbot Industries has captivated the 3D printer community with its rich in feature 3D printers and online Thingiverse community. The company was formed in Brooklyn, New York and started shipping kits in April 2009. In June 19th 2013 Stratasys Incorporated acquired Makerbot Industries in a stock deal worth $403 million.
Fast forward to today, Makerbot Industries has released an impressive line of consumer and prosumer 3D printers, SolveLight Robotics will be reviewing them for buyers to choose the Makerbot 3D printer that best suites the reader’s needs. All buyers have different needs, wants, accessibility, and space that they can accommodate for their 3d printer, this review will help shine light on the abilities Makerbot 3D printers have to offer. Reading this 3D printer blog will bring readers one-step closer to joining the 3D printer community by acquiring and seeing their Makerbot 3D printer in action.
Our Makerbot Replicator Mini Compact 3D Printer review shows that this small, entry-level, one click print 3D printer is an excellent choice for beginners because its easy to use interface is so simple it wont discourage users like other complex 3D printer systems that rely on adjustments for each print. The Replicator Mini can be accessed via Wi-Fi through the Makerbot app or with the supplied USB cable to download 3D models to the 3D printer either from home or away from home. Thanks to the MakerBot onboard camera you can monitor your prints through you smartphone device or computer, stopping mid-print if need be, not to mention upload your print to social media or the cloud for everyone to see. Since it’s an entry level 3D printer the Mini doesn’t require leveling, saving users time and frustration. Another great feature the Mini offers is that it’s an enclosed unit with plastic covering the sides and Plexiglas covering the front, great for keeping kid’s hands from touching a hot 3D printer extruder, which makes it perfect for school setting, starting from grades 5 to 8. Makerbot Replicator Mini comes with the exclusive Makerbot Smart Extruder that’s easy to connect because once the golden contact pins have been aligned the magnetized extruder snaps onto the extruder shaft, perfect for when you need to effortlessly swap your extruder or do maintenance on it. Masks, jewelry, and toys for kids and loved ones are only a few examples of what makers have manufactured with the Replicator Mini.
This compact, lightweight 3D printer is great to travel with, simply put it back in the box it came in and put it in the car for a road trip. The Replicator mini is your mobile factory helping you produce goods even when your not home. Looking to go to a trade show, great, bring the power of customization for everyone to see, it’s an eye catcher. Increase your productivity and output without having to be constrained to some of the other big, heavy, and bulky 3D printers out on the market. With the Replicator Mini take on whatever job life throws at you with a smile.
Makerbot Replicator Mini Specifications:
- Product Dimensions: 11.6 L x 12.2 W x 15.0 H inches
- Shipping Box Dimensions: 15.3 L x 15.6 W x 20.8 H inches
- Product Weight: 18 LBS
- Shipping Weight Including Accessory Kit: 22 LBS
- Build Volume: 3.9 L x 3.9 W x 4.9 H inches
- Print Technology: Fused Deposition Modeling
- Layer Resolution: 200 Microns
- Build Plate Material: Acrylic
- Compatible Filament: PLA
- Ambient operating temperature: 60-78 degrees F
- Storage Temperature: 32-100 degrees F
- Supported File Type: .STL, .OBJ, Thing, Makerbot
- Operating Systems: Windows (7+), Mac OS X (10.7+), Linux (UBUNTU 12.04+, Fedora 19+)
- Camera Resolution: 320 x 240
- Power Requirements: 100-240VAC; 0.75-0.41A; 50-60 HZ; 100W
- Filament Compatbility: Makerbot PLA filament small spool 0.5lb
- Filament Diameter: 1.75 MM (0.0069 inches)
- Nozzle Diameter: 0.4 mm (0.015 inches)
- Print File Type: .Makerbot
- Construction: PC ABS with powder-coated steel reinforcement
- Build Surface: injection molded acrylic
- Stepper motors: 1.8 degrees step angel with 1/16th micro-stepping
- XY Positioning Precision: 11 microns (0.0004 inches)
- Z Positioning Precision: 2.5 Microns (0.0001 inches)
Our Makerbot Replicator 5th Generation Desktop 3D Printer review reveals that this great 3D printer has been designed with several new features, differentiating it from its predecessor. The 3.5-inch full color LCD and control knob is a great addition to the Replicator series giving users smoother control over the printer’s settings. Unlike the Replicator Mini, the Replicator 5th Generation 3D printer can reach print resolutions of up to 100 microns with its smart extruder, enabling better quality and smooth to the touch prints every time, giving users the ability to print at finer resolutions opens up better design manipulation for example, thinner support structures for easier removal. Due to the Rapid prototyping process being so convenient and cost effective these days, Creating a 3D model and printing your invention has never been easier for regular ever day people; connect to your printer and upload your model via Wi-Fi, USB wire, Ethernet, or USB stick. Everyday people such as students and hobbyist have taken their Makerbot Replicator 5th generation 3D printer and created inexpensive fully functioning robotic prosthesis’s for as little as $1,000; compared to models costing upward of $100,000. A great example of people making a difference in this world with 3D printing is Joel Gibbard and The Open Hand Project.
The Replicator 5th Generation 3D printer is a powerful tool which serves the purpose of manufacturing right from the home, giving people the opportunity, affordability, and convenience to create a working prototype without the heavy overhead that traditional prototyping methods require. The Replicator 5th Generation 3D printer is a great medium scale 3D printer platform, perfect for a computer science classroom, ranging from grades 9 to 12. 3D modeling and printing is gaining tremendous popularity and is utilized in giant industries such as automotive, biomedical, and robotics due to its versatility, incorporating these sought out skills in students will help pave the way to their future career.
Makerbot Replicator Specifications:
- Product Dimensions: 20.8 L x 44.1 W x 41.0 H inches
- Shipping Box Dimensions: 22.7 L x 20.5 W x 21.5 H inches
- Product Weight: 35.3 LBS
- Shipping Weight Including Accessory Kit: 45.9 LBS
- Assisted Leveling: Yes
- Build Volume: 11.6 L x 12.2 W x 15.0 H inches
- Print Technology: Fused Deposition Modeling
- Layer Resolution: 100 Microns
- Build Plate Material: Glass
- Compatible Filament: PLA
- Ambient operating temperature: 60-90 degrees F
- Storage Temperature: 32-100 degrees F
- Software Bundel: Makerbot Desktop Software
- Supported File Type: .STL, .OBJ, Thing, Makerbot
- Operating Systems: Windows (7+), Mac OS X (10.7+), Linux (UBUNTU 12.04+, Fedora 19+)
- Camera Resolution: 320 x 240
- Power Requirements: 100-240VAC; 0.76-0.43A; 50-60 HZ; 100W
- Filament Compatibility: 1.75 MM (0.069 inches)
- Filament Compatbility: Makerbot PLA filament large spool 0.9lb
- Nozzle Diameter: 0.4 mm (0.015 inches)
- Print File Type: .Makerbot
- Construction: Powder-coated steel with PC-ABS and aluminum composite material
- Build Surface: Glass with Blue Tape
- Stepper motors: 1.8 degrees step angel with 1/16th micro-stepping
- XY Positioning Precision: 11 microns (0.0004 inches)
- Z Positioning Precision: 2.5 Microns (0.0001 inches)
Our Makerbot Replicator Z18 Professional 3D Printer review demonstrates a large and industries 3D printer platform; the objective of this printer is to give users a 3D printer with the capability to design and print large models, which can make printing one-piece large objects for students to observe and learn, for example, the T-Rex skull model. The advantage of printing with the Makerbot Replicator Z18 is its size; architects utilize large build volume printers such as the Makerbot Replicator Z18 to produce 3D models for projects, giving buyers and investors of the project accessibility to a 3D visual aid. The Makerbot Replicator Z18 comes with the smart extruder and a heated chamber, great for keeping prints from warping due to temperature differentiation. The user-friendly modular design consists of an LCD and control knob, same as the Replicator 5th Generation for smooth control of the printer’s settings. To bring life size models and prototypes to life captivating the viewers’ interest with the Makerbot Replicator Z18 model connect to your printer and upload your model via Wi-Fi, USB wire, Ethernet, or USB stick.
This large-scale 3D printer is designed for large print projects that require more build volume then conventional 3D printer platforms sold on the market today. The purpose of this large 3D printer is to give users a means to developing a large print without the tediousness large print projects require that are developed on smaller sized printers for example, attachment mechanisms and adhesion techniques. The Makerbot Replicator Z18 is a great addition to the computer science department, to better serve colleges and its students. Watch as students become engaged in developing their own models and be able to hold it in their hands once done, 3D printing combined with students will lead to the future of innovation and invention.
Makerbot Replicator Z18 Specifications:
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 L x 22.2 W x 33.9 H inches
- Shipping Box Dimensions: 25.6 L x 28.3 W x 41.75 H inches
- Product Weight: 90 LBS
- Shipping Weight Including Accessory Kit: 115 LBS
- Assisted Leveling: Yes
- Build Volume: 11.8 L x 12.0 W x 18.0 H inches
- Print Technology: Fused Deposition Modeling
- Layer Resolution: 100 Microns
- Build Plate Material: PC-ABS
- Compatible Filament: PLA
- Ambient operating temperature: 60-75.2 degrees F
- Storage Temperature: 32-100 degrees F
- Software Bundel: Makerbot Desktop Software
- Supported File Type: .STL, .OBJ, Thing, Makerbot
- Operating Systems: Windows (7+), Mac OS X (10.7+), Linux (UBUNTU 12.04+, Fedora 19+)
- Camera Resolution: 320 x 240
- Power Requirements: 100-240VAC; 0.76-0.43A; 50-60 HZ; 100W
- Filament Compatibility: 1.75 MM (0.069 inches)
- Filament Compatbility: Makerbot PLA filament large spool 0.9lb
- Nozzle Diameter: 0.4 mm (0.015 inches)
- Print File Type: .Makerbot
- Construction: PC ABS with powder-coated steel reinforcement
- Build Surface: Glass with Blue Tape
- Stepper motors: 1.8 degrees step angel with 1/16th micro-stepping
- XY Positioning Precision: 11 microns (0.0004 inches)
- Z Positioning Precision: 2.5 Microns (0.0001 inches)
Makerbot Industries has come a long way, not just as a company, but their 3D printers and accesories as well. They don’t sacrifice form and function for price, bringing makers, regardless of skill level, a great 3D printer platform. They’re 3D printers are efficient, intuitive, and well built to bring users a great user experience and quality print that’s smooth to the touch. 3D printers should be put into the hands of schools and homes to really innovate the field of 3D printing, creating a worldwide maker revolution.
