MakerBot Industries
MakerBot (actually MakerBot Industries, LLC) is a hardware manufacturer from New York City who specializes in 3D printer. The company was founded in 2009 and is considered one of the leaders in its industry.
History
In 2004, the so-called RepRap project was initiated by a paper by Adrian Bowyer to life, in which he outlined the development of a free and inexpensive 3D printer. From the publication of the RepRap Research Foundation showed that should be realized as a non-profit organization 's plans. At her next Bowyer Zach Smith was also involved. Due to the high demand for the development of RepRap they eventually formed along with the video blogger Bre Pettis in 2009, the company MakerBot Industries, LLC.
In September 2012, MakerBot opened the first store in New York City. Other interested parties can buy and try before you place the company's products. MakerBot became known to a wider public through the cooperation with Nokia. With the introduction of the Lumia 520 and Lumia 820 at the Mobile World Congress Nokia 2013 and MakerBot have started a project, under which tailored slipcovers can be made for smartphones themselves.
In June 2013 MakerBot was sold to Stratasys.
Products
MakerBot has been no established product or production lines, new models appear in irregular intervals.
Cupcake CNC
First product of the company was the Cupcake CNC, which was presented in March 2009. He united the ideas of the RepRap Project with the aim to make the printer available as affordable as possible. He could make 15 inches plastic parts up to a size of about 10 × 10 ×. Working the printer with acrylonitrile -butadiene-styrene (ABS), "high density " polyethylene (HDPE) and polylactide (PLA). The printers were sold as a kit: The circuit boards were already soldered, the buyer must make only minor soldering work on non-critical areas.
The Cupcake CNC sold faster than MakerBot could produce it. In September 2009, more than 200 machines were already in use. The demand was so great that the owner of the cupcake were asked by the manufacturer to produce items for more 3D printers for a fee.
Thing -O -Matic
As the successor of the Cupcake CNC 2010, the Thing -O -Matic was presented. It comprises, inter alia, a small conveyor belt, so that an automated series production was possible.
Replicator
Early 2012 followed the Replicator, which allowed the printing of much larger, two-color objects. In September of the same year the Replicator 2 was introduced, which allows a higher resolution and default print with PLA, reducing energy consumption is reduced.
Unlike previous models, the Replicator is 2 no longer open source.
Digitizer
In March 2013 MakerBot presented at the technology conference South by Southwest ( SXSW ) in Texas its first 3D - scanner. The model should allow any object to be digitized so that they can be reproduced on a Replicator. The launch finally took place in August 2013, it can be scanned objects with a height of up to 20 centimeters.