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YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    MakerBot Replicator Prints Bigger, More Colorful Objects

    By Ker Than | LiveScience.com – Wed, Jan 11, 2012

    LAS VEGAS – MakerBot this week announced the third generation of its consumer-friendly 3-D printing machine, called the Replicator.

    Whereas the company’s previous 3-D printing machine, called the Thing-O-Matic, could make objects up to roughly the size of an apple, the Replicator has a print volume of more than 300 cubic inches and can crank out things that are about the size of a loaf of bread, explained MakerBot CEO and co-founder Bre Pettis.

    "It's a big improvement in size," Pettis said from the showroom floor of CES 2012.

    The Replicator features an LCD screen on the front that lets users monitor their builds. The base setup costs $1,749, but an extra $250 will fetch you the dual-extruder configuration, which allows the machine to print with two different colors or two different materials simultaneously.

    The Replicator can print in ABS plastic (which is what Lego blocks are made of), or PLA, a biomaterial made from corn.

    "That means that you can print things and when you're done with it, you can just put it in your compost pile," Pettis said.

    Users can create their own 3-D designs using software such as Google SketchUp or download one of thousands of models for free from Thingiverse.com and load them into the Replicator using its built-in SD Card slot.

    "Some of my favorite things [that users have made] are practical items like bottle openers and household items like bathtub plugs and shower curtain rings," Pettis said.

    "And then there are the wild things. We started making some dollhouse stuff and the community has gone crazy and gotten inspired and done lots of stuff. So it's a mix of practical and really playful things."

    This story was provided by TechNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience.

     

    6 comments

    • RoadRash
      RoadRash  •  4 mths ago
      Tremendous tool in manufacturing to speed up testing of prototype designs. Too bad theres no more manufacturing jobs.
      • MikeyPooh
        MikeyPooh 4 mths ago
        There are jobs loading and unloading the machines... but not as many no. Which is a good thing from the consumer point of view because things cost less.
      • k_t
        k_t 4 mths ago
        Yeah, jobs that break your back, then you can't get another decent job if your in that sort of situation.
    • Gary R
      Gary R  •  Indianapolis, Indiana  •  4 mths ago
      The Replicator is cool, but there is a lot more out there. The DIY 3d printer world puts rapid prototyping on your kitchen table. No manufacturing jobs??? The first thing these people make is other machines to sell to others. With machines like this, you can make parts that you can't buy.
    • Shane
      Shane  •  4 mths ago
      3D printers are amazing tools, I can see a day where these are as common as household device as a computer. I was most excited to learn about PLA. A completely biodegradable material that I can use to make small items that would normally be plastic? Yes please!
      • MikeyPooh
        MikeyPooh 4 mths ago
        PLA is a thermoplastic polyester, it IS plastic. so yes you can make small plastic items that would normally be plastic.
      • k_t
        k_t 4 mths ago
        Don't forget the miracle of replacement body parts.
    • Shick
      Shick  •  4 mths ago
      Nice pictures of the Replicator in action.
    • pleasegodnomore
      pleasegodnomore  •  4 mths ago
      Sweet!!! But not shipping for at least 6 more weeks. Just teasing us here.
    • The Wiz
      The Wiz  •  Winter Park, Florida  •  4 mths ago
      Too bad there is no article here to read.... not even the Heading I clicked on to get here.... Yahoo %$#@!
     Post a comment
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