MakerBot is excited to be able to announce the development of the MakerBot PLA Composite Filaments, which are expected to take advantage of the full potential of the MakerBot Replicator Smart Extruder. The MakerBot Replicator Smart Extruder was created to be modular and easily swappable. With extra MakerBot Smart Extruders on hand, you can easily swap out the extruder to match the material you are using and minimize downtime caused by clogs or other mechanical issues.

These new MakerBot PLA Composite Filaments bring aesthetically pleasing material to 3D printing and brings Real-Time Prototyping closer to the actual appearance of a finished product. The new materials have the look and feel of the actual metal, stone or wood, yet retain the nontoxic and ease-of-use properties that make PLA such a popular 3D printing material. The Maple filament can be sanded, stained and finished and makes beautiful wood 3D printed components. The Bronze and Iron MakerBot PLA Composite Filaments have the weight and look of and also retain the properties of those metals. The Bronze will naturally develop a patina over time and the Iron can be used for numerous functional purposes, including magnetization. The Limestone can be stained or painted with just a pen and is what MakerBot believes to be a great material for architectural and archeological 3D prints. To learn more about MakerBot PLA Composite Filaments, visit store.makerbot.com/filament/composite.

MakerBot 3D Professional Services

As a global leader in desktop 3D printers, MakerBot partners with leading innovators in education and businesses and is at the forefront of this rapidly evolving market. MakerBot has seen that many institutions and businesses often need advice and support adopting this transformative and disruptive technology. To help its customers, MakerBot has launched:

Consulting from MakerBot, which offers MakerBot’s unparalleled expertise in 3D printing to help companies, universities and other organizations make educated decisions in incorporating 3D printing into their business or environment. Consulting from MakerBot is aimed to help organizations realize the market advantage of incorporating 3D printing as well as seize revenue-generating opportunities in 3D design and printing. Consulting from MakerBot is designed to help assess, implement and optimize an investment in 3D printing. MakerBot works with clients with a range of goals, from speeding innovation to reducing costs, to differentiating a brand. Consulting from MakerBot can bring skills to the table for assessment, industry analysis, process planning, change management, or even printer administration. To learn more Consulting from MakerBot, visit makerbot.com/consulting.

MakerBot Learning, a hands-on, creative and collaborative 3D printing workshop program custom tailored to meet a company, school or organization’s needs. MakerBot’s highly trained expert 3D printing experts lead workshops that provide teams the 3D printing and design expertise that they need to quickly and effectively get up to speed with 3D printing. These workshops provide an opportunity to learn quickly and accurately in guided, hands-on interactive environments, at the client’s site, or in MakerBot’s Brooklyn, New York, headquarters. 3D modeling, CAD software, 3D printing tips and printer maintenance are covered. Workshops can be customized from one-day 3D printer primer classes to full weeklong workshops for numerous employees. To learn more about MakerBot Learning, visit makerbot.com/learning.

3D Design Services by MakerBot, providing master-level expertise from MakerBot’s talented staff of 3D modelers and designers to help clients create 3D printable content. 3D Design Services by MakerBot offers 3D modeling, high-poly modeling, industrial design, technical illustration, rendering and conceptual modeling that result in customized concepts and the highest-quality 3D printable designs. By utilizing 3D Design Services by MakerBot, customers can accelerate the design workflow and can leverage MakerBot’s extensive experience in ideation, model making and prototyping, all optimized for 3D printing. Project range from one-of-a-kind special 3D prints to large-scale 3D design and printing projects. To learn more about 3D Design Services by MakerBot, visit makerbot.com/3D-design-services.

MakerBot 3D Printed Products, a one-stop shop for quick and reliable 3D printing. Great for 3D printed logos, giveaways, models, prototypes and parts. MakerBot 3D Printed Products offers affordable 3D prints of 50 to 100,000 units with a faster turnaround than injection molding. MakerBot has its own MakerBot Innovation Centers with 200+ MakerBot Replicator 3D Printers ready to fulfill 3D print orders. Each project is individually quoted based on specific needs. MakerBot 3D Printed Products can use a 3D design already created or work with customers to incorporate 3D Design Services by MakerBot for special custom orders. To learn more about MakerBot 3D Printed Products, visit makerbot.com/3D-Printed-Products.

MakerBot Innovation Center Management Platform, a proprietary MakerBot software platform that takes the management of 30 or more MakerBot Replicator 3D Printers to a whole new level. Available exclusively as part of a MakerBot Innovation Center, a centralized, scalable 3D printing solution, the MakerBot Innovation Center Management Platform both improves the accessibility of 3D printers and increases their output. The MakerBot Innovation Center Management Platform allows for complete monitoring and queuing of 3D printing jobs, remote user interface and the ability to cost-effectively staff and maintain a large-scale MakerBot Innovation Center. The software platform comes with rapid installation and deployment, technical and user training sessions, side-by-side operational planning and the option of strategic assistance or even professional staffing solutions. To learn more about the MakerBot Innovation Center Management Platform, visit makerbot.com/innovation-center .