New 3D MakerBot Printers

MakerBot has stepped into the new 2014 year with the new, fifth generation of 3D printers. The changes also affected the company's website. But if the design tricks of the site are very doubtful, then the proposed models of 3D printers are quite interesting. Stylish design, new features and improvements - let's see what innovations MakerBot offers.

Makerbot replicator

Let's get started with the new MakerBot Replicator. Shipment of these printers to customers starts in February this year.


The printer is a development of the famous flagship Replicator 2. It is noticeable that its dimensions have become larger and its weight heavier. The print volume has also increased. The changes affected not only the design - for example, the printer uses the new ARM9 processor. This accelerated the processing of the model and the printing itself. Support for the cloud service has been announced - now it is possible to connect to libraries from anywhere in the world (of course, where the Internet is present).

The most basic innovation is the new generation smart extruder. Structurally completely redesigned, quick-detachable (the photo shows in a disconnected state). This implementation allows you to quickly disconnect it for cleaning, repair or replacement. In addition, the extruder stops printing when the plastic in the coil runs out. And knows how to send messages about events to applications.



The control panel has got a color LCD display and a round control knob. By turning the knob, you can navigate the menu. And by clicking on it - activate the item or start the printing process (depending on the selected item).


Thanks to the graphic LCD, printer calibration has been simplified. During calibration, prompts are displayed, so it has become faster and more accurate.

Another nice feature was the built-in camera. With its help, you can monitor the printing process, give commands from a mobile application. The camera is located at the top of the right front desk, so the entire print volume is clearly visible from the picture from it. This is convenient for remotely stop printing in the event of a printer failure, and for photographing the result of work.



A tool for remote monitoring and control is a special free mobile application MakerBot Mobile. It is still in development, so the details are still unknown. I hope it will be not only for iOS.



Support for SD cards was removed, but it was possible to connect a USB flash drive to the printer and print models directly from it. In addition to the standard USB interface, the printer additionally supports Ethernet and Wi-Fi.

The same PLA remained as print material. The company explains this by saying that "it shows the best print results and is available in large color options." The changes also affected the location of the spool with the thread - now it is in the drawer, combined with the back wall. Because of this, the PLA coil form factor has changed, and although there is not a word about it on the site yet, the FAQ mentions that there is no compatibility with old coils.

Makerbot mini

MakerBot Mini Printer. This is a smaller and cheaper version of the base model.



Its purpose is the rapid prototyping of small parts. Therefore, it has only the minimum necessary - there is no color LCD (there is only one control button on the printer), there is no Ethernet and USB flash drives, the print volume is almost halved and the minimum layer thickness is only 0.2 mm.

It should go on sale in the spring of 2014. But pre-order is available on the site now.

Makerbot z18

Printer MakerBot Z18. A giant among the midgets.



Apparently, the company went to meet those who wanted to print large parts. The maximum print volume is 30 x 30 x 45 cm! True, the price of this printer is not at all affordable.

Like the Mini, it will go on sale this spring.

The main characteristics of printers, for convenience, are summarized in the table:

	Replicator	Replicator Mini	Replicator Z18	Replicator 2	Replicator 2x
Price, $	2899	1375	6499	2199	2799
Print volume, cm	25.2 x 19.9 x 15.0	10.0 x 10.0 x 12.5	30.0 x 30.0 x 45.7	28.5 x 15.3 x 15.5	25.0 x 16.0 x 15.0
Type of plastic	PLA	PLA	PLA	PLA	PLA + ABS
Dimensions, cm	53 x 44 x 41	?	?	49 x 32 x 38	49 x 32 x 53
Weight, kg	16	?	?	11.5	12.6
Layer thickness	0.1 mm	0.2 mm	0.1 mm	0.1 mm	0.1 mm
SD card	-	-	-	+	+
USB cable	+	+	+	+	+
USB stick	+	-	+	-	-
Ethernet	+	-	+	-	-
Wifi	+	+	+	-	-
Video camera	+	+	+	-	-