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MakerBot LABS Extruder Transforms METHOD 3D Printer into an Open Materials Platform

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 New MakerBot LABS Experimental Extruder Enables 3D Printing of Third-Party Engineering Materials 

BASF 3D Printing Solutions and LEHVOSS Group Join Other Leading Filament Suppliers in the METHOD Materials Development Program

today announces the availability of the MakerBot LABS Experimental Extruder for METHOD. The new extruder turns METHOD into an open materials platform, enabling users to print with a wide variety of third-party materials on an industrial 3D printing platform. The MakerBot LABS Experimental Extruder for METHOD is now available for sale and shipping to customers.

The news comes on the heels of the successful launch of the METHOD Materials Development Program, announced in November 2019, which allows leading filament companies to qualify their materials for the MakerBot LABS extruder. The program has gained significant momentum since it was announced and MakerBot has added leading materials suppliers BASF 3D Printing Solutions and LEHVOSS Group to its growing list of partners, which also includes Jabil, Polymaker, Kimya, and Mitsubishi Chemical.

The MakerBot LABS Experimental Extruder for METHOD is an experimental product and is not covered under limited warranty or MakerCare.

"By transforming METHOD into an open materials platform, we provide our users with an incredibly powerful tool to realize their ideas. Engineers can now print a growing number of advanced third-party materials on an industrial 3D printing platform, which was designed to produce stronger and more accurate parts than competing desktop 3D printers," said Johan-Till Broer, VP of Product Development, MakerBot. "We have partnered with some of the best material companies in the industry to rapidly expand and diversify the materials portfolio for METHOD. With our partners and customers, we will explore the boundaries of what's possible with METHOD to unlock new applications."

The new MakerBot LABS extruder encourages engineers to push the limits of what’s possible with METHOD 3D printers by experimenting with new 3D printing materials. METHOD’s industrial capabilities are ideal for printing parts with advanced materials that allow engineers to unlock new 3D printing applications. With its 100°C heated chamber, METHOD can produce parts that are stronger and more accurate than those printed on a desktop 3D printer with a heated build plate. Soluble SR-30 supports from Stratasys and water soluble PVA enables the user to print complex geometries with advanced engineering materials that are difficult to print successfully on a desktop 3D printer.

With a modified hot end, the new MakerBot LABS extruder gives users advanced customization options for new materials, including interchangeable nozzle assemblies and expanded print settings in MakerBot’s print preparation software, MakerBot Print. The LABS extruder can reach up to 300°C, and includes sensors that track temperature, materials, and extruder jams.

LABS Ecosystem

MakerBot is actively working with its partners to qualify specific materials for the METHOD platform. Recommended materials for the MakerBot LABS Experimental Extruder for METHOD include:

  • Polymaker PolyMax™ PC: Polycarbonate (PC) has excellent toughness, strength and heat resistance. PolyMax PC works well with METHOD’s soluble SR-30 supports to print more complex parts than on a desktop 3D printer. This filament opens new applications in the automotive, railway and aerospace industries.
  • Jabil PETg ESD: Jabil Engineered Materials PETg ESD is an easy processing, Electrostatic Dissipative (ESD) product for printing parts that meet sensitive electronics and could be damaged by electrostatic discharge.
  • Jabil TPE SEBS 1300 95A: A flexible material with a 95A durometer that bends, flexes, and stretches, and has demonstrated success in printing complex geometries. Unlike other elastomers, SEBS 95A is not sensitive to moisture and doesn’t require drying.
  • Kimya ABS CARBON: An ABS composite material with 30% chopped carbon fiber for improved stiffness and compression strength, as well as lower weight than regular ABS.
  • Kimya PETG CARBON: PETG reinforced with carbon fibers for excellent stiffness and increased tensile strength over regular PETG.
  • Mitsubishi Chemical DURABIO™: DURABIO is an engineering, bio-based, BPA free resin. It combines PMMA’s transparency with a higher chemical and scratch resistance compared to polycarbonate (PC). The core applications for the material are in automotive, housing, interior and exterior décor.

The MakerBot LABS Experimental Extruder for METHOD can be purchased as an additional accessory. New materials for the MakerBot LABS extruder can be purchased directly from MakerBot’s partners. Companies interested in joining the MakerBot Materials Development Program can contact MakerBot at [email protected].

For more information, visit www.makerbot.com/labs.

MakerBot is offering a significant, limited-time 30% discount on 100 METHOD and METHOD X 3D printers to help businesses who need to get professional 3D printing capabilities into the hands of their employees. Visit MakerBot online to learn more.

MakerBot, METHOD, METHOD X, and MakerBot Print are registered trademarks or trademarks of MakerBot Industries, LLC in the United States and/or other countries. SR-30 is a trademark of Stratasys, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

— Partner Quotes —

“We are very excited to be part of the Materials Development Program for the MakerBot METHOD with our high-performance LUVOCOM 3F Filaments,” said Thomas Collet, Director of 3D Printing Materials and Marketing, LEHVOSS Group. “We believe that the METHOD X with its 100°C heated chamber is a great platform for our dedicated materials, based on PET and high-temperature resistant PA, to enable end use parts that fulfill the highest requirements.”

"With more synergy between material and machine we see a greater focus on the applications realized with 3D printing. High temperature materials provide a gateway to production-ready printed parts and the METHOD is the perfect platform to utilize them," said Dr. Xiaofan Luo, CEO, Polymaker.

“Close collaboration between leading filament suppliers and 3D printer manufacturers is crucial for growing and advancing the 3D printing market. Through this partnership, MakerBot and KIMYA provide an ideal combination of advanced engineering materials and an industrial 3D printing system that produces high quality parts. The heated chamber and the SR-30 support material of METHOD are ideal for printing complex end-use parts with KIMYA ABS-based materials. Together, we are expanding applications for 3D printing following the high requirements of manufacturers,” explains Pierre-Antoine Pluvinage, Business Development Director at Kimya – Additive Manufacturing by ARMOR.