New York, NY -- Tuesday at the International CES in Las Vegas, MakerBot introduced their newest 3-D printing model, the Replicator. It can print larger objects than the first MakerBot model, the Thing-O-Matic, and can also print objects in two colors instead of one.
MakerBot is advertising this model as the first consumer grade 3-D printer to ever be able to print in two colors simultaneously using “‘Dualstrusion’”. Most 3-D printers typically are equipped with the means to print in one color. The Replicator comes with an additional extruder (the device that lays down the material layer-by-layer) which allows the use of a second color and also a different material.
For instance, PC World gives the example of a globe. Using green PLA for the earth and the blue ABS plastic for the water you could put the materials together to form your object. So how much does something like this cost? The single-extruder model of the Replicator will set you back $1,799. For an additional $1,999, you can purchase the Dualstrusion model. One advantage of purchasing this type of printer from Makerbot is that it comes pre-assembled, so you can simply just print.
Whereas the Thing-O-Matic was limited to printing out objects that measured 5x5x6”, the new Replicator is able to create objects up to 8.9x5.7x5.9” in size (Makerbot equates this to roughly the size of loaf of bread. If you want see more about this new device, the YouTube vid is worth checking out. Interested parties can pre-order now and Makerbot expects they’ll have devices ready to go out within the next 6 weeks.
