Introducing MakerBot Print 4.3, MakerBot Connect, and MakerBot for Onshape
At MakerBot, we're continually improving the customer experience with product updates to streamline your workflow and ensure you get the best prints—every time.
Today, we're bringing even more value to the MakerBot experience with new feature enhancements for speeding up print times and optimizing materials—including our all-new real ABS material for METHOD X.
Accelerate your printing with MakerBot Print 4.3
From Cloud-enabled management to animated print previews, MakerBot Print already streamlines any 3D printing workflow.
With our latest update, MakerBot Print 4.3 brings new feature enhancements for significantly increasing the speed of your print on METHOD 3D printers, which will help engineers get from CAD to part even faster.
MakerBot METHOD Series Features
METHOD X Support
The newly-launched METHOD X with higher chamber temperature and support for true ABS material is available on the latest MakerBot Print 4.3.
New features include:
- Optimized parameters for MakerBot ABS material
- Balanced and solid print mode for MakerBot ABS
- Support for new extruders 1XA and 2XA
- Offline METHOD X archetype configuration lock to ensure there is no mismatch for extruders and materials
To learn more about METHOD X and the METHOD series, visit the MakerBot product page.
Taper-In Support (Beta)
A brand new PVA support structure that will dynamically taper-in and morph into a smaller base. This smart support structure will save the users time and money with each print! In our internal benchmarking, we have seen print time reduced by up to 50%.
Additionally, the time savings is further compounded during dissolution of PVA due to the reduced support material. Keep in mind that time and cost savings will be dependent on the geometry of the print and other settings used, but we expect users will see a significant improvement.
Taper-in Support is currently in beta but will appear as a default feature in the near future.
Dissolvable Support and None
Under Support Type there are two more options: Dissolvable Support and None. Dissolvable Support uses the traditional columnar support type that METHOD users are accustomed to. None will turn off supports and the print will not print with PVA or SR-30.
Printer-agnostic Features
Support for New CAD Files Formats
An update of the HOOPS converter will allow us to support the latest updates to the major CAD files including:
- MakerBot (.makerbot) - All Versions
- STL (.stl) - All Versions
- Solidworks (.sldprt, .sldasm) - 97 to 2019
- CATIA (.CATDrawing, .CATPart, .CATProduct, .CATShape, CGR) - Up to V5-6 R2018 (R28)
- IGES (.iges, .igs) - 5.1, 5.2, 5.3
- Inventor (.ipt, .iam) - Up to 2019
- JT (.jt) - Up to v10.2
- Parasolid (.x_b, .x_t, .xmt, .xmt_txt) - Up to v31
- ProE/Creo (.asm, .neu, .prt, .xas, .xpr) - Pro/Engineer 19.0 to Creo 5.0
- Solid Edge (.par, .asm, .pwd, .psm) - V19-20, ST - ST10, 2019
- STEP AP203/214 (.step, .stp, .stpz) - AP 203 E1/E2, AP 214, AP 242
- Unigraphics/NX (.prt) - V11.0 to NX 12.0
- Wavefront Object (.obj) - All Versions
Bug Fixes and Other Changes
- Scale to Max - When users rotate a part and select scale to max, the part may go out of the printer’s boundaries.
- End of life printers:
- MakerBot Replicator 2, Replicator 2X, and Replicator Mini (not Mini+) 3D printers will no longer be supported on future versions of MakerBot Print.
- MakerBot Smart Extruder (not Smart Extruder+) will no longer be supported on future versions of MakerBot Print.
Click here to download the last version (4.3) of MakerBot Print supporting the above printers and extruder. This version will not prompt the user to update each time there is a new version of Print available.
A New and improved connected experience with the MakerBot Connect mobile app
Depending on the size and complexity of your parts, the 3D printing process can take a little while to complete. Understandably, some users want to be able to check-in on the status of their print while on-the-go. While this is achievable with MakerBot Print on a desktop or laptop computer, users may not be at their desk at all times.
The new MakerBot Connect mobile app connects users to their printers at all times, wherever they go. This connected experience allows them to keep up to date on the status of their print, wherever they are.
MakerBot Connect Key Features
- See camera view of all your connected printers
- Share a picture of your printer camera image through your device’s apps
- Pause, resume, and cancel prints
- See printer information
- Change printer name
- Available for Android and iOS devices
- Compatible with Replicator (5th Gen), Replicator+, Z18, Mini, Mini+, METHOD and METHOD X
Download MakerBot Connect
A faster CAD to part workflow with MakerBot for Onshape
Trusted by thousands of engineers to modernize the product design process, Onshape is the only Cloud-based product development platform that unites CAD, data management, collaboration tools and real-time analytics.
MakerBot for Onshape adds even more value for Onshape users with a seamless experience for sending their CAD designs to MakerBot Cloud, MakerBot's web-based slicer.
The application reduces the time it takes to export a CAD design to an STL and loading it into a slicer for 3D printing. Moreover, users will have the ability to select individual parts in their assembly to send to MakerBot Cloud.
Until now, users were required to go through the extra steps of exporting designs from Onshape to their desktop, then importing them into MakerBot Print. The new MakerBot Cloud application for Onshape allows users to send their active part design directly to the virtual build plate in MakerBot Cloud and start their print – creating a seamless, fully Cloud-based manufacturing solution.
“MakerBot for Onshape is another step for MakerBot to provide the most accessible 3D printing process for professional engineers and designers,” said MakerBot VP of Engineering Dave Veiz. “This integration with Onshape is our latest step towards partnering with leading CAD tool providers to provide more engineers with a seamless transition from CAD to part.”
MakerBot for Onshape is a part of Onshape’s effort to create a truly connected user experience through to creating functional parts. Combined with the speed and precision of MakerBot METHOD printers, users will have new capabilities to quickly print manufacturing tools, end-use parts, and functional prototypes not available previously.
To get started with MakerBot for Onshape, head over to the Onshape App Store.
To learn more about MakerBot’s professional offerings, visit makerbot.com/method.
At MakerBot, we're continually improving the customer experience with product updates to streamline your workflow and ensure you get the best prints—every time. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to stay on top of the latest MakerBot Updates!