MakerBot announces METHOD Materials Development Program

November 19, 2019 - MakerBot announced the METHOD Materials Development Program and MakerBot LABS Experimental Extruder for METHOD to enable 3D printing with a range of engineering-grade materials from filament suppliers. A growing list of partners starting with Jabil, KIMYA, Polymaker, and Mitsubishi Chemical are working to qualify filament for use with the MakerBot METHOD platform.  

MakerBot is currently working with Jabil, KIMYA, Mitsubishi Chemical, and Polymaker to qualify the following materials for MakerBot LABS for METHOD:

• 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. 
• 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 ABS ESD: An ABS-based ESD material filled with carbon nanotubes that is ideal for applications that require protection against electrostatic discharge, such as manufacturing fixtures and electronics enclosures. 
• KIMYA PETG CARBON: PETG reinforced with carbon fibers for  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 chemical and scratch resistance compared to polycarbonate (PC). The core applications for the material are in automotive, housing, interior and exterior décor. 
• Polymaker PolyMax PC: An engineered PC filament combining strength, toughness, heat resistance, and printing quality.
• Polymaker PolyMax PC-FR: Flame retardant PC filament (UL94V-0/1.5 mm) displaying toughness, strength, and heat resistance. It opens new applications in the automotive, railway, and aerospace industries.

The METHOD manufacturing workstation includes industrial 3D printing features, such as the Circulating Heated Chamber, Dual Performance Extruders, Dry-Sealed Material Bays, and industrial SR-30 soluble supports, which make it ideal for printing with advanced, engineering-grade materials and partners can now leverage these capabilities to print advanced materials on the platform. 

MakerBot has modified the Experimental Extruder hot end to make it easier to change the nozzle assembly and plans to offer additional nozzle configurations in the future. The extruder gives users customization options for new materials, including interchangeable nozzle assemblies, and expanded print settings in MakerBot’s print preparation software, MakerBot Print. 

The MakerBot LABS Experimental Extruder is expected to launch in an open beta program in December 2019. MakerBot will give away a limited number of free MakerBot LABS Experimental Extruders to existing and new METHOD customers, while supplies last. Customers can sign up for news about the MakerBot LABS Experimental Extruder for METHOD and the open beta program here. The MakerBot LABS Experimental Extruder is expected to go on sale in Q1 2020. The extruders will be available for both METHOD and METHOD X.

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