MakerBot Announces Smart Extruder+

04 Ene 2016, 00:00 AM EST

Designed and Tested to Provide Better Performance over a Longer
Period of Time

BROOKLYN, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–MakerBot, a global leader in the desktop 3D printing industry, today
announced the MakerBot
Smart Extruder+, a new swappable extruder for Fifth Generation
MakerBot 3D Printers that is designed and tested for better print
performance over a longer period of time. With improved components and
an enhanced sensor system, the Smart Extruder+ is designed to provide a
streamlined and reliable printing process from start to finish. MakerBot
worked closely with its parent company, Stratasys,
to put the Smart Extruder+ through extensive product testing and help
verify its performance by two independent teams.

“The advances we made with the MakerBot Smart Extruder+ are a big step
forward and set a new benchmark in 3D printing,” said Jonathan Jaglom,
CEO of MakerBot. “The extruder is the most critical part of a 3D printer
and it is a part that wears out after a certain period of time and needs
to be replaced. We engineered and tested the Smart Extruder+ to enhance
its reliability, provide better performance and extend its lifetime. And
we stand behind it by doubling our warranty to six months. Because it is
swappable, the Smart Extruder+ can also reduce downtime when it’s time
to replace it.”

MakerBot collaborated closely with its parent company Stratasys on the
development and testing of the Smart Extruder+, benefitting from
Stratasys’ 25 years of industry experience. MakerBot’s product testing
initiative spanned over 160,000 cumulative hours – or 18 years – of
print time. A total of 5,800 prints were completed by two groups – one
at MakerBot and one at Stratasys – to help ensure independent
verification of the results. In these tests, the Smart Extruder+
performed consistently and reliably for over 700 hours on a MakerBot
Replicator Desktop 3D Printer, which equals 1.44 miles of MakerBot PLA
Filament. In fact, over 90 percent of test units were still printing
successfully at 1,200+ hours of print time. Generally, the rate of wear
on extruders has many variables and is dependent on how it is used and
the settings it’s configured for over time. MakerBot backs up its
commitment to quality by doubling the warranty of the Smart Extruder+ to
six months with no limit to the amount of MakerBot PLA put through the
extruder, so customers can print with confidence.

The Smart Extruder+ features improved key components to ensure
longer-lasting reliability, such as an enhanced thermal management
system and an extended PTFE tube to feed the filament into the nozzle.
Additional improvements include faster print start up and refined build
plate leveling, the process of calibrating a 3D printer. The smart
sensors within the extruder have been enhanced for better performance
and to streamline the printing process from start to completion – which
can save time and money. The Smart Extruder+ sensor system communicates
with MakerBot
Desktop and MakerBot
Mobile to keep users informed about the status of a print wherever
they go. For example, the filament detection sensor notifies users – on
their computer or mobile phone – when filament is absent and
automatically pauses a print to enable print recovery.

The streamlined printing process of the Smart Extruder+ can be
especially beneficial in the classroom. “The reliability and ease of use
is huge for us; it provides more students access to our MakerBot Desktop
3D Printer,” said Nicholas Provenzano, a teacher at Grosse Pointe Public
Schools in Michigan, who has been using the MakerBot Smart Extruder+ for
several weeks. “Our students print all day in our library and I can’t
always be there to assist them. The MakerBot 3D Ecosystem, and
especially the Smart Extruder+, makes it easy for our students to turn
their ideas into physical objects. It lets them focus on the design
process, which is most beneficial for their education.”

The Smart Extruder+ has an MSRP of $199. It is available for pre-order
now and expected to ship on January 18, 2016. Current MakerBot Fifth
Generation 3D Printer customers qualify for a special price of $99 for
their first MakerBot Smart Extruder+¹. The same discount is
also available for new customers with the purchase of a MakerBot Fifth
Generation 3D Printer. To learn more about the Smart Extruder+, visit makerbot.com/smartextruder.

The MakerBot Smart Extruder+ is the latest addition to MakerBot’s
comprehensive 3D ecosystem that makes 3D printing more accessible. The
MakerBot 3D Ecosystem includes MakerBot 3D printers and a 3D scanner; Thingiverse.com,
the world’s largest 3D printing design community; as well as software
like MakerBot
Desktop and apps like MakerBot
Mobile and MakerBot
PrintShop. With MakerBot 3D Printers in more than 5,000 schools
throughout the U.S., the MakerBot 3D Ecosystem also provides a range of
resources for educators which can be found on the MakerBot
Education Resource Center. MakerBot
in the Classroom, for example, is a handbook with a wide variety of
ideas, activities and projects to get started with 3D printing.

MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys
Ltd. (Nasdaq:SSYS), is leading the Next Industrial Revolution by setting
the standards in reliable and affordable desktop 3D printing. Founded in
2009, MakerBot sells desktop 3D printers to innovative and
industry-leading customers worldwide, including engineers, architects,
designers, educators and consumers. MakerBot has one of the largest
installed bases and market shares in the desktop 3D printing industry,
with more than 90,000 MakerBot Replicator 3D Printers in the world. The
robust MakerBot 3D Ecosystem makes 3D printing easy and accessible for
everyone. To learn more about MakerBot, visit makerbot.com.

Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The statements in this press release relating to Stratasys’ beliefs
regarding the benefits customers will experience from the MakerBot Smart
Extruder+ and Stratasys’ expectation on the timing of shipping the
MakerBot Smart Extruder+, are forward-looking statements reflecting
management’s current expectations and beliefs. These forward-looking
statements are based on current information that is, by its nature,
subject to rapid and even abrupt change. Due to risks and uncertainties
associated with Stratasys’ business, actual results could differ
materially from those projected or implied by these forward-looking
statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited
to: the risk that consumers will not realize or otherwise achieve
benefits from the MakerBot Smart Extruder+; the risk that technical or
other difficulties will delay the shipping of the MakerBot Smart
Extruder+ or preclude the potential benefits described in this release;
and other risk factors set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in
Stratasys’ most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 3, 2015. Stratasys is
under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any obligation) to update
or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by
the rules and regulations of the SEC.