MakerBot Smart Extruder+ is 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.
Features:
- improved key components to ensure longer-lasting reliability
- faster print start-up
- refined build plate leveling
- enhanced smart sensors within the extruder
