MakerBot unveils new desktop 3D printer - Replicator 2

MakerBot unveils new desktop 3D printer - Replicator 2After having introduced the original Replicator brand of DIY 3D printer in January this year, Brooklyn-based startup firm MakerBot has brought 3D-printing closer to mainstream, with its unveiling of the Replicator 2 on Wednesday.

According to the MakerBot announcement, the newly-unveiled Replicator 2 is a desktop 3D printer, which will essentially suit the needs of ambitious users who wish to create their own physical objects out of bioplastic (corn-based PLA), apparently in a considerably easy manner.

The Replicator 2 - which is priced at $2,199 for the lower-end model - works in such a way that when users load a digital rendering into its MakerWare software, and then put the setting on the printing mode, the printer can conjure a model from a reel of corn-based plastic.

However, pointing out that the Replicator 2 is basically a printer for those consumers who are prepared to devote some serious time and energy for mastering the nuances of the printing activity, MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis said that, though buyers can play around with the machine if they so desire, it actually has been specifically designed for "the distinguished 3D modeler who has very high expectations of output."

While Pettis said that Replicator 2 can be defined as "a `prosumer' level device" which is "a great starting point" 3D-printing enthusiasts, his father Jacques - who works with the marketing team at MakerBot - said that the machine was perfect for rapid prototyping and modeling of hardware or other physical products, including buildings.