MAKE at CES 2013: MakerBot Unveils Replicator 2X and Parametric Design Tool

3D Printing & Imaging

Matt Richardson is a San Francisco-based creative technologist and Contributing Editor at MAKE. He’s the co-author of Getting Started with Raspberry Pi and the author of Getting Started with BeagleBone.

View more articles by Matt Richardson

@MattRichardson

January 8th, 2013 14

From a packed booth at CES, MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis pulled the cover off the MakerBot Replicator 2X, an experimental version of the Replicator 2, which was announced last September. The 3D printer is equipped with two extruders and a heated build plate. It’s also fully enclosed and optimized for ABS plastic filament. According to MakerBot, it’s meant for “daredevils and experimenters to explore the frontiers of 3D printing.”

Bre also announced an update to Thingiverse, the 3D model sharing site. The update includes a new API so that third party developers can access the site’s capabilities. As a demonstration of the Thingiverse API, the folks at MakerBot also launched the MakerBot Customizer. It’s a app for Thingiverse that lets you specify the parameters for a custom iPhone case design.