MakerBot, a global leader in the desktop 3D printing industry, is at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week. Instead of introducing a number of new products, the company is on a mission to transform the way people think about 3D printing. To do this, the company is building onto its MakerBot® 3D Ecosystem.

“CES 2015 is different for us in that we are purposefully not introducing new 3D printers at CES this year,” said Jenny Lawton, CEO of MakerBot.  “Instead, we are focusing our efforts on creating the most comprehensive MakerBot 3D Ecosystem to support our customers.

“Last year was a really big year for us,” continued Lawton.  “We brought three new MakerBot Replicator 3D Printers to market, plus we launched numerous other initiatives including MakerBot Desktop, MakerBot Mobile and MakerBot PrintShop; we introduced the MakerBot Digital Store and brought on licensed partners Sesame Street, Uglydoll, Hello Kitty and Martha Stewart; and we expanded our global presence with MakerBot Europe and our retail presence to the point where MakerBot Replicator 3D Printers and the MakerBot Digitizer™ Desktop 3D Scanner are now available in more than 500 retail stores throughout the U.S. and Europe.  That is a lot.

“For 2015, we are focused on enhancing the overall MakerBot 3D Ecosystem by listening to our users, fine-tuning our 3D printers, iterating our software and apps to unlock their full potential, and launching new MakerBot PLA Composite Filaments as well as services that will make 3D printing even more interesting and accessible.  We know there is a lot of hype around 3D printing.  At CES, we want to ground the hype and showcase how educators, businesses and real users have incorporated MakerBot 3D printing into their daily work and lives.”

MakerBot PLA Composite Filaments are made with composites of real Metal, Stone and Wood. These stable materials deliver beautiful, realistic parts when used on the fifth-generation MakerBot Replicator® 3D Printers.  They retain the nontoxic and ease-of-use properties that make PLA a popular 3D printing material.  If you have a swappable MakerBot Replicator Smart Extruder, new Smart Extruders will be developed to match these new materials.

MakerBot 3D Professional Services is a new division to help companies, organizations and schools interested in incorporating 3D printing through expert consulting, education, design services, 3D printed products and software applications. The launch of MakerBot 3D Professional Services includes:

Consulting from MakerBot

MakerBot Learning

3D Design Services by MakerBot

MakerBot 3D Printed Products

MakerBot Innovation Center Management Platform

MakerBot Mobile True Remote Printing and Monitoring. This new MakerBot feature will allow full control and monitoring of 3D printing on a fifth-generation MakerBot Replicator 3D Printer from anywhere, anytime, via a Wi-Fi or cell network and will be available in early 2015.

MakerBot Kit for MODO 801 is an application designed in partnership with the global software company The Foundry for MODO 801 that takes advantage of MakerBot’s open API and full integration with Thingiverse.com.  This integration allows MODO and Thingiverse users the ability to store, share and 3D print designs made with MODO 801.

MakerBot Thingiverse and GE FirstBuild Icebox Challenge Winners unveiled!  Have you ever dreamed of being able to accessorize your home appliances with items made just for your lifestyle? Now you can with innovative 3D printed refrigerator accessories inspired by MakerBot Thingiverse and GE FirstBuild’s Icebox Challenge winning 3D printed accessories.  Need a pizza box holder?  A way to monitor your milk from the grocery store?  What about unique storage solutions? FirstBuild is incorporating some of the 3D printed accessories crowd sourced from the Thingiverse and FirstBuild communities into its new ChillHub smart refrigerator, also being launched at CES.  The Icebox Challenge is just the first of several design and innovation challenges that the MakerBot Thingiverse and GE FirstBuild communities are undertaking in 2015 to showcase the power of Real-Time Prototyping™ on a MakerBot Replicator 3D Printer.

Martha Stewart for MakerBot Digital Store is planning to expand in 2015 with new collections.  CES 2015 will provide a venue to showcase how Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia incorporates MakerBot Replicator 3D Printers into its design process.  The MakerBot CES experience will also include a sneak peek of some Martha Stewart for MakerBot Digital Store collections to come.

MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys Ltd.
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