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    1. Additive Manufacturing

    Method and Method X printers gain carbon-fiber capabilities

    June 25, 2020
    MakerBot's new printers can produce lightweight, less-expensive alternatives to metal parts.
    MakerBot Industries LLC
    MakerBot has updated its Method and Method X printers with a new higher-temperature-capable extruder, allowing them to print carbon-fiber-reinforced materials.
    MakerBot has updated its Method and Method X printers with a new higher-temperature-capable extruder, allowing them to print carbon-fiber-reinforced materials.
    MakerBot Industries LLC
    Versions of MakerBot's Method and Method X 3-D printers have been upgraded so that they can print carbon-fiber-reinforced parts.
    Versions of MakerBot's Method and Method X 3-D printers have been upgraded so that they can print carbon-fiber-reinforced parts.
    MakerBot Industries LLC
    Versions of MakerBot's Method and Method X 3-D printers have been upgraded so that they can print carbon-fiber-reinforced parts.
    Versions of MakerBot's Method and Method X 3-D printers have been upgraded so that they can print carbon-fiber-reinforced parts.
    MakerBot Industries LLC
    Versions of MakerBot's Method and Method X 3-D printers have been upgraded so that they can print carbon-fiber-reinforced parts.
    Versions of MakerBot's Method and Method X 3-D printers have been upgraded so that they can print carbon-fiber-reinforced parts.
    Method MakerBot’sMethod and Method X 3-D printers can transform engineering-grade resins into complex parts with internal features and other difficult-to-produce geometries for the automotive and aerospace industries, as well as other fields. They also can be used for prototyping.

    What’s new? New Method editions capable of printing carbon-fiber-reinforced nylon parts.  They feature a new higher-temperature, composite extruder that is optimized to handle abrasive materials. It has hardened metal drive gears, a metal filament switch and an interchangeable hardened steel nozzle. The extruder also is available for the original Method and Method X 3-D printers. In addition, the printers have a new heated-chamber annealing feature. Method’s dry-sealed filament bays help to keep the moisture-sensitive nylon carbon fiber material dry, resulting in better print quality and reliability.

    Benefits The production of strong, heat-resistant, true-to-design parts with excellent finishes. Carbon-fiber material from MakerBot or other manufacturers can be used as a lightweight, lower-cost alternative to metal for structural and under-the-hood parts such as vehicular brackets and inspection gauges, as well as manufacturing tools such as robotic end effectors.

    MakerBot Industries LLC, Brooklyn, N.Y.,  347-676-3456, www.makerbot.com


    		Vital statistics

    		Method        Method X        
    Maximum temperature of heated chamber         140 degrees Fahrenheit230 degrees Fahrenheit
    Weight        65 pounds        65 pounds            


    Product dimensions        

    		17.2 inches by 16.3 inches by 25.6 inches        17.2 inches by 16.3 inches by 25.6 inches   
     Maximum build volume        

    7.5 inches by 7.5 inches by 7.75 inches (single extrusion), 6 inches by 7.5 inches by 7.5 inches by 7.75 inches (dual extrusion)

    7.5 inches by 7.5 inches by 7.75 inches (single extrusion), 6 inches by 7.5 inches by 7.5 inches by 7.75 inches (dual extrusion)

    Maximum material flow rate        

    50 cubic millimeters per second

    50 cubic millimeters per second

    AIM3D
    Modix
    AIM3D
    Ultimaker North America