New MakerBot LABS Experimental Extruder Enables 3D Printing of Third-Party Engineering Materials

BASF 3D Printing Solutions and LEHVOSS Group Join Other Leading Filament Suppliers in the METHOD Materials Development Program

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — April 2, 2020 — MakerBot, a global leader in 3D printing and subsidiary of Stratasys (Nasdaq: SSYS), today announces the availability of the MakerBot LABS Experimental Extruder for METHOD. The new extruder turns METHOD into an open materials platform, enabling users to print with a wide variety of third-party materials on an industrial 3D printing platform. The MakerBot LABS Experimental Extruder¹ for METHOD is now available for sale and shipping to customers.

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MakerBot LABS for METHOD (Photo: Business Wire)

The news comes on the heels of the successful launch of the METHOD Materials Development Program, announced in November 2019, which allows leading filament companies to qualify their materials for the MakerBot LABS extruder. The program has gained significant momentum since it was announced and MakerBot has added leading materials suppliers BASF 3D Printing Solutions and LEHVOSS Group to its growing list of partners, which also includes Jabil, Polymaker, Kimya, and Mitsubishi Chemical.

"By transforming METHOD into an open materials platform, we provide our users with an incredibly powerful tool to realize their ideas. Engineers can now print a growing number of advanced third-party materials on an industrial 3D printing platform, which was designed to produce stronger and more accurate parts than competing desktop 3D printers," said Johan-Till Broer, VP of Product Development, MakerBot. "We have partnered with some of the best material companies in the industry to rapidly expand and diversify the materials portfolio for METHOD. With our partners and customers, we will explore the boundaries of what's possible with METHOD to unlock new applications."

The new MakerBot LABS extruder encourages engineers to push the limits of what’s possible with METHOD 3D printers by experimenting with new 3D printing materials. METHOD’s industrial capabilities are ideal for printing parts with advanced materials that allow engineers to unlock new 3D printing applications. With its 100°C heated chamber, METHOD can produce parts that are stronger and more accurate than those printed on a desktop 3D printer with a heated build plate². Soluble SR-30 supports from Stratasys³ and water soluble PVA enables the user to print complex geometries with advanced engineering materials that are difficult to print successfully on a desktop 3D printer.

With a modified hot end, the new MakerBot LABS extruder gives users advanced customization options for new materials, including interchangeable nozzle assemblies and expanded print settings in MakerBot’s print preparation software, MakerBot Print. The LABS extruder can reach up to 300°C, and includes sensors that track temperature, materials, and extruder jams.

MakerBot is actively working with its partners to qualify specific materials for the METHOD platform. Recommended materials for the MakerBot LABS Experimental Extruder for METHOD include:

• Polymaker PolyMax™ PC: Polycarbonate (PC) has excellent toughness, strength and heat resistance. PolyMax PC works well with METHOD’s soluble SR-30 supports to print more complex parts than on a desktop 3D printer. This filament opens new applications in the automotive, railway and aerospace industries.
• Jabil PETg ESD: Jabil Engineered Materials PETg ESD is an easy processing, Electrostatic Dissipative (ESD) product for printing parts that meet sensitive electronics and could be damaged by electrostatic discharge.
• Jabil TPE SEBS 1300 95A: A flexible material with a 95A durometer that bends, flexes, and stretches, and has demonstrated success in printing complex geometries. Unlike other elastomers, SEBS 95A is not sensitive to moisture and doesn’t require drying.
• Kimya ABS CARBON: An ABS composite material with 30% chopped carbon fiber for improved stiffness and compression strength, as well as lower weight than regular ABS.
• Kimya PETG CARBON: PETG reinforced with carbon fibers for excellent stiffness and increased tensile strength over regular PETG.
• Mitsubishi Chemical DURABIO™: DURABIO is an engineering, bio-based, BPA free resin. It combines PMMA’s transparency with a higher chemical and scratch resistance compared to polycarbonate (PC). The core applications for the material are in automotive, housing, interior and exterior décor.

The MakerBot LABS Experimental Extruder for METHOD can be purchased as an additional accessory. New materials for the MakerBot LABS extruder can be purchased directly from MakerBot’s partners. Companies interested in joining the MakerBot Materials Development Program can contact MakerBot at labs@makerbot.com.

For more information, visit www.makerbot.com/labs.

MakerBot is offering a significant, limited-time 30% discount on 100 METHOD and METHOD X 3D printers to help businesses who need to get professional 3D printing capabilities into the hands of their employees. Visit MakerBot online to learn more.

MakerBot, METHOD, METHOD X, and MakerBot Print are registered trademarks or trademarks of MakerBot Industries, LLC in the United States and/or other countries. SR-30 is a trademark of Stratasys, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

— Partner Quotes —

“We are very excited to be part of the Materials Development Program for the MakerBot METHOD with our high-performance LUVOCOM 3F Filaments,” said Thomas Collet, Director of 3D Printing Materials and Marketing, LEHVOSS Group. “We believe that the METHOD X with its 100°C heated chamber is a great platform for our dedicated materials, based on PET and high-temperature resistant PA, to enable end use parts that fulfill the highest requirements.”

"With more synergy between material and machine we see a greater focus on the applications realized with 3D printing. High temperature materials provide a gateway to production-ready printed parts and the METHOD is the perfect platform to utilize them," said Dr. Xiaofan Luo, CEO, Polymaker.

“Close collaboration between leading filament suppliers and 3D printer manufacturers is crucial for growing and advancing the 3D printing market. Through this partnership, MakerBot and KIMYA provide an ideal combination of advanced engineering materials and an industrial 3D printing system that produces high quality parts. The heated chamber and the SR-30 support material of METHOD are ideal for printing complex end-use parts with KIMYA ABS-based materials. Together, we are expanding applications for 3D printing following the high requirements of manufacturers,” explains Pierre-Antoine Pluvinage, Business Development Director at Kimya – Additive Manufacturing by ARMOR.

About MakerBot

MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS), is a global leader in the 3D printing industry. The company helps create the innovators of today and the businesses and learning institutions of the future. Founded in 2009 in Brooklyn, NY, MakerBot strives to redefine the standards for 3D printing for reliability, accessibility, precision, and ease-of-use. Through this dedication, MakerBot has one of the largest install bases in the industry and also runs Thingiverse, the largest 3D printing community in the world.

We believe there's an innovator in everyone, so we make the 3D printing tools that make your ideas matter. Discover innovation with MakerBot 3D printing.

To learn more about MakerBot, visit makerbot.com.

Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statement

The statements in this press release relating to Stratasys’ and/or MakerBot's beliefs regarding the benefits consumers will experience from the MakerBot LABS Extruder and its features are forward-looking statements reflecting management's current expectations and beliefs. These forward-looking statements are based on current information that is, by its nature, subject to rapid and even abrupt change. Due to risks and uncertainties associated with Stratasys' and MakerBot's businesses, actual results could differ materially from those projected or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk that consumers will not perceive the benefits of the MakerBot LABS Extruder and its features to be the same as Stratasys and MakerBot do; the risk that unforeseen technical or other difficulties will delay the availability of the MakerBot LABS Extruder; and other risk factors set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in Stratasys' most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 7, 2019. Stratasys (or MakerBot) is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by the rules and regulations of the SEC.