Dual-Head Two-Color MakerBots Are Coming!

Hot Topics:

By Gareth Branwyn
Posted 2011/09/18 @ 3:30 pm
Category 3D Printing, General

On the heels of the Arduino announcement, MakerBot Industries announced their new plastic extruder, the Stepstruder MK 7, the “highest number extruder ever.” It’s significant because it’s the first extruder designed from the ground up for 1.75 mm filament, and it’s much smaller than previous extruder designs.

The small size of the MK 7 means that you can even fit two heads in your ‘Bot. In that vein, MakerBot was also showing off an experimental version of their printers sporting dual Mark 7s and software for rendering 3D objects in two colors. The software is in “experimental public beta,” but with the software, two Mark 7s, and a few tweaks, and you can be a beta tester.

Announcement on the Stepstruder MK 7 here and more about the public beta of the dual-head version soon.

In the Maker Shed

18 Responses to Dual-Head Two-Color MakerBots Are Coming!

M. "Shadyman" Lange on September 19th, 2011 at 4:03 pm said:

The Neighborhood. There goes it.

Reply ↓
M. "Shadyman" Lange on September 19th, 2011 at 4:03 pm said:

The Neighborhood. There goes it.

Reply ↓
Aaron & Vicki Tunell on September 19th, 2011 at 5:05 pm said:

I want to know more about dual extrusion NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reply ↓
Christian Restifo on September 19th, 2011 at 5:51 pm said:

As they say, two heads are better than one.

I think it would be neat to not just print two colors but two different materials. Think cheap/ugly for the inside and expensive/nice for the outside. Kind of like gold plating on a cheap base metal. Or, print water soluble PVA on the inside, ABS on the outside, soak, and, ta-da, a hollow object. Or use the water soluble PVA for supports. Just about anything would then be printable as is.

Reply ↓
Christian Restifo on September 19th, 2011 at 5:51 pm said:

As they say, two heads are better than one.

I think it would be neat to not just print two colors but two different materials. Think cheap/ugly for the inside and expensive/nice for the outside. Kind of like gold plating on a cheap base metal. Or, print water soluble PVA on the inside, ABS on the outside, soak, and, ta-da, a hollow object. Or use the water soluble PVA for supports. Just about anything would then be printable as is.

Reply ↓
Christian Restifo on September 19th, 2011 at 5:51 pm said:

As they say, two heads are better than one.

I think it would be neat to not just print two colors but two different materials. Think cheap/ugly for the inside and expensive/nice for the outside. Kind of like gold plating on a cheap base metal. Or, print water soluble PVA on the inside, ABS on the outside, soak, and, ta-da, a hollow object. Or use the water soluble PVA for supports. Just about anything would then be printable as is.

Reply ↓
Christian Restifo on September 19th, 2011 at 5:51 pm said:

As they say, two heads are better than one.

I think it would be neat to not just print two colors but two different materials. Think cheap/ugly for the inside and expensive/nice for the outside. Kind of like gold plating on a cheap base metal. Or, print water soluble PVA on the inside, ABS on the outside, soak, and, ta-da, a hollow object. Or use the water soluble PVA for supports. Just about anything would then be printable as is.

Reply ↓
Christian Restifo on September 19th, 2011 at 5:51 pm said:

As they say, two heads are better than one.

I think it would be neat to not just print two colors but two different materials. Think cheap/ugly for the inside and expensive/nice for the outside. Kind of like gold plating on a cheap base metal. Or, print water soluble PVA on the inside, ABS on the outside, soak, and, ta-da, a hollow object. Or use the water soluble PVA for supports. Just about anything would then be printable as is.

Reply ↓
Christian Restifo on September 19th, 2011 at 5:51 pm said:

As they say, two heads are better than one.

I think it would be neat to not just print two colors but two different materials. Think cheap/ugly for the inside and expensive/nice for the outside. Kind of like gold plating on a cheap base metal. Or, print water soluble PVA on the inside, ABS on the outside, soak, and, ta-da, a hollow object. Or use the water soluble PVA for supports. Just about anything would then be printable as is.

Reply ↓
Christian Restifo on September 19th, 2011 at 5:51 pm said:

As they say, two heads are better than one.

I think it would be neat to not just print two colors but two different materials. Think cheap/ugly for the inside and expensive/nice for the outside. Kind of like gold plating on a cheap base metal. Or, print water soluble PVA on the inside, ABS on the outside, soak, and, ta-da, a hollow object. Or use the water soluble PVA for supports. Just about anything would then be printable as is.

Reply ↓
Christian Restifo on September 19th, 2011 at 5:51 pm said:

As they say, two heads are better than one.

I think it would be neat to not just print two colors but two different materials. Think cheap/ugly for the inside and expensive/nice for the outside. Kind of like gold plating on a cheap base metal. Or, print water soluble PVA on the inside, ABS on the outside, soak, and, ta-da, a hollow object. Or use the water soluble PVA for supports. Just about anything would then be printable as is.

Reply ↓
Christian Restifo on September 19th, 2011 at 5:51 pm said:

As they say, two heads are better than one.

I think it would be neat to not just print two colors but two different materials. Think cheap/ugly for the inside and expensive/nice for the outside. Kind of like gold plating on a cheap base metal. Or, print water soluble PVA on the inside, ABS on the outside, soak, and, ta-da, a hollow object. Or use the water soluble PVA for supports. Just about anything would then be printable as is.

Reply ↓
Christian Restifo on September 19th, 2011 at 5:51 pm said:

As they say, two heads are better than one.

I think it would be neat to not just print two colors but two different materials. Think cheap/ugly for the inside and expensive/nice for the outside. Kind of like gold plating on a cheap base metal. Or, print water soluble PVA on the inside, ABS on the outside, soak, and, ta-da, a hollow object. Or use the water soluble PVA for supports. Just about anything would then be printable as is.

Reply ↓
Christian Restifo on September 19th, 2011 at 5:51 pm said:

As they say, two heads are better than one.

I think it would be neat to not just print two colors but two different materials. Think cheap/ugly for the inside and expensive/nice for the outside. Kind of like gold plating on a cheap base metal. Or, print water soluble PVA on the inside, ABS on the outside, soak, and, ta-da, a hollow object. Or use the water soluble PVA for supports. Just about anything would then be printable as is.

Reply ↓
John Wood on September 21st, 2011 at 3:23 pm said:

I’d rather see them come out with something edible. Surely, we will be able to print candy soon.

Reply ↓
- ali groves on September 26th, 2011 at 6:25 am said:
  
  designer Rod Bamford from Sydney’s College of Fine Arts recently catered for the RED OBJECTS exhibition by printing icing onto biscuits. One step closer to the ‘snozberries taste like snozberries’ dream!
  
  Reply ↓
wong fanny on October 25th, 2011 at 12:43 am said:

Fantastic goods from you, man. Ive study your stuff ahead of and youre just as well amazing.Monster Beats I enjoy what youve got right here, adore what youre stating and the way you say it.

Reply ↓
wong fanny on October 26th, 2011 at 8:35 pm said:

You make it entertaining and you even now manage to help keep it wise. Dre headphones
I cant wait to go through additional from you. That is really an incredible weblog.

Reply ↓