BetaSolution Hints At MakerBot’s Next Move?

By on March 22nd, 2011 in Hardware, Ideas

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MakerBot recently wrote on the availability of iFeelbeta’s “BetaSolution”, a chemical solution capable of dissolving PLA plastic. Why would you want to do this? You’d be able to freely use PLA as a support material in your 3D prints and very easily remove that support from your final object with this fluid. This would enable MakerBots to print a much wider variety of objects and open up all kinds of new 3D model pursuits. 
 
But there’s one catch. You must have a second print head on your machine to be able to print both the main material (usually ABS plastic) and the support material (PLA plastic in this case) during the same print operation. Currently, MakerBot’s flagship printer, the Thing-O-Matic, offers only a single print head. 
 
But an increasing number of posts related to this topic raises the question: is MakerBot secretly working on a second print head option for the Thing-O-Matic? We think so. It would not be surprising to us if they announced a second print head option this year, as it seems to be the next natural step. 
 
Besides, what’s a Thing-O-Matic if it isn’t being upgraded? 
 

By Kerry Stevenson

Kerry Stevenson, aka "General Fabb" has written over 8,000 stories on 3D printing at Fabbaloo since he launched the venture in 2007, with an intention to promote and grow the incredible technology of 3D printing across the world. So far, it seems to be working!

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