MakerBot Starter Lab Helps Colleges Take the 3D Printing Plunge
3D printers can be powerful and innovative tools in the right hands. And because the industry is still relatively new, it can be hard to know where to start.
To help orient new users of 3D printers, MakerBot has launched the MakerBot Starter Lab — a bundle of equipment that can help schools get their feet wet in the growing world of 3D printing.
“The MakerBot Starter Lab is designed to help educational institutions prepare students to be more college and career ready by providing them with relevant, competitive skills today,” MakerBot acting CEO Frank Alfano said in a news release.
The State University of New York at New Paltz has become a hub for creative engineering activities through its MakerBot Innovation Center. And SUNY’s College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill has taken the plunge with the Starter Lab along with Union College in Schenectady, New York.
“The MakerBot Starter Lab has already helped the college quickly make 3D printing accessible to more students to foster creativity and collaboration,” said John Rieffel, an assistant professor of computer science at Union College.
Each MakerBot Starter Lab includes:
Hardware
- 4 MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printers
- 1 MakerBot Replicator Z18 3D Printer
- 1 MakerBot Replicator Mini Compact 3D Printer
- 1 MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner
- 10 swappable MakerBot Replicator Smart Extruders
Training, Support & Software
- MakerBot Learning Starter Lab Workshop and professional Q&A session
- Expert installation
- MakerCare Protection Plans for all hardware and six-month hardware warranty
- Free downloads of MakerBot Desktop, MakerBot Printshop and MakerBot Mobile
Materials & Accessories
- 80 free spools of the most popular MakerBot PLA Filament True, Translucent and specialty colors (include Small, Large and XXL)
- Cart, Spool Holder and grease packet for MakerBot Replicator Z18
- Racking and build plate tape
More information on the Starter Lab is online at MakerBot's website.
