MakerBot, the home 3D printing giant owned by industrial 3D printing giant Stratasys (Nasdaq: SSYS) has launched a 3D print service in its MakerBot retail stores located in New York, Boston and Greenwich, Conn. One can now simply walk into a their retail stores with a .STL, .OBJ or Thing file on a USB drive and MakerBot will 3D print your design for you. All items are 3D printed on a Replicator 2 in the store.
Digital files will be 3D printed with MakerBot PLA Filament, available in either white, black, translucent red, warm grey or natural. Additional colours are available for an additional fee. 3D printing times will be estimated and arrangements made for pick-up of the item or items; customers will also be notified when their print is ready for pick-up.
Pricing is based on 3D print time: Less than 30-minutes is $10; up to one hour is $20; two hours is $35; four hours is $65; five hours is $80; and 3D prints up to six hours is $100. 3D prints longer than six hours will be provided with a cost estimate. Existing 3D print service providers such as Shapeways may be watching this development closely…
