MakerGear Hits Forbes

As interest in 3D printing grows we see increasingly frequent appearances in mass media. Now we see popular 3D printer supplier MakerGear featured in business publication Forbes. 

 

MakerGear is a well-stocked supply shop for 3D printer owners and would-be owners. In addition to supplying materials (ABS and PLA filament), MakerGear also offers well-regarded upgraded parts for common 3D printers and even RepRap Prusa and their own Mosaic 3D printer kits. 

 

In the Forbes article, MakerGear chief Rick Pollack says: 

 

We do a lot of our production locally. The guy who makes our nozzles, for examples, I can drive to his place and talk. We are very much a grassroots company with customers across a wide spectrum from Schools and Universities to Software by day, hobbyists by night. People want to do custom stuff for their hobby. We help artists. And, we have a growing group of Small Business Owners that want to do small run production, rapid prototyping. 3D printers have been cute and clever, but now they are useful and can be used for small run production.

 

We think MakerGear is in a pretty good position to take advantage of the growing market - but they will face competition from numerous other 3D printer kit projects that have recently appeared and perhaps even stiffer competition from other suppliers of plastic filament, which, by its nature is a commodity item. 

 

Via Forbes

The Mosaic 3D Printer

MakerGear, that wonderful online source for all kinds of 3D printing goodness, launched the Mosaic 3D Printer this past summer. The Mosaic is similar to several other inexpensive 3D printer kits. This item comes in three forms: 

 

• The basic kit, for USD$799
• The "Plus" version for USD$999, which adds a heated build platform and completely assembled electronics
• The assembled version for USD$1499

 

The Mosaic 3D printer, like the MakerBots, includes a laser-cut wood frame that's glued together into a rigid shape. The Mosaic includes MakerGear's well-known 1.75mm Plastruder, but we noticed the precision rods and linear guides & rails that should ensure very smooth operation. 

 

The build envelope for the Mosaic is a healthy 5x5x5 inches (or 12.7x12.7x12.7 mm), slightly bigger than some competing 3D printers. 

 

If you're interested in a Mosaic, they are offered on MakerGear's site. As of this writing, however, it seems that they have only the Plus kit available at USD$999. Delivery should take  approximately four weeks, but of course this could be subject to supplier delays. 

 

Via MakerGear