MakerBot has revealed its latest update for its desktop 3D printing software, and it has the company's MakerBot models printing 30 percent faster—all thanks to a new, cutting-edge infill pattern that lends better structural support to the objects it produces.
The company's new infill pattern was develped as a complementary feature to MakerBot's last highlighted addition: MakerBot's 3.7's variable layer height printing. In tandem with 3.8's diamond infill, selected printable designs can be produced with a thicker interior, making printed objects more durable.
In addition to this, the MakerBot's variable layer height tech also complements its new infill in regards to production rate—the higher the layer height is set, the faster the MakerBot hardware will print.
So what makes both the new infill and variable layer height work in a speedier, stronger, and more efficient capacity? Simple: the algorithm patterns designed and curated by the company's engineers. Slicing algorithims (i.e., what programmers use to streamline program statements, or, in this case, converting an unprinted 3D model from a simple graphic on your computer screen into an actual printable file) were developed to cut out unnecessary turns for the printer's extruder to pick up the hardware's pace. The result was the diamond infill shape, which takes less time to complete compared with the MakerBot 3.6's hexagonal patchwork.
The new update is compatible with the MakerBot Replicator, Replicator 2, MakerBot Replicator 2X, and any Fifth Generation MakerBot Replicator printers.
Learn more about the MakerBot 3.8 in the video clip below.
Via: SlashGear
