Dell Partners With Makerbot To Sell 3D Printers

Computer giant Dell has announced it has signed a deal with 3D printer manufacturer Makerbot to bring its devices to a wider audience than ever before.

Under the terms of the deal, Dell will resell Makerbot’s Replicator 3D printers and scanners to small and medium-sized businesses – adding the devices to its existing portfolio of Precision workstations.

“At Dell we strive to arm start-ups, designers and engineers with the powerful, reliable and cutting-edge technology they need to succeed,” said Andy Rhodes, executive director, Dell Precision workstations. “With the addition of MakerBot’s 3D printers and scanners to Dell’s workstation portfolio, our customers can now bring their innovative prototypes to life much more quickly and affordably.”

Expanding the market

Dell wants to sell the devices to companies in the creative and manufacturing sectors, aiming at engineers or designers wanting to test new product concepts quickly via 3D prototypes. The new devices could also benefit start-ups, which could experiment with new product designs and artistic models inexpensively before committing to production.

Makerbot recently hit the headlines at CES, where it unveiled its ‘next generation’ of 3D printers, including the Makerbot Mini, a device targeted at home usage which will go on sale for just $1375. The company also announced two other devices, the Replicator Desktop 3D and an industrial-sized version, the Replicator Z18 3D, targeting different market sectors and to bring 3D printing to the masses.

Its parent company, Stratasys, also recently announced the world’s first multi-material colour 3D printer, which is targeted at small to medium manufacturers and will cost $330,000(£200,000).

“Partnering with Dell is another step in building out the MakerBot 3D Printing Ecosystem that makes 3D printing easy and accessible for everyone,” noted Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot. “Dell has done a great job with supporting and enabling small businesses, and we are excited to bring our 3D printing solutions to their customers to unlock their creativity.”

Dell will start reselling MakerBot’s 3D printing and scanning products on 20 February, with six models (Including the devices Makerbot revealed at CES) ranging in price from $949 to $6,499 available via the company’s online store.

The first chance to see Dell’s new 3D design solutions will be at the SolidWorks World event in San Diego from 26-29 January.

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