Rectron brings MakerBot to SA

MakerBot, a manufacturer of 3D printers has chosen Rectron South Africa for the local distribution of its printers.

MakerBot, a worldwide leader in desktop 3D printing, has announced the expansion of its global footprint to the African continent with the addition of Rectron South Africa as its first distribution partner in Africa.

Under the agreement, Rectron will distribute all MakerBot products, including the newest generation of 3D printers: MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printer, the MakerBot Replicator Mini Compact 3D Printer, and the MakerBot Replicator Z18 3D Printer with its massive build volume and the best price/performance in the extra-large professional 3D printer category. MakerBot Replicator 3D Printers are powered by the user-friendly MakerBot Replicator 3D Printing Platform, which offers an onboard camera, plug and play features, app- and cloud-enabled workflow, and available Wi-Fi connectivity. Rectron will also distribute the MakerBot Replicator 2X Experimental 3D Printer, the MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner, and MakerBot Filaments and accessories.

We are excited to partner with Rectron SA to add to MakerBot’s growing network of authorised international distributors and resellers,” noted Mark Schulze, vice president of sales for MakerBot. “Expanding our global footprint and accessibility to our products is a very important step toward the goal of providing access to MakerBot 3D printing products throughout the world.

As the first company to bring MakerBot products to South Africa, Rectron will offer the growing capabilities of MakerBot’s 3D Ecosystem and Real-Time Prototyping to a wide community of individuals and businesses. MakerBot’s 3D printers and scanners are used as part of the design process to create models, prototypes and end products. 3D printing in real time on the desktop, with a MakerBot Replicator 3D Printer, revolutionises the design process and allows engineers, architects, industrial designers, artists, entrepreneurs and educators to recognise cost and time savings that significantly improve upon the expense and waiting times involved in traditional design processes. With a MakerBot Replicator 3D Printer, Real-Time Prototyping enables creators to design and 3D print in a matter of hours or days rather than weeks. MakerBot believes that this speeds up the innovation process by empowering users to develop new designs at a much faster pace.

What also makes MakerBot products stand apart is the fact that the MakerBot 3D Ecosystem has been designed with the future in mind. While MakerBot 3D printing and scanning hardware is the centre of the MakerBot 3D Ecosystem, the power comes from MakerBot’s continual updating of its software and apps to work toward constantly improving the 3D printing process and experience. Likewise, the MakerBot Replicator Smart Extruder, a new feature of its newest generation of 3D printers, was designed to be easily swappable and replaceable not only to minimise downtown caused by filament clogs, but also to ensure that a new extruder can be easily swapped in when new filament materials become available.

We are excited to work with a global leader in the desktop 3D printer category. Our partnership with MakerBot is the perfect example of our commitment to providing our customers with products that embrace the spirit of innovation and creative thinking,” said Bruce Bradford, group business unit manager, printer category, with Rectron SA. “The popularity and usefulness of 3D printing has been growing tremendously over the past several years. The possibilities that 3D printing offers the local education, engineering, architecture and healthcare industries are enormous. We look forward to sharing this journey with MarkerBot and exploring endless opportunities together in South Africa”.

* Follow Gadget on Twitter on @GadgetZA