BROOKLYN, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MakerBot, a global leader in 3D printing and subsidiary of Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS), today announces the launch of the MakerBot SKETCH Classroom™, designed to be the most reliable 3D printing setup for the classroom, giving students more access to 3D printing and setting up teachers for success. The SKETCH Classroom goes beyond the hardware and incorporates MakerBot’s complete education ecosystem, providing educators and students with the tools and resources they need to succeed.
Teachers are facing significant challenges in preparing students for a rapidly changing job market. Skill sets such as problem-solving and design thinking are high in demand; however, many students today lack those skills. 3D printing can be used to teach critical thinking, but there is a sharp learning curve to using 3D printing in the classroom successfully. Teachers and students need to learn to use the 3D printer, integrate the technology into their curriculum and manage 3D printing resources in the classroom. In addition, the challenging printer-to-student ratio in a classroom requires a different workflow setup for an effective deployment.
The SKETCH Classroom addresses the challenges of 3D printing in the classroom with a solution that includes interactive certification courses for both teachers and students that trains them on how to use the MakerBot SKETCH 3D printer, create and implement engaging curriculum, and teach design thinking and problem-solving with 3D printing.
The SKETCH Classroom offers a unique workflow solution that addresses the printer-to-student ratio challenge and provides the best setup for effective deployment. The SKETCH firmware and print management software are natively connected to MakerBot Cloud™ platform and incorporate a full suite of 3D printing applications. The SKETCH Classroom software suite provides print design, preparation, and management as a single solution out of the box. Students are able to submit their designs via MakerBot Cloud through their MakerBot account on my.makerbot.com, and teachers can seamlessly manage, queue up and monitor their students’ 3D printing projects. This is designed to be the best 3D printing setup for the classroom, making 3D printing more accessible to students, and setting educators up for 3D printing success.
The SKETCH Classroom includes:
- A set of two (2) MakerBot SKETCH 3D printers, with each featuring a fully-enclosed printing chamber, a heated and flexible build plate, a particulate filter, touchscreen capabilities, on-board camera, and Wi-Fi capabilities.
- Two (2) teachers’ and ten (10) students’ licenses for the MakerBot Certification™ programs, which certify teachers in printer operations and curriculum creation and educates students in 3D printing, innovative design thinking, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. MakerBot provides the only ISTE-Certified 3D printer training programs with interactive and media-rich content, as well as applicable professional development credits for teachers.
- MakerBot Cloud, a fully-connected platform that provides teachers with seamless 3D printing file management, allowing them to manage, monitor, queue, and print students’ projects from any browser. MakerBot Cloud is integrated with leading CAD design software, including TinkerCad®, Autodesk® Fusion® 360, and Onshape®.
- Thingiverse Education™, access to over 600+ 3D printing lesson plans created by educators and designed for all grade levels and subjects, and the largest active 3D printing educator community.
- Industry-leading support from MakerBot’s support team comprised of 3D printing experts.
- Compatibility with MakerBot PLA and Tough™ materials; available in a wide range of colors, including yellow, blue, red, white, and grey.
- Each printer comes with one (1) extra build plate, one (1) snips, and one (1) spatula.
“With SKETCH, we are changing the way 3D printing is used in schools and advancing the possibilities of learning to boost student innovation. We believe that SKETCH Classroom is the best 3D printing setup for the classroom, with an ideal student-to-printer ratio, making 3D printing more accessible to students, and setting educators up for 3D printing success,” said Nadav Goshen, CEO, MakerBot.
With its 3D printers in over 7,000+ schools across North America alone, MakerBot is one of the leading providers of 3D printing solutions for education. MakerBot’s education ecosystem is the most comprehensive on the market, providing thousands of educators with the tools and resources they need to successfully integrate 3D printing in their curricula.
SKETCH is easy to use and set up, and does not require tinkering, allowing teachers to spend more time integrating 3D printing within classroom learning. With a built-in particulate filter and enclosed chamber, the MakerBot SKETCH Classroom is safe to use in the classroom. Additionally, SKETCH is UL-Certified. MakerBot has tested the SKETCH 3D printer for over 46,000 hours for system reliability, subsystem, and print quality testing.
Full MakerBot Cloud integrations and additional features are planned for the coming months. SKETCH Classroom is expected to begin shipping on February 17, 2020 in North America, with availability in other regions shortly thereafter.
SKETCH Classroom will be showcased for the first time at the 2020 TCEA Convention & Exposition, at the MakerBot booth #2514, February 4-6, 2020, in Austin, Texas.
To learn more about SKETCH Classroom, visit www.makerbot.com/sketch.
About MakerBot
MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS), is a global leader in the 3D printing industry. The company helps create the innovators of today and the businesses and learning institutions of the future. Founded in 2009 in Brooklyn, NY, MakerBot strives to redefine the standards for 3D printing for reliability, accessibility, precision, and ease-of-use. Through this dedication, MakerBot has one of the largest install bases in the industry and also runs Thingiverse, the largest 3D printing community in the world.
We believe there's an innovator in everyone, so we make the 3D printing tools that make your ideas matter. Discover innovation with MakerBot 3D printing.
To learn more about MakerBot, visit makerbot.com.
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statement
The statements in this press release relating to Stratasys’ and/or MakerBot's beliefs regarding the benefits consumers will experience from the MakerBot SKETCH Classroom and its features, MakerBot materials, MakerBot Certification™ Programs, and MakerBot Cloud, and Stratasys’ and MakerBot’s expectations on timing of availability of the MakerBot SKETCH Classroom are forward-looking statements reflecting management's current expectations and beliefs. These forward-looking statements are based on current information that is, by its nature, subject to rapid and even abrupt change. Due to risks and uncertainties associated with Stratasys' and MakerBot's businesses, actual results could differ materially from those projected or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk that consumers will not perceive the benefits of the MakerBot SKETCH Classroom and its features, MakerBot materials, MakerBot Certification™ Programs, and MakerBot Cloud, to be the same as Stratasys and MakerBot do; the risk that unforeseen technical or other difficulties will delay the availability of the MakerBot SKETCH Classroom; and other risk factors set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in Stratasys' most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 7, 2019. Stratasys (or MakerBot) is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by the rules and regulations of the SEC.