UltiMaker launches new MakerBot SKETCH large 3D printer for classrooms

UltiMaker has announced the new MakerBot SKETCH Large 3D printer, the newest addition to the popular MakerBot SKETCH platform.

It will be the first model to be released by UltiMaker, the newly formed brand from the merger of MakerBot and Ultimaker. The SKETCH platform is used in education, with the company saying it expands students’ access to 3D printing, enabling them to bring ideas to life and setting educators up for success in the classroom. With more power than the standard SKETCH system, the SKETCH Large allows educators and students to explore 3D printing on a larger scale. UltiMaker says that it will enable students to develop their ideas further with bigger and bolder designs. According to the company, it has the ability to fit up to ten student projects on one build plate. UltiMaker says that the new system makes 3D printing large or multiple projects more seamless and easier than before.

The SKETCH Large is available as a single unit solution or as a two-unit classroom package to support more students. The system features a fully enclosed chamber, a particulate filter, a heated and flexible build plate, touchscreen capabilities, onboard camera, material sensors, and WiFi and USB capabilities. It is also compatible with MakerBot PLA and TOUGH materials and arrives with three spools of MakerBot PLA.

UltiMaker will provide ISTE-certified 3D printer training, curriculum creation and design thinking courses. One teaching license and fifteen student licenses for the MakerBot Certification training programs for educators and students are part of the package, which includes a curriculum programme for educators and interactive design thinking courses for students.

Also with the SKETCH Large, students and teachers will have access to CloudPrint, which can be connected to Google Classroom, and Thingiverse, which includes access to pre-designed projects and lesson plans for all grade levels. UltiMaker has said that each printer comes with an extra build plate, one spatula and one pair of snips.

“Supporting 3D printing and STEAM education continues to be one of our core tenets. We believe that making 3D printing more accessible will empower students to take their creativity to the next level. With the new SKETCH Large, educators and students can amplify their ideas and designs, unfettered by the limitations of a printer,” said Nadav Goshen, CEO at UltiMaker. “But 3D printing is more than just the printer, which is why we are continuously improving our education ecosystem – one of the most comprehensive and established 3D printing solutions on the market for educators.”

Goshen added: “We aim to give educators and students the tools and resources they need to unleash their creativity and unlock the possibilities in learning.” In June of 2022, TCT spoke to then MakerBot CEO Goshen and former Ultimaker CEO Jürgen von Hollen about the merger between the two companies.