The world of 3D printing has been a booming business over the past few years, with everything from prosthetic hands and ears to entire houses coming to life through a little ingenuity, plastic and a 3D printer of course. One of the frontrunners in this emerging market has been MakerBot, a Brooklyn-based manufacturer specialising in designing 3D printers for small to medium applications.

Their products are aimed at young creatives or designers looking to bring their ideas to life in a very real and tactile way. Now South Africans will get the chance to incorporate MakerBot's 3D printing technology into their business or enterprise, with a range of products available for purchase immediately.

MakerBot will be distributed through local supplier Rectron, making the 3D printers available through their network of resellers and retailers. We were lucky enough to check out the MakerBots in action during yesterday's Rectron Innovation Summit, where a number of technology companies showcased their latest and greatest. The MakerBot announcement certainly stole the show, with attendees noticeably intrigued at what these 3D printers had to offer. On display were a number of products generated from the MakerBot printers, including prosthetic hands, plastic figurines and other small trinkets.

Within the range of MakerBot products arriving in SA, is the MakerBot Replicator Mini, priced at R18 900. Next up is the Replicator 2 Desktop at R29 000, should the compact dimensions of the Mini not meet your needs. Rounding up MakerBot's offerings is the Replicator Desktop, carrying a price tag of R39 600, and serving as one of the company's largest consumer 3D printers.        

All of the above listed printers make use of MakerBot's 3D printing platform, which is said to be very user-friendly by the manufacturer. Added to this is onboard camera, plug and play functionality and Wi-Fi based application and cloud service offering, all of which is designed to make the 3D printing experience far easier than many may believe. Along with the physical products, MakerBot has also ensured that its ecosystem remains in a constant state of improvement, rolling out software updates at regular intervals to enhance and refine the printing experience.

For more info on MakerBot's 3D printing technology, head to their site, and for those interested on getting their hands on one of their printers, visit Rectron's dedicated portal listing all MakerBot products and accessories.