MakerBot Industries, a leading player in the desktop 3D-printing space, opened a new factory in Brooklyn yesterday, effectively doubling the company’s production capacity, and PCMag was there.

A 3D Printing Titan Grows in Brooklyn
MakerBot has called Brooklyn its home since the company’s inception in 2009, and has had several facilities within the borough; its headquarters is in Metrotech Center in downtown Brooklyn. The company was acquired by Stratasys in 2013 to become a subsidiary, but has retained its identity as a distinct brand.

The new Sunset Park space occupies 170,000 square feet over three floors, in a building across the street from the future home of the Brooklyn Nets’ training facility and very near the company’s existing manufacturing facility. The new factory streamlines the manufacturing process by bringing diverse yet crucial functions closer to one another. It employs 140 people in jobs including production, shipping, receiving, manufacturing engineering, quality engineering, supply chain, and planning.

The factory includes more space for product testing as part of MakerBot’s commitment to quality assurance. The space also has a larger machine shop, and 3D-printing capabilities for manufacturing and R&D. MakerBot uses its own 3D printers to create custom jigs and fixtures, which hold components precisely in place during manufacturing. The jigs and fixtures can be easily altered and reprinted if need be.

The new MakerBot factory was officially inaugurated Wednesday in a ribbon-cutting ceremony, which followed speeches by MakerBot CEO Jonathan Jaglom, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, and others. After the ceremony, we received a tour of the factory. It’s an impressive facility, and the company has come a long way from its original Dean Street office, which we visited in 2011. The facilities are spacious, and although well utilized, there’s still room to grow. A lot of attention has been paid to product testing and quality control.

MakerBot has a 10-year lease on its new facility, and we expect wondrous things to come out of this factory in the years to come. Have a look at our slideshow to see some of the things we observed on day one.