Case Study: Mattel achieves faster, industrial-grade toy prototyping with MakerBot 3D printers

Mattel Innovates the Toys of Tomorrow With Makerbot 3d Printers

Mattel’s Product Innovation team, led by innovation engineer Jack Peach, faced long prototyping lead times and limited control when relying on shared machine-shop resources. To speed iteration and validate mechanical and electromechanical features in-house, Mattel adopted MakerBot 3D printers—specifically the MakerBot METHOD and MakerBot METHOD X—to bring industrial-grade, easy-to-use fabrication into the team’s workshop.

Using MakerBot METHOD and METHOD X with materials like ABS‑R and Nylon Carbon Fiber, Mattel produced durable, dimensionally accurate prototypes—often overnight—so teams could test form, fit, and function much sooner. The MakerBot solution shaved off days from development cycles, enabled rapid on-demand design changes and testing, and helped move concepts (such as a redesigned joystick feature) from prototype to scheduled production with higher confidence.

Mattel

Jack Peach

Key Lead Innovation Engineer