Case Study: Hochschule Karlsruhe achieves industrial-quality prototyping and Industry 4.0-ready student training with MakerBot METHOD X

Prestigious 140+ Year Old University Delivers Advanced Engineering and Technical Training With Method X

Hochschule Karlsruhe, University of Applied Sciences, a 140+ year‑old technical university in Baden‑Württemberg, sought to give students hands‑on, industry‑relevant training in additive design and manufacturing. To teach generative design, prototyping and industrial part production with tight tolerances, the school needed reliable, accurate 3D printing equipment—so they integrated MakerBot devices, including the MakerBot METHOD X, into their Additive Design and Manufacturing Lab.

MakerBot supplied METHOD X printers (alongside earlier MakerBot Replicator models), whose heated chamber and rigid steel frame significantly reduced distortion and delivered industrial‑quality parts with tight dimensional accuracy—an attribute that is critical for roughly 80% of the lab’s projects. The solution accelerated student prototyping for research, industry theses and capstone projects, earned overwhelmingly positive student feedback, increased lab usage (open 24/7) and better prepared graduates for Industry 4.0.

Hochschule Karlsruhe

Florian Finsterwalder

Professor