The upgrades for MakerBot Replicator 2 3D printers made by BC Technological Solutions are among the highest rated and recommended ones by users of the device in the 3D printing community. So we’ve had to get them and try them out and after a bit of waiting for the order to arrive we are ready to share our initial impressions starting with the Aluminum Arm Upgrade. What we can say for sure is that the installation of the Aluminum Arm Upgrade is not for the faint hearted and inexperienced users with DIY and hardware as it does require a lot of disassembly and a bit of tinkering to adjust things for smoother operation. The whole process does take some time, but the results are really good after the upgrade. The installation instructions that came with the upgrade kit are not as detailed and as easy to work with for inexperienced users that do not know well their MakerBot Replicator 2 3D printer. So do have in mind if you decide to order this upgrade, there are more affordable and easier to install alternatives that will provide similar improvement, though not as good as with these.

The parts in the upgrade kit, especially the aluminum arms are very well made, though on one of the arms we received the mounting holes were a bit off which made it a bit harder in the adjustment phase, but was not a problem in general as you have some room for adjustment available from the bearing retainers. Mentioning bearings reminds us for another advantage that the Aluminum Arm Upgrade from BC Technological Solutions offers – it allows you to install bearings on the Z axis as well and since we already did the bearing upgrade for the X and Y axes this essentially completed the bushings to bearing replacement. The standard plastic arms do not allow for the addition of linear bearings on the Z axis as there are apparently no suitable linear bearings available that can fit there. With the custom aluminum upgrade arms however you not only have the ability to use linear bearings instead of the standard bushings, but they are even included in the kit.

Apart from the fact that you need to spend some time disassembling the 3D printer, installing and adjusting and then reassembling the whole thing which can easily take up a few hours the Aluminum Arm Upgrade is nice and works well. At $150 USD it is a bit expensive and it could use some more improvement in the design to make it easier to install and adjust, but the end result is worth it. If you are looking for a more affordable and easier to install solution you can check out the Performance 3D Aluminum Arm Stiffeners upgrade we’ve used prior to installing the arms from BCTS.

– For more information about the Aluminum Arm Upgrade from BC Technological Solutions…

• Upgrading the Build Plate to Glass One, Should You
• Removable Heated Build Plate Upgrade for MakerBot Replicator 2
• BuildTak, an Alternative 3D Printing Surface
• Optimizing the Filament Spool and Guide on MakerBot Replicator 2
• Hotend Upgrade for MakerBot Replicator 2 3D Printer
• The GeckoTek 3D Printer Build Plate Sound Very Promising
• Using Dial Gauge to Level the Build Plate More Precisely
• Upgrade: Aluminum Idler kit for MakerBot Replicator 2 X-End
• Makerbot Replicator 2 Extruder Filament Drive Upgrade
• GeckoTek 3D Printer Build Plate Will Be Delayed
• MakerBot Replicator 2 Upgrades from BC Technological Solutions
• MakerBot Replicator 2 Upgrade to Linear Bearings
• Replacing the Extruder Nozzle of MakerBot Replicator 2
• Adding Aluminum Arm Stiffeners to Replicator 2
• Building the RoboSavvy Universal Spool Holder
• We Finally Received Our GeckoTek Build Plate
• First Impressions from the Aluminum Arm Upgrade from BC Technological Solutions
• New and Improved 3D Printer Nozzles from Performance 3-D