makerbot replicator 2 build plate latch

thingiverse

a couple of weeks ago, our makerbot replicator 2 was returned from service with a broken build plate latch (see second photo). this didn't happen out of the blue, as this latch was already acting up before. the service firm assured us that they would send us a replacement build plate base, but i didn't want to wait, so i designed a little remedy to hold the build plate in place until the replacement part came in. as it turned out, the remedy works much better than the original part ever did. it needs a little strip of elastic/squishy material that you have to push between the new latch and the old base (see third photo), but then it holds the build plate much firmer in place than the original part ever did. i printed the part on a formlabs form 2 printer, but it should be possible to print it on an FDM printer. i would print it 90° rotated, so that the material runs parallel to the strain (sorry, english not my first language).