How to find the best 3D printer for your school

[Sponsored content by CREATE Education]

So, you’ve seen those cool flexible 3D printed pangolins or 3D solar system teaching aids on Pinterest, and you want to get a slice of 3D printing into your classroom, but where do you start? 

Investing in 3D printing can feel daunting, especially if it’s a sizable chunk of your budget. You want to know that you’ve made the right decision and that, more importantly, your pupils will get the very best out of it, engaging them in new, fun, hands-on STEAM projects.

For over eight years, our team at The CREATE Education Project has advised thousands of schools, colleges, and universities on how to embed 3D printing into their classroom. As a team made up heavily of trained teachers, we can give advice with credence and genuine insight. 

Here are our top 3 things to consider when choosing a 3D printer for your classroom:  

1. Size matters

There are two things to consider when choosing a 3D printer for Primary or Secondary School classrooms: where it will be stored, and how big you want to print. 

Smaller printers can take up relatively little space, sitting on a single school desk, and are no bigger than a 2D printer. But the smaller the printer, the smaller the build plate, which can restrict the batch size of prints, possibly resulting in a longer print time. 

It’s about finding a happy medium – find out more information in our Education Buyers Guide. 

2. Single or Dual Extrusion

FFF 3D printers, the most common and safest type of 3D printer for a school, melts plastic filament and feed it through a nozzle or extruder, building it up in layers to produce a 3D structure or model. As the plastic layers up, it solidifies, but until it cools, overhangs need to be supported. Single extruder printers only allow your filament to be printed, whereas dual extrusion 3D printers allow for support to be printed alongside to prop up overhangs, allowing for more complex shapes and prints to be achieved. 

Find more information and top tips  in our Education Buyers Guide.

3. Ongoing costs for running a 3D printer

Once you have invested in your 3D printer, you want to make sure that it can be used with as many students for years to come. As budgets get squeezed, schools will be looking for a filament that is good value for money. Some printers lock you into one source of filament, but the printers that CREATE Education sells are all open source filament, meaning that you can source materials from a number of manufacturers. 

At CREATE Education, we sell high-quality filament from reputable manufacturers meaning the quality of your prints is higher and the maintenance of your machine is made easier. Still, there are a number of sources to keep your 3D printer going affordably!  

Want to know more? Get in touch with us for a 30 minute free consultation with one of our 3D printing education experts: j.morrell@createeducation.com