Offering valuable learning experiences with your 3D printers
One of the toughest things about a well-used 3D printing lab used at scale, is not letting your processes and systems get in the way of learning and experimentation. Keep a culture of learning with our handy tips below.
Design reviews and feedback
When students submit jobs, don’t simply fix their errors to get the job done. Set out with a clear goal of turning these orders into learning opportunities for the students. If you fix it for them, expect to see this error again, with a missed opportunity for teaching.
Book a time for the print job… or print it on the spot!
3D printing is all about the magic trick where something gets created. Just because you’ve streamlined your lab, don’t let your students miss on this moment.
Have a policy of booking times with students, especially with those new to the world of 3D printing, to come and set up the machine and print their job with the lab technician.
In a classroom setup, let students submit their jobs on the system for review, but still let them print on their own.
Want to know more…?
Check out these links for a start:
- Explore the 3D Printing product option for PaperCut MF.
- The suggestions to drive adoption in a reprographics print room can equally apply to a 3D Fab Lab.
- See the Job Ticketing Help Center — it applies to both Print Rooms and Fab Labs.