Education Recommendations for 3D Printing in the Classroom

Printer Selection

• Ideally, an instructor would have access to multiple printers. A ratio of 5:1 is a good balance between the number of students and the number of devices needed to manage.

Limits

• Limit the size and scope of the students' models with design restrictions. Appropriate limitations and design restrictions can greatly improve the success of the project.

Maximize build volume

• Depending on the size of the printer, the model size, and the area needed for supports, attempt to put more than one model on the print bed. This can decrease the amount of time between model completions, but it will increase the time needed to complete a job and also increase the chance of failure.

Model Management

• With a large number of models to manage per class, it is important to have a system to track what has and hasn't been completed.

Google Form

• To manage my classroom projects, I selected Google Forms. This was a simple form that recorded the student's email address, class period, grade level, and did not allow students to submit the incorrect file format.

Label Files

• Ensure that students label their downloaded model files with their names and class periods.

Increase File Size Limit

• Ensure that the file size limit is increased to allow for larger files.

Viewing Submissions

• Add a checkbox column before the student's email address.

Many districts have the option to convert student emails to "cards" with a friendly name.

Download the Models

• When you begin to print the student .stl files, you may choose to download individual files via the link provided in Google Sheets, or you may download all the files at once by downloading a .zip file of the Google folder associated with the form.

Slice the Models

• Once all the files are downloaded, within slicers like Bambu Studio or Orca Slicer, you can load all the models at once. The slicer can auto-arrange all the class's models into an efficient layout and arrangement on multiple build plates. The files can then be sliced and printed in sequence.

Remove supports and clean up the models as needed.

Quality of Life

• The majority of the setup and calibration functions are automated, increasing print quality, reliability, and ease of use.

Including bed leveling, pressure advance, flow rate, resonance compensation, motor noise cancellation, and acceleration.

Integrated slicer

• Bambu Studio is an open-source slicer with well-tuned printing profiles for all Bambu printers.

Remote Management

• Bambu printers are managed via a web interface built into their slicer. This allows you to set a variety of filament parameters, trigger calibrations, as well as start, pause, and monitor prints in progress.

These are not unique features to Bambu printers; however, this is a very well-integrated, full-stack solution that is easy to use and has a large community of users.

Connection to Makerworld Repository (opens in a new tab)

Features:

• Pre-sliced models and profiles ready for all its machines
• Maker Lab (opens in a new tab): Generative Modeling Tools & AI Modeling Experiments
• Maker's Supplies (opens in a new tab): Non-3D printed parts you need for your project in one place, with detailed part information.
• CyberBrick (opens in a new tab): A set of microcontrollers, transceivers, receivers, motors, and controllers with predesigned models.