We’re often asked if the kit-like 3D printers, usually marketed as a cool toy for consumers, and costing less than professional 3D printers, would be sufficient for a classroom. While these printers are okay for occasional printing in your garage, they don’t stand up to the rigor of daily use (whether by kids or adults), nor do they produce reliable and repeatable results.
Why Professional-Grade 3D Printers Save Money in the Long-Term
Investing in 3D printers designed for education will provide you the best long term return on investment, and reliably produce the best educational outcomes. The cheaper consumer-focused 3D printer is enticing, but they are typically only used for a few months before most realize they need a more robust tool.
Dynamism only sells professional-grade printers that will endure daily use, are easy to maintain, and generally modular–so if repairs are needed the vast majority are simple part swaps. Our printers are designed and manufactured for the heavy, everyday use in the educational 3D printer lab, classroom, factory floor, or engineer’s daily use. These are a larger upfront investment than consumer-focused printers, but a lower cost of long-term ownership, and immeasurably better ownership experience due to their reliability and accuracy.
Dynamism Makes 3D Printing Affordable for Education
In many cases we, working with our maker partners, can offer special Educator-only pricing. Fill out the form below to view your savings.
What Works for Schools
3D printing in education comes in three easy pieces: 3D printers, the consumable that is used for printing (filament or resin), and software.
There are many options when it comes to top tier 3D printers for school, but we have some top recommendations. For schools with the most budget flexibility, we recommend Ultimaker. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Ultimaker produces a beautiful quality and well manufactured 3D printer that is sophisticated, yet easy to use. They are simple to set up and run reliably.
As with any mechanical tool, occasional maintenance is needed. Ultimaker’s design makes this easy. And, our Warranty Plans can protect you against any unexpected cost for years to come.
Which Ultimaker 3D printers does Dynamism offer?
Ultimaker S5
Ultimaker’s best-seller is the Ultimaker S5. This printer also features Ultimaker’s largest potential print volume.
Be sure to check out the Ultimaker S5 Pro Bundle, which includes air manager (with filtration), material station (for easy changing of filament colors or types), and all the necessary software to get your curriculum running.
Ultimaker S3
Ultimaker S3 is very similar to the Ultimaker S5, but with a smaller potential printing area. It also uses less space on a tabletop. So, if space is a concern, or if you want more printers in a given budget, the Ultimaker S3 is an excellent option.
Ultimaker 2+ Connect
Out of the box, the Ultimaker 2+ Connect may be our most easy printer to start working with. The biggest difference between the 2+ and the S5/S3 is that it is a single extraction printer. This means that your prints will only be made with one filament type and may be less complex, but that can be a benefit depending on your classroom’s needs.
If you’d like even more functionality, we offer the Ultimaker 2+ Connect Air Manager Bundle which will help to filtrate your printing process.
Resin or Filament is the substance that your 3D printer uses to create an object. There are many 3D printing materials available, but if you would like to go with an Ultimaker 3D printer, we recommend Dynamism filament, or Ultimaker filament.
A Useful Filament Tool
An optional add-on for the Ultimaker S5 is the ever-so-useful Material Station. This add-on helps to ensure that your filament is stored in optimal humidity, automatically changes spools when necessary, and is included in the S5 Pro Bundle. Simply put, it’s an elegant solution.
Software can truly enhance your 3D printing experience. Some key programs cut down on time spent printing and materials used for your Software is a critical aspect of the 3D printing experience. Good software will configure your printer to achieve goals faster, and with less use of materials.
Which Software is compatible with Ultimakers, and how does it save money?
A lot of our Ultimaker bundles come with top of the line 3D printing software. Some bundles feature Ultimaker Essentials/Personal Software, but other Ultimaker printers give you eligibility for huge discounts on SmartSlice for Ultimaker Cura.
Ultimaker Cura
Ultimaker Cura is the world’s most popular 3D printing software. As a simple to use slicing software, Cura integrates smoothly with any workflow through their Marketplace plugins. With the needs of both beginners and engineers, Cura will make the most of your Ultimaker with a more speedy and reliable printing process.
SmartSlice
SmartSlice is a state of the art software designed for Ultimaker Cura that helps you optimize prints efficiently. By improving build instructions to the 3D printer, SmartSlice helps to cut down on the amount of time you spend printing and the amount of filament you use during your print, resulting in time and cost savings.
The Final Verdict
As you can see, there are many ways to gain efficiency with professional 3D printers. Although they are more expensive up front, they will save on overhead costs and give you back some much needed time for other tasks. Additionally, there are a plethora of materials, parts, and 3D printing software to limit waste and get more out of a given budget.
Whether you’re ready to start now, or you still have questions, check out our catalog of printers, materials, parts, and other useful tools. Or, if you want a more personal touch, reach out directly to one of our Product Experts at 1-800-711-6277 or sales@dynamism.com.
Exclusive Discounts & Detailed Recommendations
To kick off 2022, Dynamism created a brand-new EDU Purchasing Guide for our Nation’s educators to get a better idea of which items might help their classroom. Take a look at our guide by filling out the form below!
