SpotlightBuying Guide Education: The best 3D printer for your school
By Site editors - - Price update: 23 April 2024 -
3D printers are an outcome for both primary and secondary school education when it comes to education in science and technology. Students get in touch with engineering, design and material knowledge, and it’s fun too. But what is important to take into consideration when buying a 3D printer?
Questions and answers
Schools who want to introduce their students to modern technology like 3D printing often encounter difficult questions. But fortunately there are many places where you can get good advice and clear answers. Like us!
Important questions that each school must ask before proceeding to purchase a suitable 3D printer:
- What is the price / quality ratio? Does the printer fit within budget?
- Is the printer well constructed? Can it whit-stand intensive use for a while?
- What materials can be printed? Do you need proprietary filaments from the supplier (often more expensive)?
- What resolution of printing (in micron) is needed? Often you don’t need the best out there.
- What software is included? Is it user-friendly enough for the target audience?
- Is the 3D printer lockable and so safe for enthusiastic hands?
- Can the printer print 'stand alone' (without a computer connected)?
Based on this we came to the following recommendations:
Primary schools & smaller budget
If there is a limited budget, as is usually the case with all the educational institutions, there is currently one brand that clearly high in the ranking: XYZprinting. The 3D printer of this manufacturer are of good quality, low-priced, easy-to-use, and often uses a so-called open filament system, which also allows you to use (often cheaper) materials from third parties.
Premium item
It is good to know that we check this premium article that you are reading right now every day and keep it up to date.Secondary education and more budget
Is there more budget available for this type of investment, as is usually the case in secondary education, academic education and universities, then other 3D printers are more suitable. The possibilities and (print) quality are higher, but of course the price is higher. Opportunities are:
No 3D prints without filaments
Looking for more information on filaments? Check out our specials:
You can save considerably on filaments
Many shops all offer exactly the same filaments. Why would you pay more? Every day we check and update the prices and stock of many types and brands. Some examples are listed below.
See and compare all filaments in price and stock here: Price Comparison Filaments
