3D Printers for Schools & Makerspaces

A 3D printer changes what a student can do with a design. Instead of handing in a drawing, they hold the thing they drew and find out where it was wrong. That loop of print, test, revise is the point, which is why reliability matters more than speed in a classroom.

Choosing a printer for a school

• Enclosed beats open. An enclosure keeps hands away from hot parts and keeps draughts off the print, which matters in a room with thirty students and a door that opens constantly.
• Filament for everyday, resin for detail. FDM printers suit most classroom work. Resin gives finer detail for senior design and prototyping, but needs ventilation and more careful handling.
• Check the certification if you need it. Some schools and districts require evidence on indoor air quality before a printer goes into an occupied room. Ask us which models carry it.
• Plan for consumables. Filament is the running cost, not the printer. A class gets through it faster than anyone expects, so budget for it from the start rather than as an afterthought.

What students practise

• CAD and 3D design, taking a sketch through to a printable model
• Design iteration: printing, measuring, finding the fault and revising
• Tolerances, material behaviour and the constraints of real manufacturing

Our range, by what you need

• FlashForge - the value option for general classroom printing. Enclosed, filtered and simple enough for a teacher to run from day one.
• MakerBot SKETCH Sprint - built for schools, with UL 2904 certification for emissions, a PIN lock, and over 600 lesson plans and teacher training behind it.
• UltiMaker S series - dual extrusion and engineering materials for senior design, TAFE workshops and university faculties.
• Filament and materials - PLA, PETG, Tough PLA, TPU and engineering materials in 1.75mm and 2.85mm.

Larger machines are supplied to order rather than held in stock, so they are priced on request. Tell us the year level, the space and roughly what students will be making, and we will tell you which printer fits and what it will cost delivered. Schools, TAFEs, universities and government institutions can order on a purchase order.