14 DAY TRIAL // 3D printing technology is all well and good, but it's not all that helpful when you don't know how to use it, or what to do with it. Admittedly, most manufacturers do their best to create printers that are simple and straightforward, but it doesn't always work.
Even if someone created a 3D printer capable of doing everything at the touch of a button - and there actually are a few of those - there are things that could still do with a bit of teaching.
Maintenance, for one thing, and long-term expenses related to filament procurement and repairs, if needed.
Most of these things aren't taught anywhere, and while most of the technical details will stay outside of school for the most part, there are now plans to teach 3D printing in schools.
Dutch company brings 3D printing lessons to the classroom
As strange as it sounds, Ultimaker is the one planning to set up 3D printing classes in United States schools, although to be fair they did partner with 3DprinterOS. The first cities on board with the plan are San Francisco and New York.
The idea is to introduce regular people to 3D printing technology and explain to them the processes, materials, terminology and applications related to it.
We imagine that this means all three main additive manufacturing processes will be shown, or at least explained.
FDM may be decent, fused deposition modeling, but while it is good for most regular objects, it only works with plastics (mostly) and tends to give off fumes, unless the build chamber is closed.
Stereolithography, or SLA for short, uses ultraviolet light to cure resin held in a tank. This procedure is much more detailed but also more expensive.
SLS, or selective laser sintering, uses a laser to fuse together powdered materials. This technique is most famous for being usable with metals, unlike the other two.
There are other methods, like SLM (selective laser melting) and ultrasound metal printing, but they are rare at best.
Future plans
Ultimaker and 3DprinterOS will follow up on the free 3D printing classes with online versions, complete with walkthroughs and the basics of how to repair a printer.
