Increasing Genuine Impact: Filament Extrusion Solutions for Educators and Lab Managers

Introduction

The 3D printing sector has bloomed in the past ten years and now finds itself positioned within every industry. There appears to be no limit to its utilization, from small-scale to industrial, from plastic to concrete – enlisting the help of 3D printing can either play a supporting role or become the driving force behind a project. What does this mean for you, the educators and lab managers?  

In education and research, the most valuable learning tools are practical and hands-on. For educators and lab managers, the challenge often lies in finding tools that not only enhance the learning experience but also fit within tight budgets and adapt to the rapid pace of technological advancements. At 3devo, we work hard to alleviate these pressures. Our Filament Makers help bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, providing students and researchers with the reliable, user-friendly technology they need to push the boundaries of innovation. Here, we’ll explore how 3devo’s solutions are tailored to meet the specific needs of educational and laboratory environments, ensuring that every learning opportunity is maximized. 

Our machines help bridge the gap between knowledge & application

Overcoming Budget Constraints in Educational Settings 

Navigating the financial landscape of educational institutions can often feel complicated with conflicting priorities – it can potentially mean trying to balance quality education with stringent budget requirements. At 3devo, we recognize these financial constraints and are committed to offering cost-effective solutions that don’t compromise on the quality or capabilities of essential tools like our filament extruders and plastic shredder. 

Cost-Effective Solutions 

Our approach focuses on long-term value. 3devo machines are not only built to last but are also designed to be efficient in their operation, minimizing waste and reducing the need for frequent replacements or upgrades. Our flexible pricing models allow institutions to choose options that best fit their budgetary constraints and needs. Whether it's a direct purchase or a flexible renting option, we work closely with each institution to find the most financially viable path forward. This flexibility and understanding stem from years of experience collaborating with various educational and research institutions, each with their own unique financial setups.

Maximizing Grant and Funding Opportunities 

Many educational institutions benefit from grants and specific funding opportunities aimed at enhancing technological engagement and learning tools. Understanding how to effectively leverage these funds can significantly ease the financial burden associated with acquiring new technology. At 3devo, we assist educators and lab managers in identifying potential grants and crafting compelling applications that highlight the educational benefits of investing in advanced 3D printing technology. Our team provides insights and support to make it as easy as possible for institutions to secure the necessary funding to innovate and expand their capabilities. Whatever details you need, we are ready to provide – our aim is to help you avoid bottlenecks at any stage we can. 

By integrating 3devo's filament extrusion processes into their curriculum, educators can enhance their students' learning experience, providing more hands-on opportunities to engage with cutting-edge technology. These practical experiences are invaluable in today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world and are made possible through our commitment to making 3D printing technology accessible and affordable. Let us help you transform your educational environment into a hub of innovation and practical learning. 

Ensuring Reliable and Easy-to-Use Equipment 

Durability and Reliability 

In the educational sector, where equipment often faces frequent and varied use, the durability and reliability of every tool are high priorities. 3devo's Filament Makers and Shredder are constructed with industrial-quality materials designed to withstand the rigors of active learning environments. These machines are not only robust but also consistently reliable, ensuring they can be fundamental equipment in labs and classrooms for years to come. This long-term usability is crucial for institutions that require dependable tools to facilitate continuous learning and research without the disruption of equipment failures. 

User-Friendly Design 

Recognizing that users across educational settings come with varying degrees of technical expertise, our R&D department has intentionally designed our Filament Makers to be as intuitive as possible. This user-friendly approach lowers the entry barrier for students and researchers who might not have extensive experience with such technology. Clear interfaces, straightforward controls, and minimal setup requirements mean that users can start their projects quickly and focus more on learning and innovation rather than struggling with complicated equipment setup. In particular, our mandatory Onboarding Phase (also referred to as the Trial Phase). Our Filament Makers and associated equipment require compulsory professional onboarding, consisting of weekly online training sessions to ensure your team members feel ready to use our machines with confidence. This ease of use is essential in fostering an inclusive learning environment where students and researchers can experiment and learn at their own pace, encouraging more hands-on engagement and deeper understanding of the material. We want you to feel empowered in your roles as educators and lab managers, prepared with all the knowledge and tools to pass onto your teams and classes. 

By combining durability with user-friendly design, 3devo's Filament Makers are ideally suited to meet the needs of educational institutions. They provide a reliable, accessible platform for students and researchers to explore the possibilities of 3D printing technology, further enhancing their educational experience and preparing them for future challenges in tech-driven industries. 

Our Filament Makers are the ideal experimentation tool for students and researchers

Facilitating Advanced Learning and Research 

Versatility in Materials 

At the core of any research and educational endeavor is the ability to explore and innovate without constraints. Our Filament Makers stand out thanks to their versatility in handling a wide array of materials. From standard polymers like PLA and ABS to more advanced composite materials that include glass or carbon fibre, these machines enable users to push the boundaries of filament technology. This capability is beneficial for accommodating diverse research projects and studies, allowing students and researchers to experiment with novel materials that can lead to breakthroughs in various scientific and engineering fields. 

Enhancing Curriculum  

Integrating 3devo’s advanced 3D printing technology into educational curriculums transforms traditional learning paradigms by providing students with direct access to the tools that drive innovation in the modern world. For instance, engineering students can prototype mechanical components in a matter of hours, while chemistry and biology researchers can create custom lab equipment tailored to their experimental needs. This hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology not only enriches the learning process but also equips students with practical skills and problem-solving capabilities that are highly valued in the STEM fields. 

In addition, the inclusion of such high-tech tools in the curriculum fosters a learning environment that encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving. It prepares students for future challenges and careers by giving them a practical understanding of how complex concepts learned in the classroom translate into real-world applications. By enabling students to experiment freely and see the immediate impact of their work, our filament extrusion system helps cultivate the next generation of innovators and thought leaders in STEM. 

Through its support for a broad range of materials and its enhancement of STEM education, 3devo’s technology not only broadens the scope of academic inquiry but also deepens the impact of educational experiences, preparing students to make meaningful contributions to their fields of study. 

Streamlined Support and Training 

Comprehensive Onboarding and Training 

Recognizing the importance of a solid foundation, 3devo commits to comprehensive onboarding and training that equips educators and students with the necessary skills to fully utilize the filament makers from the outset. Our detailed sessions (available for both online and in-person options) cover operational basics, maintenance procedures, and safety protocols, alongside advanced techniques for handling diverse materials. This thorough training ensures all users can navigate the equipment confidently, nurturing an environment of creativity and innovation. 

To further enhance the learning experience, our onboarding includes interactive workshops that encourage hands-on participation and real-time feedback. This approach helps solidify understanding and boosts confidence when using the machine, enabling educators and students to explore the potential of 3D printing technology without hesitation. 

Our trial pase includes a comprehensive onboarding to expedite set-up

Ongoing Support 

Beyond initial training, 3devo's commitment to its users continues with robust ongoing support designed to maintain seamless operation of our filament makers. Our dedicated support team is always just a call or email away, ready to assist with any technical queries or operational challenges that may arise. This proactive support system is pivotal in minimizing machine downtime and ensuring that educational programs can proceed without disruption. 

Additionally, our online support portal provides 24/7 access to troubleshooting guides, instructional videos, and a comprehensive FAQ section, enabling users to quickly find solutions and best practices. 

By providing these layers of continuous support, 3devo ensures that educators and students can remain focused on their educational goals, knowing that they have a reliable partner in their filament-making journey. This structured support network is crucial for empowering users to push the boundaries of what’s possible in 3D printing education, driving forward both academic success and innovative exploration. 

Success Subscription 

Our Success Subscription is tailored to significantly enhance the experience for all users of our machines. Here’s how this subscription adds value to you in your educational and research environments: 

• Dedicated Support: The Success Subscription offers dedicated support from 3devo’s team of Materials Specialists. These experts act as an extension of your team, helping to keep our machines running smoothly and efficiently. 
• Custom Roadmapping: Part of the subscription includes the development of a tailored project roadmap by a process expert. For educational settings, this means that the implementation and integration of the filament extrusion system into the curriculum can be planned out to align with academic calendars, specific course objectives, and research goals.
  
• Tailored Expertise: The subscription includes access to personalized consultations. For educators, this means having an expert readily available to help tailor the filament extrusion process to specific educational projects or research. This could be particularly valuable in developing specialized curricula that incorporate real-world problem-solving with 3D printing technologies. 
• Continuous Learning and Adaptation: The 3D printing landscape, especially materials science, is rapidly evolving. The Success Subscription ensures that educators and lab managers stay updated on the latest advancements and best practices in filament extrusion. Regular check-ins and updates facilitate continuous learning, keeping educational institutions at the cutting edge of technology. 
• Proactive Problem Solving: With monthly check-in calls and access to strategic support, issues can be identified and resolved before they become disruptive. This proactive approach minimizes downtime, ensuring that projects proceed without interruption. 

Overall, the Success Subscription aligns with the needs of educational environments by providing robust support, cutting-edge knowledge, and customized strategies to ensure that both educators and students can maximize the benefits of 3devo’s filament extrusion system. 

Our machines benefit from intuitive interfaces and straightforward controls

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Real-World Case Studies 

The transformative impact of 3devo's technology is vividly showcased through our real-life case studies available on our website. These examples highlight how different institutions have successfully integrated our filament makers into their programs, pushing the boundaries of innovation and enhancing educational outcomes. 

University of Lapland 

One case study follows the University of Lapland that incorporated our filament maker into their curriculum to focus on sustainability. Students at the mechanical engineering wing of Lapland University of Applied Sciences were constrained by the amount of 3D printing they could perform in their laboratory. There professor tasked them with designing and producing usable products from recycled plastics, instilling important lessons about environmental responsibility while providing practical design and production experience. With materials being expensive, and 3D printing being a crucial part of engineering courses and research projects, the department was in need of a recycling solution for failed prints and an element of sustainability in the learning process. 3devo was excited to provide a full system (comprising our Filament Maker One and GP20 Shredder) which was then used to recycle commonly used materials into 3D printing filament, keeping with the university’s vision of bringing sustainability to educational practices. 

Impact for this project: 

• Complete control of making and recycling 3D printing filament 
• Students have control over the process of material selection and extrusion 
• 100% recycled PLA has been successfully created and is 3D printable 
• Practical demonstration of a circular economy within a lab for students to gain first-hand experience and acquire knowledge 
• Various recycling projects are now on the drawing board, thanks to the success of the PLA recycling experiments 

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 

Another of our featured case studies details how one of America’s top aviation schools, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, utilized our Filament Maker to develop new composite materials. The Composer 450 Filament Maker joined the Mechanical Engineering Department at Embry-Riddle in June 2018, after Boetcher’s team decided to improve their existing setup and create better quality filament by mixing plastics with phase-change materials (PCM). The Filament Maker is helping the researchers develop various types of filament that can potentially be used to innovative 3D printed heat sinks. Our Composer Filament Maker has already allowed Boetcher’s team to create filament with 60% PCM. This is 3X the level they could manage with their previous extrusion system, from a leading desktop extrusion company. Thomas B Freeman, PhD Student of Mechanical Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University confirms: “We are very happy with the purchase of the 3devo extruder. It has allowed us to mix PCM/HDPE ratios that were not possible with the previous extruder we owned.” 

Tangible impact 

These case studies and projects not only demonstrate the practical applications of 3devo’s filament extrusion solutions, but also showcases how our tools serve as a bridge between theoretical knowledge and real-world application. They reflect the innovative spirit and problem-solving skills that strive so hard to nurture amongst our customer base – let's not forget our ambition to enable 1 million 3D printing innovations by 2032.  

For a deeper dive into these stories and more, check out the Case Studies section of our website, where we explore the diverse ways in which our technology is making a tangible difference in the fields of education and research. 

Conclusion 

Integrating filament extrusion solutions into your educational environments presents a transformative opportunity for educators and lab managers. Our Filament Makers not only enhance the practical aspects of STEM education but also invigorate curriculums with the ability to conduct in-depth material research and real-world application projects. The reliability, ease of use, and versatility of our equipment ensure that institutions can foster an innovative learning atmosphere where students are prepared to meet the challenges of tomorrow's tech-driven landscape. 

We invite educators, lab managers, and institution administrators to discover the full potential of our filament making solutions. If you're looking to deepen your students' engagement with cutting-edge technology and hands-on learning, 3devo is here to help with personalized consultations and live demonstrations tailored to your specific project needs. 

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