5 Reasons Why Universities are Adopting MakerBot Method 3D Printers for Research and Development
Learn why professors, students, and lab researchers are using MakerBot 3D printers to advance their research, save time and money, and prepare the next generation of engineers, scientists, and more.
1. MakerBot 3D Printers are an Essential Tool for the Future Workforce
3D Printing is being used within major design and manufacturing businesses across the world. Giving students tools to help them succeed is a key element in propelling them toward potential world-changing careers. MakerBot Method 3D printers shine when it comes to providing an accurate tool for students to transform ideas into tangible objects that they can physically manipulate. Just ask Prof. Dr. Florian Finsterwalder of the Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences in Germany:
“I believe that 3D printing is a valuable problem-solving tool and key competency for the future workforce. It was important to integrate this technology into our courses to give students a chance to use equipment that is currently being used within design and manufacturing companies today.
2. Makerbot 3D Printers are Some of the Most Accurate and Affordable Desktop Machines in Their Class
When you need reliable and accurate 3D printed parts, MakerBot Method 3D printers are a solid option - especially since they are quite affordable when compared to other options and their Stratasys counterparts.
Again, Professor Dr. Florian Finsterwalder has some key insight into why MakerBot Method 3D printers were his first choice for classroom and lab use at the Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences:
“Our plan is to increasingly focus on industrial parts, so advanced 3D printing capabilities are very important for us. We believe that the MakerBot METHOD X is the perfect entry-level industrial equipment that can provide industrial-quality parts. We have been quite impressed with METHOD and what it was able to do. Dimensional accuracy, which plays a big role in 80% of our projects, is especially important for us. Depending on the materials used, distortion during 3D printing can be quite significant. METHOD’s heated chamber and rigid steel frame drastically reduces the distortion, yielding tight tolerances and a high level of accuracy.”
3. MakerBot 3D Printers have a Heated Build Chamber
MakerBot 3D printers are the only desktop machines available that have a fully heated build chamber. Most 3D printers have a heated build plate, which will make the first few layers of your 3D printed part stronger, while the remaining layers tend to be cooler, thus not bound together as well.
MakerBot's heated build chamber ensures a consistent temperature, making every layer of your print as strong as possible - not just the first few layers. Simply put - a heated chamber produces stronger parts when compared to printers that just have a heated bed. This makes printing with advanced materials like Nylon, ABS, ad Polycarbonate that require more consistent settings easier to print.
4. MakerBot CloudPrint Allows Teams to Collaborate and Share When Working Remotely
MakerBot's CloudPrint is the most advanced automated 3D printing platform in its class - it allows teams to easily share access to MakerBot 3D printers even when working remotely. Put an end to tinkering and time-consuming printer upkeep with the most streamlined workflow in the industry, including automated material handling, build plate leveling, and extruder calibration.
This platform is great for a classroom or lab setting where multiple machines need to be managed across various class schedules and projects - just ask members of the Tech Lab at the University of Melbourne:
"MakerBot was chosen because of the reliability and capability of the hardware as well as the seamless integration of the whole ecosystem – hardware, software, and support. There were no other 3D printer brands that could provide all elements of this ecosystem.”
5. MakerBot 3D printers have an Open Material Platform for Advanced Materials
With an ever-growing catalogue of materials to choose from, you don't want to be limited to explore them all just because your equipment can't handle it. This is not an issue with MakerBot printers - MakerBot has an open material platform so you can print with any material available and excel with advanced materials.
If your classroom or lab has very specific material requirements, MakerBot Method 3D printers are a great tool to have available. From carbon fiber-infused NylonX, to Ultrafuse 316L stainless steel filament, MakerBot 3D Printers can handle anything you throw at them.
