3D print firms target schools

3D printers could soon feature in schools across the UK to inspire the next generation of designers and engineers, thanks to several initiatives aimed at the education sector. 

US start-up Mission Street Manufacturing has launched an internet “Kickstarter” campaign to fund its development of a £300 3D printer, called Printeer, which it intends to sell to schools and children across the globe. As of writing, the project had raised more than $100,000 – double the $50,000 required. 

In the UK, Luke Johnson, chairman of private equity firm Risk Capital Partners, is heading up a project to put a 3D printer in every British school within the next year, and is looking for co-funders to help him with his scheme, which he predicts will cost up to £10 million.

 Johnson said: “Each year more students are taking exams and degrees in Stem subjects – they see that science, technology and engineering are where the jobs are. 3D printer use in schools should play into that positive narrative.” 

But he added that maintenance of the machines was a key consideration. 

“There is no point in supplying kit that breaks down and cannot be fixed or upgraded where necessary,” he said.

Earlier this year Holland-based 3D printer company Ultimaker launched a campaign aiming to “bring 3D printing to all age groups from primary through to university” in the UK. Its polylactic acid-based printers can print up to 250mm per second and feature a 21x21x20.5cm build area. 

They include an LCD interface for use without a computer. The base model is available for £800. 

An initial 50 schools are receiving Ultimaker 3D printers at a discount to create interest in the programme. Academies within the Tollbar and Cleethorpes Trust are using 10 3D printers in design and technology lessons. Marie McDonagh, Cleethorpes Academy curriculum leader for technology, said: “The students are absolutely amazed at how they can design and create an object before their eyes exactly as they planned it. It offers them endless possibilities that extend across the curriculum and we are very excited to be able to give them the opportunity to use technology that is only just becoming more widely available in industry.”

Think-tank the New Engineering Foundation (NEF) joined the call for the introduction of 3D printers this month in its report, Inventing the Future. The report warns that Stem education courses are “outdated and restrictive” and that schools must exploit these new technologies to create a “new breed of technologists”. 

Prof Sa’ad Medhat, chief executive of NEF, said: “3D printing has great potential in the classroom, helping to fire up the imaginations of pupils and enabling them to experiment and think creatively.

“However, the full potential of 3D printing will not be fully realised in schools until the teachers are trained and confident in setting up and using the systems. There is a role for further education colleges to train teachers in this and other disruptive technologies. This initiative should not just be about the students – we need to teach the teachers as well.”