BL 3Dimension Corporation, a retailer of Mcor paper-based 3D printers, Artec 3D scanners and 3D Connexion 3D computer mouse devices, is now in the business of making 3D printing more accessible to educational institutions. The company has just announced the introduction of its new training and educational services for delivering 3D printing to schools, the 3D EduLab.
The lab is an all inclusive package that seeks to cover all bases in terms of preparing faculty for the use of the technology in their own classrooms and providing a venue for students to learn how to use 3D printing / additive manufacturing, whether it be at the middle school, high school, vocational, or college level. With the EduLab, teachers are provided with 3D scanners, CAD software and Mcor 3D printers to create a classroom environment where students can begin to work with 3D printing. And, throughout the installation and use of Edulab tools, BL 3Dimension personnel provide hands-on training to teachers so that they have a full understanding of their equipment. The intention then, is that instructors not only have a complete 3D printing lab in their classroom, but can show their students how to use it, giving them hands-on experience that can be applied to fields ranging from medicine to architecture, design and art.
The firm believes that, because Mcor printers use paper bound with water-based adhesive and ink to create full-colour 3D prints, Mcor printers are ideal for educational institutions. Not only is the standard 8½ by 11” office paper cheap and easy to come by, but the lack of any chemicals or other dangers makes the printers suitable for younger learners. And, as the printers can run on recycled paper, Mcor is eco-friendly as well.
BL 3Dimension president, Kevin Braden, had this to say about their new venture: “To my knowledge, 3D EduLab is the first turnkey 3D solution of it’s kind for the Education market. 3D EduLab brings us another step closer to our mission of being the leading provider of 3D printing and scanning solutions in the Midwest.”
After seeing examples of Mcor’s full-color output, it’s hard for me not to imagine them really engaging students young and old. And, if 3D printing really is an essential technology for schools and businesses to master in preparation for the future, it’ll be interesting to see what sort of educational packages the competition brings to the table.
