Education
What technologies are suitable in the field of education?
Training the leaders of the future in additive manufacturing
We are training the next generation of additive manufacturing experts. By investing in additive manufacturing, educational institutions can lead the exploration and adoption of innovative technologies and help students develop the skills they will need for next-generation careers in manufacturing. Students gain real-world experience designing and producing their own functional parts, and researchers can develop new processes and materials that push the boundaries of additive manufacturing technology.
Bringing innovative technologies to campus also facilitates collaboration with industry, opens up new avenues of research, and empowers the next generation to change the world through additive manufacturing.
DELTECO is proud to serve all educational institutions as a bridge to these technologies by collaborating in the development of educational programs, training and advising teachers and researchers, and bringing programs such as Desktop Metal GenAM, designed to meet the needs of training centers and universities.
What additive manufacturing technologies are suitable for the educational sector?
There are various additive manufacturing technologies that are very present in the educational field. Depending on the objective, available budget and planned user training, we will opt for one or the other. The most common are the following:
- FFF
- DLP/cDLM
- BMD
- SLM
FFF – Fused Filament Fabrication
FFF technology is the most widespread in the educational field. These are very low-cost 3D printers, sometimes below 1,000 euros. They are extremely slow, simple, easy-to-use printers, and their reliability greatly depends on the quality of their components and, as a consequence, on their price.
Due to its low cost and ease of use, it has become the first technology to be implemented, as a first step towards acquiring knowledge and experience in the field of 3D printing.
DLP – Digital Light Processing / cDLM – Continuous Digital Light Manufacturing
The DLP is the evolution of the first 3D printing technology that existed, the SLA (also known as stereolithography). In the case of DLP, the laser is replaced by a projector to gain in layer curing speed. The cDLM is the evolution of the DLP by adding a layer of oxygen on the printing tray to prevent the adhesion of the resin to it. As a consequence, the mechanical detachment process is avoided and, again, movement speed in Z is gained.
Both technologies, with their differences in speed, offer smooth surface finishes and extremely high levels of detail, to achieve parts that are indistinguishable from injected parts.
BMD – Bound Metal Deposition
The BMD is the only metal additive manufacturing technology that does not use metal powder, which means safety for the user.
It is also the only technology that allows changing from one material to another in a matter of minutes, making it ideal for manufacturing parts made of various materials (stainless steel, copper, titanium, etc.) using a single technology.
Because it is not a really fast technology, outside the educational field it is considered ideal for tooling and for prototypes, but not for serial part production.
This technology has a low investment cost, within what is usually metal additive manufacturing, and also has a very contained consumable cost.
SLM – Selective Laser Melting
SLM technology is the most tested and implemented in metal additive manufacturing. Nowadays, universities that want to participate in research projects, or collaborate with companies in the development of materials and processes, invest in SLM technology.
Although there are other technologies that allow the manufacture of metal parts, such as BMD or Binder Jetting, whoever needs the technology used in health, aeronautics, automotive or tool manufacturing should study the alternatives in SLM technology.
Desktop Metal's GenAM program
Desktop Metal's GenAM program has been developed to fit the needs of academic institutions. It has specific bundles for education, material packages, efficient maintenance plans and expert training.
Competitive maintenance and EDU packages
Metal and composite additive manufacturing can be expensive. Participation in the GenAM program enables educational institutions to access equipment packages and maintenance plans at reduced costs designed to smooth out the expense while ensuring students have exactly what they need to maximize equipment utilization: maintenance regular, affordable materials, and training and coaching to suit you.
Tranquility
GenAM also lightens the load for trainers. Desktop Metal offers ideal metal, composite, and polymer additive manufacturing solutions for teachers: there's no need to sacrifice classroom safety, part quality, easy production processes, speed, or accuracy. Most of the GenAM packages even provide enough materials to last a whole year of training, and even more.
Innovative Educational Resources
Participating in GenAM guarantees students access to world-class experts in advanced manufacturing, materials science, and 3D printing. Students will benefit from a curriculum developed by industry-leading professionals and academics, and will have access to personalized educational content developed by Desktop Metal and its partners.
Industrial tools for researchers
Desktop Metal 3D printers support a very wide variety of possibilities. They enable rapid manufacturing of parts and prototypes for industry-demanded experiments with easy-to-use equipment and software. They also allow the development of new materials and printing processes on an open platform. They facilitate the investigation of innovative design possibilities thanks to the ability to print complex parts made of metal, composites and polymers.
Ultimate pieces for student projects and competition teams
Whether students need lightweight metal parts for a Formula Student car, heat resistant PEKK composite parts, a copper heat exchanger for a robosub, aerospace grade PEEK parts for a rocket, Desktop Metal has the solution. Students at GenAM can produce the best possible final parts for class and competition using a wide variety of metal, composite and polymer printers.
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