Effective June 2, the Sedra Student Design Centre raised the price for the 3D printer by 32% to $9.00 per cubic inch of material used. The price increased will be used to pay for a loan to buy a second Fortus 360mc 3D printer for the Sedra Student Design Centre and reduce wait time.
The 3D Print Centre was opened in the Winter 2013 term with a 3D printer obtained through a grant from the Denso North America Foundation. The 3D Print Centre offers a unique opportunity for access to industrial fused deposition modeling technology that most Canadian university students do not have access to.
A select few Canadian universities have access to Makerbot 3D printers, but they do not offer the versatility and capacities that the Fortus 360mc system offers. In addition, the 3D Print Centre hires a first year co-op every term, and they are trained in advanced 3D printing techniques, so they can assist any customer with design for effective 3D printing.
The first term that the 3D print centre opened, it served 80 customers. One year later it reached capacity at 220 print jobs. Wait times increased to 1-2 weeks during the busiest times when design projects were near deadlines. The decision to bring in another 3D printer was made to reduce wait times during these critical stages in design projects.
When the new 3D printer arrives around September, it will also be used in the Mechanical and Mechatronics concepts course to introduce first years to 3D printing, and bring more application to CAD lessons.
Before the price increase, costs to use the 3D printer only accounted for material and maintenance costs. The operator is paid through OSAP, and the space is provided by the Sedra Student Design Centre. The new price will cover the cost of the loan for the new 3D printer and material costs. Instillation costs including modifications to the room for increased HVAC and power requirements will be funded by the Dean’s office.
When asked about the possibility of WEEF funding for a new 3D printer, Peter Teertstra, Director of the Student Design Centre said that he did not want to take money away from student teams. With no money available from the Dean for capital equipment for the Student Design Centre, Teertstra believed an interest free loan was the only option available. He said the Denso grant was a onetime opportunity, and they could not be approached again for further funding.
Teertstra recognized the limited funding available to most design projects and students teams, and the resulting financial constraints that are a result of the increased price. He noted that a similar print job in industry would cost upwards of $30-50 per cubic inch.
Since its opening, the 3D Print Centre has allowed the Waterloo Engineering community to show its innovation in the design of plastic parts, and Teertsta hopes that the 3D print centre will be able to continue to serve students in a cost effective and timely manner. Teertstra thanks students for the huge success of the 3D print centre in its first years of operation.
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