Mar 22, 2016 | By Kira

Maintaining and managing just one 3D printer can be a workload in itself, yet imagine having an entire classroom or even school’s worth of machines to coordinate, maintain, keep track of and account for. As 3D printers become more commonplace in classrooms, the challenge of managing service costs and workflows needs to be addressed, however simply copy/pasting the same principles used in 2D print management isn’t the answer.

Looking to provide a definitive solution and to encourage 3D printer adoption in educational institutes, Y Soft has released the YSoft be3D eDee 3D printer, a fully automated and networked FDM desktop 3D printer integrated with SafeQ, Y Soft’s leading print management, workflow and accounting solution.

By integrating its industry-recognized enterprise print management system directly into the eDee 3D printer, YSoft hopes to help users reduce print services costs, keep track of accounting information, increase document/object security, improve productivity, and make 3D printers efficient and available to students and staff on campus-wide networks.

"In education, where 3D printer adoption is growing rapidly, we see that administrators need to manage and audit 3D printer use and costs as they do with 2D printers," said Vaclav Muchna, Y Soft CEO and co-founder. "With YSoft be3D eDee, we are the first to offer educational institutions a seamless solution that provides all the benefits of print management for their 2D and growing 3D printer fleets."

It all begins with a brand new 3D printer model. The YSoft be3D eDee is a fully automated, enclosed desktop 3D printer with an intuitive 7-inch touch screen panel and print bed auto-calibration. Designed specifically for use in schools and educational institutes, the eDee is safety-conscious and as easy-to-use as possible.

Most importantly, because the eDee comes fully integrated with YSoft SafeQ Print Management Suite, it can enable schools and higher education institutes to accurately understand costs related to 3D print materials, enable a pay-for-services system, and address the challenges unique to 3D printing management.

These unique challenges include the fact that, unlike with 2D printers, 3D print jobs cannot be queued for redirected if the printer is busy. 3D print jobs also cannot be easily reprinted or marked as a ‘favorite’, nor can 3D print queues be shared between teachers and student groups. Finally, an effective 3D print management solution must take into consideration what happens if a 3D model is taken by another student, or if a job is accidentally (or purposefully) stopped by another student.

YSoft's solution is a full-featured 3D printer with integrated print management, workflow, and an accounting system for cost recovery. Furthermore, YSoft SafeQ integrated print management system can be used to manage both 2D and 3D print fleets. “By integrating YSoft SafeQ into eDee, educational organizations have a seamless system for managing both 2D and 3D printers across their networked campus,” explains the company.

 

According to research company Onvia, 4 out of 5 teachers currently use technology in their classrooms, and teaching with 3D printers is set to become the norm. Already, major companies such as MakerBot, Ultimaker, and XYZPrinting have made 3D printing education a priority in their product lines, and 3D printers have increasingly been sold to educational institutes from K-12 all the way up to college and university.

Solutions for 3D printer management across these institutions will therefore become a priority to help ensure that all students can benefit from 3D printing education in their own classrooms. Though no price has been revealed, the YSoft be3D eDee will be available under early access in Q2 2016 through the company’s global network of partners.

Based in Brno, Czech Republic, YSoft acquired a majority share in 3D printer manufacturer be3D back in 2014. Also headquartered in Czech, be3D specializes in creating entry to mid-level 3D printers, including the environmentally friendly DeeGreen and the DeeRed large-format 3D printer.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printer

 

 

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