According to IDC, schools buy 3D printers, but often lock them up so students and users cannot access them because there is no way to manage access and costs associated with their use. It defeats the purpose of the 3D printer in education which is meant to motivate student learning. In the end, the printer goes unused.

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As adoption of lower-cost 3D printers occurs in business and educational environments, there will likely be an increasing need to manage the technology to ensure functional print environments and to drive efficient workflows.

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Using YSoft be3D eDee, educational institutions can set up a pay-to-print workflow model in which users must authenticate themselves to print on a 3D printer, accept the cost, and build time estimate of a 3D print job. eDee uses YSoft SafeQ’s Print Roaming feature and can pull job information from an account to allow for printing to any 3D printer. Users receive an alert when their jobs are completed via the eDee workflow, and the educational institution is able to view job information for reporting purposes.

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As a pillar of the YSoft SafeQ Workflow Solution Platform YSoft be3D eDee delivers these benefits:

• 3D print management - Centralized view of all networked 3D printers. Fact-based audit reports on usage and costs. Ability to create student accounts for payment based on time and materials.

• Door locks - Access doors on the 3D printer lock to ensure safety of operation and protection of the 3D object from theft. Student access provided through card or PIN authentication.

• Easy to learn, easy to master – The 3D printer has automatic calibration and its easy-to-understand software enables students to focus on their 3D design.       

• Remote monitoring - Webcam provides updates on printing progress. Job finished notifications available.

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