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At 17,000 sq.ft, this facility in the heart of Lehigh University's Asa Packer Campus boasts a computer lab,waterjet, CNC machines, laser cutters, sewing machines, power tools and a comprehensive3D printer area.
The year is 2010, and Makerbot has completely upended theparadigm of 3D printing being too expensive for general use.
On a whim Brian Slocum uses part of his budget to buy one,and sticks it on a stand outside his office, inviting those in the building to use it.
Within days Brian is surprised to find 4 people standing at the Makerbot, waiting their turn to print their file. There is no plan for dealing with multiple people showing up! And a day later it is 8 people, all wanting to jump in and print their file quick before class.
Brian buys a second 3D printer, but it does not alleviate the problem. By the end of that year Lehigh boasts five or six of them.
Managing Director | The Wilbur Power house Lehigh University
2010 - 3 3D Printers
2011 - 10 3D Printers
2016 - 19 3D Printers
2010 - 20 Users
2011 - 100 Users
2016 - 150 Users
2010 - 150 Prints
2011 - 300 Prints
2016 - 4377 Prints
And first come first serve is not really fair. It turns a lot of students off, and goes against Lehigh University's core values.
Lehigh is supporting 3D printing in classes, which can't operate on that type of schedule. And though The Wilbur Powerhouse is building up staff, they are spending an inordinate amount of time collecting 3D print files and prioritizing them.
As Lehigh University was a groundbreaker in developing a makerspace, so in 2016 Lehigh is one of the early adopters of the 3DPrinterOS platform. This software allows all the 3Dprinters to be managed from one platform.
3DPrinterOS connects 3D printers, files and users. Every part of the 3D printing process is tracked, monitored and audited with the reporting tools. Print queues are seamlessly shared between students and 3D printers, allowing for exponential growth in use.
Brian finds 3D printing has a magnetic attraction to students. He frequently gives tours to prospective students and faculty, and showcases the 3D printing room. He tells them, “You can be in your dorm room, or you can be in Africa, but as long as you have an internet connection, you can upload your file. You could be on spring break in Florida, send your file, and when you get back to Lehigh on Monday you can walk in and pick it up.”
3DPrinterOS connects 3D printers, files and users. Every part of the 3D printing process is tracked, monitored and audited with the reporting tools. Print queues are seamlessly shared between students and 3D printers, allowing for exponential growth in use.
As well as empowering remote printing, 3DPrinterOS also allows Brian to track usage and tie it to individual users. This provides oversight: students learn to that even when they’re printing for fun there’s areal dollar value attached to it, and it helps become creative with a purpose.
Brian finds that 3D printing is an attractive low-barrier entry to other aspects of The Wilbur Power house. Students may not be familiar with shop tools, so it’s far less intimidating as a first experience, and can serve as a stepping stone to embracing more of the deep resources The Wilbur Powerhouse has to offer.
Learn more about 3DPrinterOS - the most trusted 3D printing management software for Higher Education, Enterprises and OEMs. Fill out this form to get in touch with our experts.
Manage the workflow and permissions for your users
Share files and 3D printers to groups of users
Control your 3D printer fleet through a browser
Cloud slicer and toolpath viewer
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