XYZprinting Unveils New 3D Printer Engineered for Educators and Students

I’m a firm believer in the philosophy of quality over quantity, but when it comes to the consumer 3D printing market, the Taiwanese-based company XYZprinting has somehow managed to conquer all of its facets. Last month, the rising 3D printing company showed off 11 products at COMPUTEX Taipai 2016, and also managed to take home the Best Choice Golden Award at the event too. Owned by New Kinpo Group of Taiwan, XYZprinting has essentially created a different printer for all levels of experience and applications, which according to the IT market research firm CONTEXT, has helped establish the company as a global leader in the 3D printing market.

In order to ensure that every potential maker has the resources needed to realize the value of 3D printing, the company has even created solutions to help novices with designing and 3D modeling, which they call XYZmaker. As they continue to integrate both educational and professional 3D printing technology into their vast product lineup, XYZprinting has just recently announced their newest 3D printer, the da Vinci miniMaker. Their latest printer is actually the first education-focused 3D printer released by XYZprinting, as it’s especially engineered for use by STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and STEAM-minded teachers, students, and parents as well.

The da Vinci miniMaker is a beginner-friendly 3D printer created to make hands-on education as simplified as possible, helping to engage young students with the various applications of 3D printing, which in turn will lead them to develop collaboration and problem-solving skills in subjects related to STEM and STEAM education. An iteration of their popular da Vinci 3D printer roster, the miniMaker will contain a number of features that have helped their hardware gain global prominence.

The new educationally-driven 3D printer will use an intuitive auto-calibration system and a relatively solid build size of 5.9 x 5.9 x 5.9 inches. To promote safety for both the user and the surrounding environment, the miniMaker will only be compatible with XYZprinting’s proprietary filament, each of which has been efficiently tested to ensure that it is DEHP-free and heavy metal-free for user safety.

“We’re excited to continue to provide accessible solutions that advance and integrate 3D printing technology into the educational system across grades K-12 and beyond,” said Simon Shen, CEO of XYZprinting and New Kinpo Group. “The da Vinci miniMaker will help encourage, expand, and shape the cognitive skills and abilities of the next generation of engineers, designers, and creators.”

Although the da Vinci miniMaker is engineered to aid with STEM and STEAM content, the printer is not restricted to these types of projects. Those who purchase the new 3D printer will also gain access to the entirety of XYZprinting’s “Educational Ecosystem,” which includes the XYZmaker, XYZprinting STEAM, and the XYZ 3D Gallery. XYZmaker is an intuitive 3D modeling application created for young students to use, while the XYZprinting STEAM component includes a 3D printing-focused curriculum and corresponding projects created for all students from K-12. Lastly, the XYZ 3D Gallery grants students and educators access to over 4,500 free 3D models that stretch across nine categories, including everything from educational items and art designs to toys and games.

Retailing at the extremely affordable price of $229, the da Vinci miniMaker seems like the ideal 3D printer for young students to get their educational maker experience off on the right foot. The printer is currently available for pre-order in the United States via Amazon, and it’s expected to ship out in Fall 2016. As XYZprinting continues to roll out printer after printer, hitting almost every target on the consumer-level of 3D printing, they could soon become the face of 3D printing technology for education, giving students and teachers access to a high-quality, all-encompassing 3D printing experience at an extremely affordable price. Discuss further in the New da Vinci MiniMaker 3D Printer forum over at 3DPB.com.