The free use of 3D printers for schools sounds like a bit of an improbability. We’ve grown accustomed to the increasingly publicised educational benefits of 3D printers in the intertwined disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Maths (S.T.E.A.M.). There is also an increasing number of companies and governments who are enacting policies that promote the use of our subject technology in the classroom. But what company would put printers in classrooms for free? The commercial long-play strategy of Australian retailer The 3D Printer forwards the possibility of free classroom 3D printing via its new rental service.
Maddingley, Victoria-based The 3D Printer has been enacting a number of interesting and relatively unique approaches to 3D printing and education. Earlier this year 3DPI’s Mike covered the approach of the company to crowdfunding, whereby teachers and schools seeking to put a printer in their educational establishment can crowd-fund their fiscal goal via The 3D Printer’s website – and team up with the company to then go forth to promote the funding campaign across social media. Now, the company is seeking to place printers in schools with another quite novel approach: Offering free rental of a 3D printer to teaching environments… all the school, college or university need pay for is the p&p.
The 3D Printer says: “Our education sales approach begins with a demonstration and a free 3D printer to loan. This enables the client the ability to test and ensure that the 3D printing revolution in going to work for them. With a growing collection of educational resources we committed in getting schools to take on this new revolution of 3D printing.“
Renting out 3D printers is neither unique nor a new phenomena. The leasing of industrial grade additive manufacturing machines in a package ready-to-go was incepted by Stratasys, who launched their rental program in 2011. There is a range of rental services across the globe that is probably never going to be fully logged by 3D printing consultants, media and other knowledge channels: I’ll close the article with a few brief examples in major economies. But renting out for free is, as far as I can determine, almost or actually original. Why would The 3D Printer do this?
To reiterate the insight that Mike provided for the crowdfunding project: “So, what does everyone get out of this deal? Schools and teachers get a place to raise funds for their 3D printing programs and The 3D Printer gets all of the publicity it can handle through its fundraising educators. And, if you do use The 3D Printer to seek investors, you may receive discounts on 3D printing goods from the retailer. This is a brilliant move by the Australian e-store. By providing a little bit of webspace for schools, the company receives some very positive attention and web traffic, while solidifying its image as an educational advocate. In the future, when teachers are looking to start their own 3D printing programs or need to recommend a retailer to someone, who else will they turn to?”
Putting printers in schools for free is a similar approach to promotion. There is an undoubtedly altruistic perspective to the move, the societal benefit cannot be overlooked. There wouldn’t be a rent-for-free channel here however if there was not at least a nuance of commercial viability — there is certainly more than a nuance of marketing prowess here: The promotion of brand association with young printer users today who will go on to be the potential consumers of printers tomorrow. This is a relatively untested business approach in the prosumer 3D printer retailing space, and this author is not here to espouse or reject such an approach.
Business people will certainly not be new to loss-leading channels for ventures seeking to garner new revenue streams and enter new sectors. Nor will the majority of business minded persons be unaware of the strategy of various companies to pitch and place their brands in educational institutions: For example Coca Cola, who have been doing this for many a year. As to how this marketing philosophy works out in the additive manufacturing arena we will just have to wait and watch. In the mean time there will be classrooms enlightened with the excitement and wonder of 3D printing for those who engage with the rent-for-free service.
As promised I will close with a few examples of prosumer printer rentals around the world:
Brazil – Impressora3D, Sao Paulo;
China – 3ddyzx, Chengdu, Sichuan District;
France – Selectronic, Paris;
Germany – Shop, Berlin;
Italy – Robot Domestici, Rome;
Spain – Ultra-lab, Madrid;
U.K. – GoPrint3D: Ripon, North Yorkshire;
U.S. – imakr, New York
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