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Jay’s 3D Printing Classroom

Jay started his 3D printing lectures in 2012. As the first full time 3D printing expert in Taiwan, he combined his interests with his own profession, and turned his teaching center into a studio to promote 3D printing technology.

Jay has more than ten years of teaching experience. Xiao Xuan, who was also a teacher, and the wife of Jay, was the first student of Jay. She learned from 3D modeling to later 3D scanning, and 3D printing. Later on, she has also become a professional teacher for 3D printing technology.

Their students range from elementary schools to universities and even to adult adults. There are teachers, students and 3D printing enthusiasts. Today, they have accumulated more than 3,000 hours of classes.

Figure 1. Jay and Xiaoxuan in 3D Printing Classroom
Source: http://mingshiuan.blogspot.com/

We had the opportunity to interview Xiao Xuan and learned about some behind-the-scenes stories about their work in 3D printing.

Tiertime: I learned from your website that you are a 3D printing teacher living in Taipei. Can you tell me more about how you started with 3D printing?

Xiao Xuan: In 2012, my husband Chen Yijie (Mr. Jay) bought a compatible model of the MakerBot second-generation open source 3D printer, which was just launched, in order to make robot parts. At that time, it was a bit pricey, and I thought it was courageous.

It was a model just put on the market, not quite stable. We printed only a small square and the heating control board was burned, which normally would have stopped everyone, except Jay, who disassembled the machine and repaired it himself, a true Maker indeed. The whole process gave him a better understanding of the 3D printer than the average user.

He did not stop there, and eventually, he became pretty well-known in 3D printer community and the first professional lecturer in Taiwan for full-time 3D printing.

I did pretty well as well. My 3D printing designs were featured three times on the homepage of thingiverse.com, the 3d model website for 3D printing.

Tietime: When and where did you personally learn about 3D printing technology for the first time?
In 2012, I studied with Jay, who taught me 3D modeling, 3D scanning and 3D printing.

Tiertime: Have you started using 3D printers ever since that year? What brand is your first 3D printer?
Started in 2012. The first was the compatible model of MakerBot second-generation, the FlashForge Adventurer.

Tiertime: What was your first impression of 3D printing technology?
Precise hot glue stacks in layers to create a three-dimensional model.

Tiertime: What kind of opportunity was it for you to decide to become a teacher to teach 3D printing courses?
In 2003, working with Jay, we began to teach multimedia courses for teachers in various schools, creating lots of connections for our future businesses.

In 2012, due to the research on 3D printing, we began to promote 3D modeling, 3D scanning and 3D printing in our network.
So far, we have accumulated more than 3,000 hours of teaching courses, from primary schools to universities or other units, to teachers, students and the community.

Tiertime: Can you briefly introduce what is included in your 3D printing course?
Fast online 3D modeling, 3D printer operation, 3D scanning and advanced 3D model design
You can visit our Course Highlights List in our website: http://mingshiuan.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_22.html

Tiertime: How does 3D printer technology help the education industry?
From what I have been experiencing, 3D printing made some impossibles possible. Like, Teaching aid production, robot parts design and prototyping, and art design. Before 3d printing, we had to rely on 3rd party suppliers, but now, with 3d printing, we can design and make products ourselves anyway we want, and any time we want.

Tiertime: Now in your teaching, what are the pain points in teaching students to use 3D printers. Could you list the top 3 difficulties?
(1) 3D printing takes too long time to finish. Only the small models can be printed during the class, and the large models need to be printed after class.
(2) The number of 3D printers in the school is far from enough. Most students do not have much time to operate one.
(3) The school planned training is too short. Teachers and students do not have enough knowledge about 3D modeling applications and printers.

Tiertime: How familiar the people in Taiwan with 3D printing? Very familiar, just understand the basic ideas, or very very limited understanding?

I think it is just basic understanding.

At present in Taiwan, 3D printing is mainly promoted in education market. Many schools in Taiwan have setup the Makers Labs, which have quite a number of 3D printers. Meanwhile, each school also purchases 3D printers, a couple units or more. However, the actual hands-on and applications are still needed to be strengthened.

The government also frequently host exhibitions related to makers and 3D printers so that the general public can learn and understand.

Tiertime: How did you learn about Tiertime?
We are very familiar with GuoHang Technology, Tiertime’s major distributor partner in Taiwan. We bought UP Plus 2 in 2014 and later on, UP mini and mini 2. The Tiertime’s slicing program is carefully designed, the machine is very reliable, suitable for the beginner, and very helpful for our class.

Tiertime: There are many excellent 3D printing manufacturers in the world. Please list the main reasons on which the vendor selection was based.
(1) Quiet when printing.
(2) The accuracy of the printed work is excellent.
(3) It is convenient to work with near-end feeding, and can be used for multi-color refueling works (eg: 2016 HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR-YEAR OF The MONKEY Keychain / Magnets)
(4) The Slicing software is simple and easy to set.
(5) 3D printer is easy to operate, safe for teachers or students.

Figure 2. 2016 HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR-YEAR OF The MONKEY Keychain / Magnets
Source: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1229476

I am very grateful to Xiaoxuan for sharing their stories about 3D printing and wishing their 3D printing classrooms better and better.

Watch the timelapse of how to save material consumption in 3D printing while using Support Editor in UP Studio to edit a 3D model.  An owl pen holder designed by Xiaoxuan printed by a UP BOX+ 3D printer , click here.

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