3D printing for students in Barcelona
How to print your final-project prototype without overspending or missing the hand-in, with the mistakes we see every term.
Barcelona has an unusual density of engineering, design and architecture schools, and it shows in the workshop: every May and every January the same rush arrives and, above all, the same five mistakes. None of them is technical. All of them are planning.
The five mistakes, every term
- 1Ordering the week of the hand-in. In May and June you are not alone: every school hands in at once and the machines fill up. Two weeks of margin costs the same as two days and you sleep better.
- 2Printing the final part first. Print a small version or a cross-section first. It costs a few euros and shows you the mistake the screen hides.
- 3Modelling at full size something that presents fine smaller. Cost follows volume: at 70% the part costs a third, and on an examiner’s table it reads just as well.
- 4Exporting in inches. It is the number-one cause of parts arriving ten or twenty-five times bigger or smaller than expected.
- 5Picking the material to match the report’s colour scheme. If the model rides to the viva in a backpack, not snapping matters more than the exact shade of grey.
What to print, by what you study
| Field | What it usually needs | The sensible choice |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical engineering | Parts that assemble and get tested | PETG, standard layer, 20% infill |
| Architecture | Models and massing studies | White PLA, fine layer, split by floor |
| Product design | Look-and-feel and grip prototypes | PLA with sanding, or resin if small |
| Electronics and robotics | Enclosures, sensor mounts, chassis | PETG, with inserts if it opens and closes |
| Fine art and jewellery | Fine detail, small pieces | Resin, 0.05 mm layer or finer |
Your school’s lab and us
If your school has a fabrication lab, use it: it is cheaper and you learn more. Coming to a service makes sense when the lab queue does not reach your date, when the part does not fit their machines, when you need a material they do not stock, or when the piece for your viva has to come out right first time and you cannot afford three failed attempts the night before.
Do you have a student discount?
There is no separate student rate, but there are two levers that cut the price a lot and are open to anyone: scaling the part down and combining the order with your classmates. Between them they usually save more than any percentage discount would.
Can you print a large architectural model?
Up to 256 mm a side in one piece. Above that it gets split, which is what you want anyway: a model divided by floor or by module prints in parallel, arrives sooner and travels far better than a single lump.
What does a typical final-project prototype cost?
It depends on volume, not on the project. A part that fits in your hand tends to land around the order minimum; a table-sized model goes considerably higher. The way to know is to upload the file to the configurator: the price appears instantly and you can move scale and quality until it fits your budget.
Can I get an invoice to justify a grant or project spend?
Yes. Every order comes with a VAT invoice, and if it needs to be issued to the university or a research group, enter those tax details when ordering.