3Deals

3D printing course — beginner/intermediate

60 hours of lab work, from your first CAD sketch to a printed, presented project.

Total duration
60 hours
Weekly schedule
9 hours per week (3 sessions of 3 hours)
Overall length
About 7 weeks
Format
Lab-based — 30% theory, 70% hands-on

What you'll learn

The course builds practical additive manufacturing skills: it starts from CAD design and ends with a physical object, taking in 3D scanning and post-production along the way. You work in the lab on real machines, not on slides.

Who it's for

Secondary school students (14-19), no specific prerequisites, with an interest in technology, design, engineering or maker culture.

What you'll work on

  • Printer: Bambu Lab X1 Carbon
  • Scanner: Revopoint POP 3
  • CAD: Fusion 360 (educational licence)
  • Slicing: Bambu Studio
  • Materials: PLA, ABS, Nylon, soluble supports

The programme

Twelve modules, 60 hours in total. Each module alternates a theory part with hands-on lab work.

60 hours in total
  1. 01

    Introduction to 3D printing and Industry 4.0

    History of additive manufacturing; FDM, SLA and SLS technologies; industrial, medical and artistic applications; mass customisation. Live printing demonstration.

    3 hours
  2. 02

    Working principles and technologies

    FDM technology in detail; extruder, hotend, heated bed; differences between Cartesian, delta and CoreXY printers. Guided teardown and first machine start-up.

    3 hours
  3. 03

    Materials for 3D printing

    Thermoplastic properties (PLA, ABS, PETG, Nylon); extrusion and bed temperatures; shrinkage and warping; soluble supports. Comparative material testing.

    3 hours
  4. 04

    Safety and maintenance

    Lab safety rules; ventilation and VOCs; routine maintenance (nozzle cleaning, lubrication, belt tension); basic troubleshooting.

    3 hours
  5. 05

    Introduction to Fusion 360 — part 1

    Interface and workspaces; 2D sketching with lines, circles and constraints; extrude, revolve, sweep. Modelling simple objects and exporting STL.

    6 hours
  6. 06

    Introduction to Fusion 360 — part 2

    Boolean operations; rectangular and circular patterns; fillets and chamfers; parametric modelling and component assembly. Designing an articulated object.

    6 hours
  7. 07

    Slicing and print preparation

    Slicing principles; the Bambu Studio interface; critical parameters (layer height, infill, speed, supports); model orientation and bed adhesion.

    6 hours
  8. 08

    Printing and monitoring

    Starting prints and remote monitoring; handling common failures (warping, stringing, layer shifting); pausing and resuming a print.

    6 hours
  9. 09

    3D scanning with the Revopoint POP 3

    3D scanning principles; structured light; lighting requirements; resolution and accuracy; reverse engineering. Mesh processing, cleaning and repair.

    6 hours
  10. 10

    Post-production and finishing

    Support removal; sanding with abrasive paper and acetone smoothing for ABS; fillers, primer and painting; mechanical assembly of parts.

    6 hours
  11. 11

    Final project — concept and design

    Personal project brief; brainstorming; technical constraints of size and material; feasibility check; full CAD modelling.

    6 hours
  12. 12

    Final project — build and presentation

    Printing the final projects; documenting the process; preparing the presentation; technical communication and individual presentation.

    6 hours

Want to run it at your school or association?

The programme adapts to the hours you have available. Get in touch and we'll talk it through.

Request information