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Case Study

Preparing Future Manufacturing
Professionals Through Automated Post-Processing

With thousands of parts produced every quarter, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) automated support removal using the PostProcess BASE™ and DEMI 830™ solutions to improve efficiency, increase project capacity, and provide students with hands-on experience using industry-standard technologies.


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Unlock the Power of 3D Printing for Academic Research

In this Solutions Guide, you will discover real-world examples of how universities and research institutions are leveraging 3D printing to expand academic exploration. From engineering and design to medicine and archaeology, additive manufacturing is unlocking new possibilities for researchers.

Customer Overview

About SCAD

The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private, nonprofit university focused on preparing students for creative careers. Additive manufacturing is integrated across more than 40 academic programs, providing students with access to real-world manufacturing technologies and workflows. The university operates twelve Stratasys FDM printers and three Stratasys PolyJet printers, producing approximately 2,000–2,500 parts each quarter.

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Business Challenge

Manual Support Removal Reduced Student and Staff Capacity

SCAD's additive manufacturing lab supports hundreds of students each quarter within an accelerated 10-week academic calendar. Manual support removal consumed valuable time, created workflow bottlenecks, and limited the number of projects the lab could support. Staff and students spent time on labor-intensive post-processing rather than design, iteration, and skill development.

Challenge Highlights

  • Produces approximately 2,000–2,500 printed parts each quarter
  • Supports more than 40 academic programs
  • Manual support removal consumed valuable staff and student time
  • Workflow bottlenecks limited project capacity
  • Need to expose students to industry-standard manufacturing workflows
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Solution

Bringing Automated Post-Processing into the Lab

To improve both efficiency and education outcomes, SCAD integrated the PostProcess BASE FDM Support Removal Solution and DEMI 830 PolyJet Support Removal Solution into its additive manufacturing lab. Students now gain experience with the same automated post-processing technologies used in professional manufacturing environments.

Key Solution Benefits

  • Automated support removal for both FDM and PolyJet parts
  • Improved workflow efficiency
  • Consistent post-processing results
  • Increased project capacity
  • Greater student exposure to real-world manufacturing technologies

Results

More Time for Learning and Innovation

By automating post-processing, SCAD created a more efficient additive manufacturing lab that gives students more time to focus on design, creativity, and hands-on engineering experiences while allowing staff to support additional projects throughout each academic quarter.

Results at a Glance

  • 2,000–2,500 Parts Produced Quarterly
    • Supports a high-volume student production environment.
  • More Capacity for Student Projects
    • Reduced manual support removal enables the lab to support additional projects and learners.
  • More Time for Design & Iteration
    • Students spend less time removing supports and more time developing concepts and refining designs.
  • Industry-Relevant Skills Development
    • Students gain experience using manufacturing workflows and post-processing technologies common in industry.

Download the case study

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The biggest advantage is the huge time savings for both students and lab employees. Students should spend time learning design skills, not manually removing supports

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