XEC students bring personalised products to campus with 3D printing

At XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang)'s School of Intelligent Manufacturing Ecosystem, the student team Printing³ transforms designs into reality in the Additive Manufacturing Lab. Layer by layer, their creations take shape on a 3D printer, bringing ideas to life.

Logo printed by the team’s advanced 3D printing technology

The team promotes and sells their 3D-printed creations through vending machines on campus – an initiative by the School to explore XJTLU's syntegrative education model. The School provided substantial support, including equipment, resources, and initial funding.

Dr Yuyi Zhu, Acting Dean of the School, says: “This technology enhances learning in intelligent manufacturing, making it more engaging and accessible while giving students hands-on experience in the full commercialisation process.”

Starting from scratch

How did a simple idea develop into an entrepreneurial project? It all began when Dr Zhu recognised the demand for personalised, innovative products on campus. He envisioned a practical project that integrated syntegrative education to address this need.

Zhijie Qian, a Year Three student in the BEng Intelligent Manufacturing Engineering programme passionate about 3D printing, was the first to join.

Zhijie Qian

While recruiting team members with Dr Zhu, Qian wanted a team of students from diverse backgrounds and skilled in design and business integration.

New members joined gradually, including Yitong Ling, a Year Two student in BEng Intelligent Manufacturing Engineering with a strong background in mechanical drawing and exceptional self-learning skills. Faced with the challenge of 3D figure modelling, she spent an entire night mastering the necessary software. As her skills grew, she organised modelling training sessions on campus and became a core member of Printing³.

Yitong Ling’s first 3D figure model

The debut

With the group assembled, Printing³ began to prepare for their debut – the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) Open Day that September.

“My short-term goal was to stand out at the event,” Qian said.

He assigned the modelling tasks to his teammates and handled the rest himself. The main goal was for everyone to master 3D modelling quickly and design pieces reflecting XJTLU’s unique identity.

After two weeks, the designs still weren’t up to sales standards. To meet the deadline, Qian printed some existing models that weren’t designed by the team, while also displaying some of the team’s original works.

He carefully selected products that resonated with the audience, constantly refining them through printed prototypes.

"3D printing isn’t just about creating a product – it's about solving real-world challenges through continuous optimisation," said Qian.

The team at their booth at the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) Open Day

To attract attention, the team placed a claw machine beside their booth, filled with 3D-printed gifts. Over 600 students and staff participated, generating 1,200 RMB on-site and an additional 800 online.

Road to commercialisation

Early in the project, Dr Zhu sought technical support from the College’s Innovation Factory. Qian Su, Head of Operations at the Innovation Factory, encouraged the team to apply to the X³ Co-Venture Startup Hub, which supports student innovation and entrepreneurship. After a successful application, the team gained access to lab resources, office space, and financial support of 15,000 and 30,000 RMB from X³ Co-Venture Startup Hub and the Innovation Factory respectively.

The team participating in the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) Open Day

An opportunity for growth

By November, after leading the team through three major events, Qian was exhausted from the intense workload and found the existing management approach unsustainable. He met individually with each team member to gather their feedback.

Following these discussions, two members left – one pursued an industrial-focused path, while the other chose academic research. Their departure made Qian realise the importance of aligning personal goals with the project's vision for long-term success.

The conversations also deepened his understanding of his team’s motivations. Zhengwei Xu, a Year Two BEng Intelligent Manufacturing Engineering student, was keen to apply insights from a summer innovation and entrepreneurship course. Meanwhile, Ling, an active participant in various projects, often reflected, “If I were leading this project, how would I run it?”

The Printing³ team

Preparing for the future

As the project progressed, Qian reflected more on team management, drawing insights from his innovation and entrepreneurship courses.

He also engaged in the X³ Co-Venture Startup Hub’s courses, enhancing his skills while connecting with like-minded students.

Today, Printing³ is restructured into smaller teams – management, exhibition, and sales – each led by a team member. To improve efficiency and define roles, Qian introduced the Objectives and Key Results (OKR) framework, helping team members set clear goals and stay accountable.

Yitong Ling at a Nomad modelling workshop

To support the project’s growth, Qian expanded recruitment channels. The team now includes undergraduate students from other XJTLU schools, offering diverse perspectives, and two PhD students from the School of Robotics, bringing deep technical expertise.

"Each of us sees problems from a different angle—that’s what makes our team so special,” Qian said.

He also collaborated with the faculty from the Academy of Film and Creative Technology, leveraging their resources and promotional support. Discussions with the Academy’s students led to potential partnerships, particularly in using 3D printing to add dimensionality to visual artwork.

"XJTLU provides an incredible platform and environment, allowing me to grow a ‘light-asset, design-focused’ startup," Qian said.

Looking ahead, the team aims to integrate more innovative techniques, such as laser engraving, and expand collaborations across schools and the XJTLU Souvenir Shop to further meet the demand for personalised products on campus.

 Printing³ at the XJTLU International Day

Text and images provided by XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang)
Original article edited by Luyun Shi and Bo Kou
Translation edited by Ziling Yang and Patricia Pieterse
Translated by Xiangyin Han