Hello everyone!
I'm new to 3D printing and this forum. I've read through many of the threads and I think I've found the right place. I am a mechanical engineer student working on my senior design project (see thread title) and I have some general questions that I hope experienced 3D printer users may graciously answer for me.

Background on the project: A problem arises in a university with a 3D printer available to students - the next person printing has to wait for the first person to remove their print (possibly perform some maintenance as well). The solution should be simple - design a mechanism that removes completed prints and stores it in a secure compartment for retrieval by the owner at a later time. Hence, a 3D printer vending machine.

Questions:
1. From your experience using 3D printers, how difficult is it to remove a completed print from the base( or printing surface)? Do prints readily slide off? do they require prying with a tool?
2. In general, do 3D printers require much "cleaning" between prints? what is the maintenance schedule? are some printers better in terms of maintenance than others?

Those are all my questions for now. Thank you in advance for your reply.

-Jon