After much speculation, and a countdown timer on their website, Ultimaker has finally revealed their latest 3D printer. It’s called the Ultimaker 3, and it is touted as “most industrial-grade desktop 3D printer ever.”
Ultimaker are a leading manufacturer of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printers. Their 3D printers are renowned for being well-made, precise and accurate, so the launch of the Ultimaker 3 is a big deal in the 3D printing world.
The Ultimaker 3
We’re going to get straight to the point – the Ultimaker 3 is without doubt one of the most exciting 3D printers of 2016. It replaces the Ultimaker 2+, a 3D printer which itself replaced the Ultimaker 2 back in January. The 2+ brought with it a new geared feeder, swappable nozzle system and improved airflow for optimal cooling, but the Ultimaker 3 is a whole new thing.
So what’s new?
The Ultimaker 3 is the first Ultimaker to have material-matching swappable cores, a feature which lets you switch between materials extremely quickly. The Ultimaker 3 also supports a much wider range of materials than the Ultimaker 2+, with support for Nylon, PLA, ABS, CPE and PVA. These materials open up a whole new world of possibilities for designers and engineers. But that’s not all – the Ultimaker 3 also has an automated nozzle lifting system, which is said to guarantee the highest quality dual-material prints, by reducing unwanted cross-filament exposure.
When you put it all together, the Ultimaker 3 is the most industrial-grade desktop 3D printer on the market pic.twitter.com/ffz6zzyjAo
— Ultimaker (@Ultimaker) October 18, 2016
Upgraded Performance and Uptime
Perhaps the most notable difference between the Ultimaker 3 and the 2+, though, is that the 3 has been designed from the ground up to offer outstanding performance and uptime, courtesy of those swappable print cores and newly designed inner nozzle geometries, which improve quality output and reduce maintenance. The Ultimaker 3 also has active bed levelling, which automatically adjusts the z height for improved adhesion and eliminates manual levelling.
The Ultimaker 3 also has an NFC scanner, with automatically recognises which material you are using, and automatically adjusts the print setting to suit (assuming an NFC connection is available, of course). Add to that Wi-Fi, LAN and USB connectivity, and you have a very connected 3D printer indeed. Which is good, since the Ultimaker 3 also has a webcam built into it, so that you can monitor every stage of the printing process via a mobile device.
with a flat glass plate held in place by simple clamps that open up for easy print removal pic.twitter.com/9yWSXAWSBv
— Ultimaker (@Ultimaker) October 18, 2016
And perhaps most importantly of all, the Ultimaker 3 retains the open source values of its predecessors. It has an open filament system that lets you print with a huge range of third party filaments. However, it should be noted that to benefit from NFC, the material spools will need to have an NFC chip. We can confirm here that all Ultimaker 3 materials will have this chip.
Also Available as an Extended Model
Of course, the Ultimaker 3 would not be complete without a sibling, so you’ll be pleased to know that the Ultimaker 3 Extended was launched today too. The Ultimaker 3 Extended offers all the same features as its smaller brethren, but increases the build volume from 215 mm x 215 mm x 200 mm to 197 mm x 215 mm x 300 mm.
Ultimaker 3 Specifications:
Technology: Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)
Build Volume: 215 mm x 215 mm x 200 mm (Ultimaker 3) 197 mm x 215 mm x 300 mm print (Ultimaker 3 Extended)
Resolution: Up to 20 micron
Extruders: Dual-extrusion;
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, LAN, USB, NFC
To find out more about the Ultimaker 3, visit the official page. We will soon be stocking and selling this 3D printer too. Register your interest here.
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