Using Ultimaker 3D Printers to Engineer the Ultimaker 3
3D printers open a world of possibilities. With 3D printers, product designers and engineers are able to test, evaluate and improve their ideas at a fraction of the cost. With professional 3D printing being made more and more accessible, engineers, manufacturers and many more people are able leverage its power.
As a testament to the power of 3D printing, 3D printing manufacturer Ultimaker used its previous generation of 3D printers to produce the next generation Ultimaker 3. You can read the full case study here.
Functional prototyping at ABB Robotics
By replacing traditional production methods with in-house 3D printing solutions, businesses around the world are saving them time and money. ABB Robotics utilized the Ultimaker 2 Extended+ to fabricate prototype fingers for their YuMi robot. Being able to rapidly produce and test designs with 3D printing was fundamental in bringing new opportunities to the company. Read the full case study here.
3D Printing Final Parts for
High-Value Snow Machines
Snow Business uses their Ultimaker 3D printers for prototyping, functional testing, and creating final parts for their snow machines. In-house 3D printing significantly speeds up their iterative design process and yields considerable cost savings along the way.
Each design iteration used to cost an average of $153 and took an average of 7 days. Using Ultimaker 3D printers, each iteration now averages $3 and takes an average of only 7 hours.
Read the full case study here.
Introducing the Ultimaker S5
The Ultimaker S5 is Ultimaker's most advanced 3D printer, designed with professional users in mind. Ultimaker 3D printers have established a solid reputation in the 3D printing community for being exceptionally reliable. Moreover, backed by Ultimaker North America Support, business users can expect maximum uptime and return on investment. Features include:
- Larger build volume: 330 x 240 x 300 mm (13 x 9.5 x 11.8 inches)
- Glass doors in front included, integrated
- Full LED touch screen
- Filament flow sensor
- Hardened components suitable for more abrasive materials
- Adaptive, enhanced bed leveling
Know Your Materials
There are lots of different materials available for use with desktop 3D printers. Here is a summary of the more common materials and their uses.
| Material | Summary | Notes | Use Cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLA | Easy printing. General purpose. | Somewhat brittle | Concept models |
| Tough PLA | Tough like ABS, easy to print like PLA. | Strong and easy to print | Concept models, prototypes |
| ABS | Strong, rigid, functional prints with mechanical properties | Requires more expertise | Manufacturing Prototypes |
| CPE | Strong, chemical resistant material with some flexibility | Easier to print but less rigid than ABS | Bike joints |
| CPE+ | Strong, chemical resistant material with some flexibility. Increased strength and temperature resistance compared to CPE. | Use when CPE is not strong enough | Heavier machine joints |
| Polycarbonate | Strong and tough material with good shape retention under higher temperatures | Requires Advanced 3D Printing Kit | Molds, lighting |
| TPU-95A | Versatile, flexible, high impact strength, wear and tear resistant | Both rubber and plastic qualities | RC wheels, sneaker soles |
| Nylon | Durable, flexible, abrasion and corrosion resistant. Widely used. | Sensitiive to moisture | Fasteners, gears |
| PVA | Water soluble support material for complex geometries | Bonds with PLA, Nylon and CPE | Objects with deep cavities or large overhangs |
| Breakaway Material | Breakaway support material. Designed to leave a smooth surface finish without the need for post-processing. | Bonds with ABS, PLA, Nylon, CPE, or CPE+ | Objects requiring supports |
The 3D Universe Engineering Collection
The following products tend to be popular with our engineering customers. Included in this collection are our most reliable and high quality 3D printers, a variety of useful materials, and related accessories.
