Ultimaker 2 Extended User manual

USER MANUAL
V2.1
Ultimaker2
MAKES EASY, EVEN EASIER

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Please read and understand the contents of this installation and user manual.
Failure to read the manual may lead to personal injury, inferior results or damage to the
Ultimaker 2. Always make sure that anyone who uses the 3D printer knows and understands the contents of
the manual to make the most out of the Ultimaker 2.
The conditions or methods used for assembling, handling, storage, use or disposal of the device are beyond our control
and may be beyond our knowledge. For this and other reasons, we do not assume responsibility and expressly disclaim
liability for loss, injuries, damage, or expense arising out of or in any way connected with the assembly, handling,
storage, use or disposal of the product.
The information in this document was obtained from sources which we believe are reliable. However, the information is
provided without any warranty, express or implied, regarding its correctness.
Intended use
Ultimaker 3D printers are designed and built for fused deposition modeling for various high quality plastics like PLA,
ABS, CPE within a commercial/business environment. The mixture of precision and speed makes the Ultimaker 3D
printers the perfect machines for concept models, functional prototypes and also the production of small series.
Although we achieved a very high standard in the reproduction of 3D models with the usage of Cura, the user remains
responsible to qualify and validate the application of the printed object for its intended use. While being an open
filament platform the best results will be achieved with Ultimaker certified filament, while eort has been made in order
to match material properties with machine settings.
Copyright © 2015 Ultimaker. All rights reserved worldwide.
This language version of the manual is verified by the manufacturer (Original manual).
No part of this publication, including pictures may be reproduced and/or made public, whether by printing, photocopying, microfilm or by any other
means whatsoever, without the prior written permission of Ultimaker.
DISCLAIMER

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1. ULTIMAKER 2 4
Ultimaker 2 at a glance 5
Specifications 7
2. GET STARTED 8
Unboxing 9
Installation 11
First use 13
3. THE BASICS 16
Changing filament 17
Bed leveling 18
Cura software 19
Using glue 20
Display and controller 21
4. MAINTENANCE 22
The glass plate 23
The feeder 24
Lubricating the axes 25
Atomic Method 26
5. HELP & SUPPORT 28
Troubleshooting 29
Support 31
Safety and compliance 32
TABLE OF CONTENTS

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ULTIMAKER 2
This user manual is designed to help you start your Ultimaker 2 experience. Learn
everything about using your Ultimaker 2 by following the instructions in this user
manual and experience how easy it is to produce great quality prints.
You might be familiar with other types of Ultimakers or 3D printers. It is however
essential that you read this manual carefully in order to make the most out of your
Ultimaker 2.
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ULTIMAKER 2 AT A GLANCE
Display
SD card slot
Push/rotate button
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Build plate
Build plate clamps
Build plate screws
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Print head
Bowden tube
Print head cable
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Feeder
Spool holder
Power socket
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USB socket
Power switch
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Printing
Print technology Fused Filament Fabrication
Build volume 223 mm / 223 mm / 205 mm
Layer resolution Fast: 200 micron (0.2 mm)
Normal: 100 micron (0.1 mm)
High: 60 micron (0.06 mm)
Ulti: 40 micron (0.04 mm)
Positioning precision 12.5 micron / 12.5 micron / 5 micron
Filament diameter 2.85 mm
Nozzle diameter 0.4 mm
Print speed 30 mm/s - 300 mm/s
Travel speed 30 mm/s - 350 mm/s
Software
Supplied software Cura - Ocial Ultimaker Software
File types STL / OBJ / DAE / AMF
Supported OS Windows / Mac / Linux
Electrical
AC Input 100 - 240 V
Approx. 1.4 AMPS
50 - 60 Hz
221 Watt max.
Connectivity Stand-alone SD card printing
Physical dimensions
Desktop space 357 mm / 342 mm / 388 mm
Shipping dimensions 400 mm / 400 mm / 550 mm
Weight 11.2 kg
Shipping weight 18.0 kg
Temperature
Ambient operation temperature 15 - 32 °C
Storage temperature 0 - 32 °C
Nozzle operation temperature 180 - 260 °C
Heated bed operation temperature 50 - 100 °C
Sound
Average operational noise 49 dBA
CAUTION: The Ultimaker 2 generates high temperatures and has hot moving parts that can cause injury. Never
reach inside of the Ultimaker 2 while it is in operation. Always control the Ultimaker 2 with the button at the front or
with the power switch at the back. Allow the Ultimaker 2 to cool down for 5 minutes before reaching inside.
CAUTION: When opening the Ultimaker 2 for service, ensure that the power supply is turned o and the power
cable is disconnected from the wall socket.
CAUTION: Only use the power supply that came with your Ultimaker 2.
SPECIFICATIONS

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GET STARTED
Now your Ultimaker 2 has arrived you’re ready to unpack it and set it up! Carefully
unpack your Ultimaker 2 and set it up according to the instructions on the next
pages.
When you use your Ultimaker 2 for the first time, it will guide you through some
steps to set it up and calibrate it. Follow the bed leveling and filament loading steps
carefully in order to set up your Ultimaker 2 correctly.
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The Ultimaker 2 comes in reusable, durable packaging that has been specially designed to protect your Ultimaker 2 in
transport. To properly unpack your Ultimaker 2, please follow the steps described below.
START UNBOXING
After having opened the cardboard box in which your Ultimaker 2 was delivered the unboxing can begin. Start
unpacking by taking the Ultimaker 2 out of the cardboard box. You can best do this by carrying the belt and holding the
cardboard box while lifting the Ultimaker 2.
OPEN IT UP
When the Ultimaker 2 has been taken out of the box you can loosen the belt that’s placed around the foam packaging.
This allows you to take out the Accessory box, in which you will find the quick start guide and accessories.
REMOVE THE FOAM PACKAGING
In the foam part at the front side of your Ultimaker 2 you will find a spool with PLA filament and a test print done on your
Ultimaker 2. Take these out and put them aside. Open up the complete packaging by removing the two foam parts at
the front and the back side. Now you can take out the Ultimaker 2 and place it on your desk. Make sure you hold the
Ultimaker 2 on the frame and don’t hold it on the belts or axes while carrying it.
REMOVING PROTECTION
There is some packaging material under the build plate. You can easily remove it by lifting the build plate with your
hands. At last, cut the zip tie with which the print head is secured and your Ultimaker 2 is ready to use!
UNBOXING

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WHAT’S INCLUDED?
Supplied with your Ultimaker 2 is an SD card in the 3D printer and several other accessories as well. This is everything
you need to start printing. Make sure to check if all accessories are included before continuing.
Power supply and cable
Spool holder
Glass plate
0.75 kg filament
USB cable
Glue stick
Grease
Hex wrenches (1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm)
Calibration card
Test print
Spare parts (hot end, PT100 sensor)
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SPOOL HOLDER
The first step of setting up your Ultimaker 2 is attaching the spool holder at the back side of the Ultimaker 2. Make sure
to install the spool holder as described below.
1. Take the spool holder and insert the top part in the hole at the back of the Ultimaker 2.
2. Push the spool holder down until it snaps into place.
GLASS PLATE
The glass plate is the print surface for prints on your Ultimaker 2. It will be installed the following way.
1. Open up the two build plate clamps at the front side of the build plate with a hex wrench.
2. Gently slide the glass plate on the build plate and make sure it snaps into the build plate clamps at the back.
3. Close the two build plate clamps at the front to secure the glass plate.
CAUTION: The build plate clamps can be sharp, therefore it is advised to use on of the hex wrenches for opening
them.
INSTALLATION

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POWER SUPPLY
To finish the installation the power supply will be connected. Before connecting it, make sure the power switch is in the
“o” position.
1. Connect the power cable to the power brick.
2. Plug the power cable in the wall socket and connect the other side to the Ultimaker 2. The flat side of this cable
needs to point upwards.

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After finishing the installation it’s time to turn the Ultimaker 2 on!
CONTROL
The display at the front side of the Ultimaker 2 shows all the necessary information for setting up and using your
Ultimaker 2. You can navigate through menus by rotating and/or pushing the button at the right side of the display.
Rotating allows you to select or control an action; by pushing you can confirm an action. When pushing the button you
will hear a “beeping” sound to confirm the action. A blinking button means the Ultimaker 2 is waiting for user input.
BED LEVELING
After the “Welcome” screen, the Ultimaker 2 will guide you through some steps for calibrating the build plate. For
printing it is very important that the first layer is nicely squished into the glass plate and sticks well to it. If the distance
between the nozzle and build plate is too big, your print won’t stick properly to the glass plate. On the other hand, if the
nozzle is too close to the build plate it can prevent the filament from extruding from the nozzle.
NOTE: If you don’t see the configuration wizard, navigate to “Maintenance” > “Advanced” and confirm for a Factory
reset. You can use this function at any time.
Before the bed leveling can be done, the Ultimaker 2 will first do the “homing”. This means that it will move the print
head to the left back corner and the build plate towards the bottom, in order to set the origin point. After this, you can
follow the steps below for leveling the build plate.
1. The first step is to roughly level the build plate by rotating the button at the front of your Ultimaker 2 until there is
approximately 1 mm distance between the nozzle and build plate. The measurement here is not critical, just make
sure that the nozzle is close to the build plate without touching it.
2. Next, a rough adjustment will be done on the front left and right side by turning the build plate screws. Turning
the build plate screws to the left means that the build plate will get closer to the nozzle. Again there should be a
distance of approximately 1 mm between the nozzle and build plate.
3. The last step will be fine-tuning of the build plate with the “calibration card”. Place the calibration card in between
the nozzle and build plate on all 3 points and adjust the build plate screws until you feel slight friction when moving
the card.
NOTE: Don’t push on the build plate while fine-tuning with the calibration card; this will lead to inaccuracies.
FIRST USE

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LOADING FILAMENT
After bed leveling it is time to further prepare the Ultimaker 2 for the first print by loading filament.
1. Before loading the filament, the spool with filament has to be placed on the spool holder. Make sure to put it with
the filament in counter-clockwise direction, so that the filament can enter the feeder from the bottom. It’s also
recommended to straighten the filament a bit so it can easily enter the feeder.
2. Next, wait a minute while the print head is heating up. By heating it up we ensure that the filament is being melted
when it goes through the nozzle.
3. Take the end of the filament, insert it into the bottom of the feeder and push it until the filament is being grabbed
by the knurled wheel. This may require some force. Once the knurled wheel has grabbed the filament, it will slowly
move it further into the bowden tube.
4. Wait till the filament reaches the first black bowden tube clip and then press the button to continue. The Ultimaker 2
will automatically load the filament through the bowden tube, into the print head.
Now you just have to wait until the filament is coming out of the nozzle. You may notice a ticking sound at the feeder;
this is nothing to worry about. If necessary you can manually push the filament in order to get it through the nozzle with
a bit more force.
CAUTION: Make sure to not touch the nozzle/hot end during this procedure as it will become hot.
NOTE: Don’t be surprised if the filament that initially comes out of the nozzle is not the color you expect. There is
probably some residue from the test print left in the nozzle. Wait until you see the color of the filament that
you loaded coming out of the nozzle.

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START A PRINT
Now the build plate has been leveled and filament loaded you’re ready to start your first print! We’ve placed some print
files on the SD card to start with. Simply select one of the files and press the button to start.
After a print file has been chosen the Ultimaker 2 will prepare itself by homing the print head and build plate and
heating up the build plate and nozzle. Please note that this can take up to 5 minutes.
While printing, the display will show the progress of the print and the remaining time for completion. When the print has
finished, wait for the build plate to cool down and grab the print from the build plate.
NOTE: For good platform adhesion it is recommended to apply a thin layer of glue to the glass plate. Therefore you
can use the glue stick delivered with the Ultimaker 2. Look at page 20 for detailed instructions.
CAUTION: Don’t touch the print head/nozzle while it is heating, printing or cooling down. Temperatures can reach
up to 260°C.

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THE BASICS
This chapter will explain you more about the basic procedures for using your
Ultimaker 2. You will for example find information on changing filament and bed
leveling, but also the use of our software Cura is explained here.
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If you want to switch between dierent (colors of) materials you first need to unload the filament that is already in the
Ultimaker 2, after which you can insert the new filament.
REMOVE OLD FILAMENT
Removing the filament can simply be done by following the steps below.
1. Access the material change menu on your Ultimaker 2 by going to “Material” > “Change”.
2. Wait a minute while the print head is heating up. By heating it up we ensure that the filament is being melted before
retracting it from the nozzle.
3. When the nozzle is hot, the Ultimaker 2 will automatically start turning the feeder wheel, through which the filament
will be rewind completely. If the filament doesn’t come out of the feeder completely you can simply pull it out by
hand.
Note: Make sure the feeder is free of any small pieces of filament before inserting new material. You can remove
small pieces of filament with tweezers. For easier access you can loosen the bowden tube at the top of the feeder by
removing the clamp clip, pressing down the tube coupling collet and pulling out the bowden tube.
LOAD NEW FILAMENT
After removing the filament you can start loading the new filament in the same way as done during the first setup of
your Ultimaker 2. Make sure the old spool with filament is removed from the spool holder and the new one is placed.
1. Take the end of the filament, insert it into the bottom of the feeder and push it until the filament is being grabbed
by the knurled wheel. This may require some force. Once the knurled wheel has grabbed the filament, it will slowly
move it further into the bowden tube.
2. Wait till the filament reaches the first black bowden tube clip and then press the button to continue. The Ultimaker 2
will automatically load the filament through the bowden tube, into the print head.
Now you just have to wait until the filament is coming out of the nozzle. You may notice a ticking sound at the feeder;
this is nothing to worry about. If necessary you can manually push the filament in order to get it through the nozzle with
a bit more force.
CHANGING FILAMENT

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As explained in chapter 2 the first layer of a print is very important. Therefore regular bed leveling is advised. Always
re-level the build plate when you notice that the plastic is not equally placed on the glass plate. After transportation of
your Ultimaker 2 it is also advised to re-level the build plate to ensure your 3D prints stuck well to the build plate.
BED LEVELING PROCEDURE
The basic steps for bed leveling are described below.
1. Go to “Maintenance” > “Build plate” to start the bed leveling process on your Ultimaker 2.
2. Wait for the Ultimaker 2 to do its homing procedure and continue when the print head is in the center at the back of
the build plate.
3. The first calibration step is to roughly level the build plate by rotating the button at the front of your Ultimaker 2 until
there is approximately 1 mm distance between the nozzle and build plate. The measurement here is not critical, just
make sure that the nozzle is close to the build plate without touching it.
4. Next, the same adjustment will be done on the front left and right side, but this time by turning the build plate
screws. If you turn them to the left the build plate will get closer to the nozzle.
5. The last step will be fine-tuning of the build plate with the “calibration card”. If necessary further adjustment can
be done by turning the build plate screws. Place the calibration card in between the nozzle and build plate on all 3
points and adjust the build plate screws until you feel slight friction when moving the card.
NOTE: Don’t push on the build plate while fine-tuning with the calibration card; this will lead to inaccuracies.
BED LEVELING

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For the Ultimaker 2, we recommend our free Cura software to prepare your 3D print files. Cura quickly and accurately
converts 3D models into 3D print files within seconds, showing you a preview of the print so you can be sure everything
is as you would like it to be.
INSTALLATION
The Cura software can be found at www.ultimaker.com/software. After downloading, open the installer and run the
installation wizard to complete the installation. When opening Cura for the first time, you will be asked to select your 3D
printer; select the Ultimaker 2. No other configuration is required and you can directly start using Cura.
USING CURA
The basic process of converting a 3D model to a print file in Cura is described below.
1. Load a 3D model (STL, OBJ, DAE or AMF file) into Cura via the “Load” button.
2. Choose your desired settings and wait for Cura to slice the model.
3. When Cura has converted the file you can save the print file (GCode) via the “Save” button. If the SD card has been
inserted it will directly save the file to the SD card.
4. Remove the SD card from your computer - make sure to safely remove it - and insert it in your Ultimaker 2 to start
printing.
When using Cura for the first time you will see the “Quickprint” profiles. This is perfect for beginners, but when you’re
a more experienced user and want to have more control over the print settings you can also switch to the “Advanced”
mode. For more information on using Cura you can visit the Cura support pages: www.ultimaker.com/support/software
UPDATING FIRMWARE
Regularly a new Cura version is released, including a new firmware version as well. Make sure to install the latest
version of Cura and firmware once available in order to stay up to date. The latest version of Cura can always be found
at www.ultimaker.com/software.
In order to install the latest firmware on your Ultimaker 2, please take the following steps:
1. Connect the Ultimaker 2 to your computer with the USB cable.
2. Attach the power supply and turn the Ultimaker 2 on.
3. Start Cura and go to “Machine” > “Install default firmware” (make sure the Ultimaker 2 is selected in the “Machine”
menu). Cura will now automatically upload the latest firmware to your Ultimaker 2.
CURA SOFTWARE

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Although the heat of heated bed already takes care of the adhesion of your print to the glass plate, this is not always
enough. For even better adhesion it is in some cases desired to also use glue on the glass plate.
WHEN TO USE GLUE?
The use of glue usually depends on the material you’re using and the size and shape of the model.
For ABS and CPE we recommend to always use glue, because these materials have more “warping”. This means that
the plastic will curl up. Warping basically happens because of the properties of the plastic. Plastics have the tendency to
shrink when cooling down fast (some plastics more than others), which could eventually lead to your print curling up (at
the corners). Since ABS and CPE have a relatively big shrinkage you will need glue to prevent it from warping.
PLA on the other hand, has a much lower shrinkage and thus less warping. Because of this it’s often possible to print
PLA directly on the glass plate, without glue. In this case you need to make sure that the glass plate is completely free
from dust and oil though, because plastic won’t stick well to a greasy surface. There are however situations in which
glue on the glass plate is desired. If you want to print a model that has a big footprint, or with very thin parts at the
bottom it’s advised to use glue to prevent it from getting loose.
HOW TO USE?
The glue stick that was delivered with your Ultimaker 2 can be used for the glass plate. Therefore simply put a thin,
even layer of glue on the glass plate. It’s only necessary to apply glue to the print area.
TIP: To better distribute the glue over the platform you can use a damp cloth. This way a very thin layer of glue will be
left on the glass plate.
USING GLUE