Ultimaker 2 Extended User manual

Ultimaker2
THE EASY AND RELIABLE 3D PRINTER
USER MANUAL
R

2

3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. WELCOME TO THE ULTIMAKER 2 4
Safety and compliance 5
Specifications 7
2. SETTING UP THE ULTIMAKER 2 8
Unboxing 9
What’s in the box? 10
Ultimaker 2 at a glance 11
Installing accessories 12
3. GETTING STARTED 14
Configuration wizard 15
Start a print 17
4. ADVANCED PRINTING OPTIONS 18
Cura 19
Display and controller 20
5. MAINTENANCE & SUPPORT 22
Maintenance 23
Troubleshooting 27
Support 29

4
WELCOME TO THE ULTIMAKER 2
This user manual is designed to help you start your experience with the Ultimaker
2. Within these pages, we want to show you how simple and 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 your read this manual carefully in order to get the best out of your
Ultimaker 2.
1.

5
SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE
ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY (EMC)
This is a class A product. In a domestic environment this product may cause radio interference in which case the user
may be required to take adequate measures.
The Ultimaker 2 can in very rare cases temporarily loose display function caused by ESD. Display function can be fully
restored by turning the machine o and then on again.
The EMC test report of the Ultimaker 2 is available on request at [e-mail].
ELECTRICAL SAFETY
The Ultimaker 2 operates on 24 volts (Extra-low-voltage) and is therefore outside the scope of the low-voltage directive.
The power supply meets all CE mark regulations and is protected against short-circuit, overload, over voltage and over
temperature. For more information concerning electrical safety aspects we refer you to the Mean Well EC-Conformity
Declaration for the GS220AX power adapters.
Only use the Ultimaker 2 with power supplies and cables supplied by Ultimaker B.V..
CAUTION: Always unplug the printer before doing maintenance or modifications.
MECHANICAL SAFETY
The Ultimaker 2 contains many moving parts, but the stepper motors do not have enough power to cause serious
injuries and moving gears have been covered. Still, it is advised to only reach in the machine when it is turned o.
CAUTION: Always unplug the printer before doing maintenance or modifications.
RISK OF BURNS
There is a potential risk of burns, as the print head can reach temperatures of up to 260°C and the heated bed of up to
120°C. The nozzle of the print head is mostly surrounded by an aluminum cover to prevent contact, but still we advise
against reaching in the machine when the print head and/or heated bed are hot.
CAUTION: Always let the printer cool down for at least 30 minutes before doing maintenance or modifications.
HEALTH
The Ultimaker 2 is designed to print with PLA and ABS filaments. The use of other materials is at your own risk.
When printing ABS, small concentrations of Styrene vapor can be released. This can (in some cases) cause headaches,
fatigue, dizziness, confusion, drowsiness, malaise, diculty in concentrating, and a feeling of intoxication. Therefore
good ventilation is required, and long term exposure should be avoided. It is advisable to use a fume hood (with active
carbon filtering for ductless extraction). Fume extraction is mandatory for use in oces, classrooms and alike.
Printing pure PLA is considered safe, although good ventilation is still advised for possible unknown vapors released
from coloring dyes in colored PLA.
CAUTION: Only use your printer in a well-ventilated area.

6
GENERAL SAFETY INFORMATION
The Ultimaker 2 is not intended for use by persons (including children) with reduced physical and/or mental capabilities,
or lack of experience and knowledge, unless they have been given supervision or instruction concerning the use of the
appliance by a person responsible for their safety.
Children should be under constant supervision when using the printer.
The above information is believed to be correct but does not purport to be all inclusive and shall be used only as a
guide.
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.

7
SPECIFICATIONS
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 (generally known as 3 mm filament)
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 / WiFi printing ready
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 on the front or with the
power switch on 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 provided with your Ultimaker 2.

8
SETTING UP THE ULTIMAKER 2
Now your Ultimaker 2 has arrived you’re ready to unpack it and set it up! We
recommend to carefully unpack your Ultimaker 2 and set it up according to the
instructions on the next pages.
2.

9
The Ultimaker 2 comes in reusable, durable packaging so you can easily transport your Ultimaker 2. To properly unpack
your Ultimaker 2, please follow the steps described below.
1. After having opened the cardboard box in which your Ultimaker 2 was delivered you can start unpacking it by
first loosening the blue belt with which everything is kept together on the inside. After this you can remove the
cardboard accessories box from the top.
2. Next, take the complete foam packaging parts with the Ultimaker 2 out of the cardboard box. The easiest way to do
this is by holding the blue belt and pulling it out of the box.
3. Now you can take out the spool of filament and factory test print from one side of the foam packaging.
4. Open up the complete packaging by removing the two foam side parts and take out the Ultimaker 2 and place it on
a stable surface.
5. At last, cut the tiewrap with which the print head is secured and your Ultimaker 2 is ready to use!
UBOXING

10
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
Besides your Ultimaker 2 - supplied with SD card in the 3D printer - there are several accessories that come with the
Ultimaker 2. This is everything you need to start printing.
1. Power supply and cable
2. Spool holder
3. Glass plate
4. Filament
5. USB cable
6. Glue stick
7. Grease
8. Hex keys (1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm)
9. Factory test print
10. Spare parts (hot end, PT100 sensor)
1
2
3
4
5
9
6
8
7
10 10

11
ULTIMAKER 2 AT A GLANCE
Display
SD card slot
Push and rotate button
Build plate
Build plate clamps
Build plate screws
Print head
Bowden tube
Print head cable
Material feeder
Spool holder
Power socket
USB socket
Power switch
1 32
6
5
4
7
8
9
12 13 14
10
8
9
11
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

12
SPOOL HOLDER
The first step of setting up your Ultimaker 2 is attaching the spool holder at the back side of the 3D printer. In the end,
filament will be placed on the spool holder in order to properly guide it into the material feeder. Make sure to install the
spool holder as described below.
1. Take the spool holder and insert the top part in the corresponding 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. We are going to install it the following way.
1. Open up the two build plate clamps at the front side of the build plate by using a hex key.
2. Gently slide the glass plate over the build plate so that it snaps into the build plate clamps at the back side of the
build plate.
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 one of the hex keys for opening the
build plate clamps.
INSTALLING ACCESSORIES

13
POWER SUPPLY
To finish the installation the power supply will be connected, after which the Ultimaker 2 can be turned on. 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 cable at the other end of the power brick to the socket on
the Ultimaker 2. The flat side of this cable needs to point upwards.

14
GETTING STARTED
When you switch on your Ultimaker 2 for the first time, it will guide you through the
“configuration wizard”. This will help you preparing the Ultimaker 2 for its first use.
Make sure to follow these steps carefully in order to get a well set up Ultimaker 2.
3.

15
USE OF THE DISPLAY
The display at the front side of the Ultimaker 2 shows you all necessary information for setting up and using your
Ultimaker 2. You can navigate through the menu by rotating and/or pushing the button at the right side of the display.
By rotating you can select or control an action; by pushing you can confirm an action. When pushing the button you
hear a “beep” 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 in order to calibrate 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.
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, the same adjustment will be done on the front left and right side, but this time 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.
3. The last step will be fine-tuning of the build plate. With regular piece of A4 paper calibration on all 3 points will be
checked and further adjustment will be done by turning the build plate screws. Place the piece of paper in between
the nozzle and build plate on each point and adjust the build plate screws until you feel slight friction when moving
the piece of paper.
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.
NOTE: After transportation you might want to level your build plate to ensure your 3D prints stick well to the build
plate. You can access the bed leveling menu at any time by going to MAINTENANCE > BUILDPLATE.
CONFIGURATION WIZARD

16
LOADING FILAMENT
After bed leveling it is time to further prepare the Ultimaker 2 for the first print by loading filament. Before doing that,
first place the spool of filament on the spool holder with the filament in counter-clockwise direction, so that the filament
can enter the material feeder from the bottom.
Now you can start loading the filament in the following way.
1. 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.
2. Take the end of the filament, insert it into the bottom of the material 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.
3. 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 factory test print left in the nozzle. Wait until you see the color of the filament that
you loaded coming out of the nozzle.

17
Now the build plate has been leveled and filament loaded you’re ready to start your first print!
The SD card that came with your Ultimaker 2 (it is in the SD card slot at the front side) already contains a couple of print
files, which can be used directly. When going through the “first run wizard” you will automatically be guided to these
files. You can simply select one of the files and press the button to start the print.
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 the display will indicate that the Ultimaker 2 is cooling down. The progress bar also indicates when it is safe to
remove 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 that was provided with the Ultimaker 2. You only need to apply glue to the area where the
model will be printed.
CAUTION: Don’t touch the print head/nozzle while it is heating, printing or cooling down. Temperatures can reach
up to 260°C.
START A PRINT

18
ADVANCED PRINTING OPTIONS
Besides directly printing one of the files from the SD card with default settings the
Ultimaker 2 oers more options. You can use our open source software package
Cura to prepare your own 3D print files and the Ultimaker 2 even gives you the
possibility to fine-tune settings during the printing process. This allows you to get
full control over the printing process and helps you achieving the best print results.
4.

19
For the Ultimaker 2 we recommend to use our software Cura to prepare your 3D print files. Cura will help you
converting 3D models into 3D print files within a couple of seconds and shows you a preview of the print in order to
ensure everything is as you would like it to be.
Cura can be downloaded from our website: ultimaker.com/software
After downloading, open the installer and run the installation wizard to complete the installation. When you open
up Cura for the first time, you will be asked to select the 3D printer that you have; select the Ultimaker 2. No other
configuration is required and you can directly start 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 or OBJ file) into Cura via the “Load” button.
2. Position the slider in the Print Setup screen to the desired position and wait for Cura to slice the model.
3. After you have done the settings and Cura has converted the file, you can save the print file (G-code file) via the
“Save” button in the bottom right corner.
When using Cura for the first time you will see the “Simple” mode in the Print Setup screen. 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: ultimaker.com/support/software
CURA

20
DISPLAY AND CONTROLLER
When turning on your Ultimaker 2, you will always see the Ultimaker logo first after which you will go to the main menu.
The main menu oers three options, as shown in the image below.
PRINT
The PRINT menu simply allows you to select one of the print files on the SD card and will automatically start the print
after that.
MATERIAL
In the MATERIAL menu you can either change the filament on your Ultimaker 2 or change the settings of material
profiles. When selecting CHANGE the Ultimaker 2 will automatically heat up the nozzle and unload the current filament,
after which you can insert new material. In the SETTINGS menu you can select material profiles and change their
settings in the Customize menu.