Ultimaker 3 Extended Setup guide

Training
Creation of the UltimakerTraining Program V1.1
Hand-out
Ultimaker 3
to end-user

Table of contents
3D print basics
Setting up your Ultimaker 3
Features explained
Calibrations
Materials
Cura
Maintenance
ESD safety
Support
1
4
9
13
16
19
27
32
33

3D printing basics
How does a 3D printer work?
The Ultimaker 3 is an FDM 3D printer. FDM stands for Fused Deposition Modeling. It is the 3D printing technique
of putting multiple layers of melted plastic on top of each other to create a 3D object.
The Ultimaker 3 contains several systems that work together during printing:
• The extrusion mechanism
• The gantry system
• The Z stage
• The UltiController
Extrusion mechanism
The extrusion mechanism is basically the path the filament travels through the printer. It enters in the feeders,
which grip the filament and transport it up through the bowden tubes.The bowden tubes guide the filament to the
print head and into the print cores.The filament only gets heated up in the heater block, right at the bottom of the
print core.The filament then exits through the small opening of the nozzle.
The fan at the front cools the print cores, to make sure that the filament does not get hot above the heater block,
and the fans at the side make sure that the filament is cooled down as soon as it is deposited.This ensures opti-
mal print quality.
1. Feeders
The feeders grip
and forward the
filament.
2. Bowden
Tubes
The bowden
tubes guide the
filament to the
print head.
3. Print
Head
The print cores
heat up and
extrude the
filament.
2. 2.
1.
3.
1

Gantry system
The print head moves around on the gantry system.This consists of two motors (one for movements in the X
direction, one forY), belts, pulleys and axles.
The motors are connected to the axles with belts and pulleys. Because all of the axles are also connected with
belts, when the motor moves, the corresponding axles also move and thereby controlling the position of the print
head.
Z stage
The print head always stays at the same height. When one layer of the print is finished, the Z stage moves down
to allow the next later to be put down.The Z stage, or build plate, slides over the two vertical Z axles, but the
movement is controlled by the long lead screw.This is connected to the Z motor.
UltiController
You can control the printer through the UltiController in the front of the printer.
This controller has:
• a USB port. On the USB stick you save the printable files.
• a display, from which you can read information.
• and a rotate and click button, with which you can scroll through the Ultimaker’s menu and give the printer
commands.
1. Z stage
The Z-stage consists
of the build plate,
heated bed and glass
plate.
2. Z axles
The Z stage slides up
and down over these
two vertical axles.
3. Lead screw
The lead screw is
connected to the Z
motor and controls the
movement of the
Z stage.
2.2.
1.
3.
2

During a print, all of these systems combined are controlled by the information on the USB stick or the informa-
tion send through wifi.The printable files are so-called gcodes.The gcode is a set of instructions for the printer:
where to place the print head, the position of the build plate, how much filament should be extruded, etc.
A 3D design is turned into a gcode by the software program Cura. Later on you will learn how this works.
1. 2. 3.
1. USB port
The gcodes on the USB
stick contain instructions
for the printer.
2. Display
Find the menus and read
information about the
printer’s status.
1. Controller button
Rotate and click the
button to scroll through
the menus.
3

Setting up the Ultimaker 3
Unboxing
The Ultimaker comes in reusable, durable packaging, specially designed to protect your Ultimaker 3.To properly
unpack your Ultimaker 3 the following steps must be taken:
1. Take the Ultimaker 3 out of the cardboard box.
2. Loosen the strap by opening the buckle.
3. Remove the top part of the styrofoam packaging with the two spools of filament and factory test
print in it.
4. Take out the accessory box.
5. Remove the styrofoam part that is placed at the front bottom side of the Ultimaker 3.
6. Take the Ultimaker 3, remove the bottom styrofoam part and place the Ultimaker 3 on a flat
surface.
7. Manually lift the build plate and remove the packaging material under the build plate.
8. Cut the zip tie that secures the print head.
4

Installation
Before the Ultimaker 3 can be used three accessories must be installed.
Spool holder with NFC
1. Gently place the printer on its left side.
2. Insert the spool holder into the back panel. First place the top part in the hole and push down until
it snaps into place.
3. Connect the NFC cable to the NFC socket.The flat side of the connector faces away from the
bottom panel.
4. Guide the NFC cable through the slot in the back panel.
5. Insert the cable cover into the back panel to keep the cable in place.
6. Gently place the Ultimaker upright.
Placing the glass plate
1. Open the two build plate clamps at the front of the build plate.
2. Gently slide the glass plate onto the build plate and ensure that 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.
5

Connecting the power supply
1. Connect the power cable to the power brick.
2. Plug the power cable into the wall socket.
3. Connect the other side of the power supply to the Ultimaker 3.The flat side of the connector
needs to point downwards. Before you push the cable firmly into the port,
you have to pull the sliding mechanism back. When the cord is in the printer you can let go to lock
it into place.
Set up for first use
Once all the accessories are installed, the Ultimaker 3 can be turned on with the power switch at the back. For the
first use the Ultimaker 3 will guide you through a welcome wizard to properly set it up.This setup exists of the
following steps: print core installation, loading materials and WiFi and firmware installation.
Before you continue, it may be wise to explain that you can navigate through the menus by clicking or rotating the
button at the front side. After this you can go through all the menus, while doing what the printer is telling you.
Print core installation
The first step of the welcome wizard is installing the second print core. As you can see one print core (AA) is
already pre-installed in print head slot 1.This means that only the second print core in print head slot 2 has to be
inserted.
If you follow the texts on the display, you will have to take the following steps:
1. Open the print head fan bracket and press Continue.
2. The Ultimaker 3 will now automatically detect the print core (AA) that is placed in print head slot 1.
3. Confirm to continue.
4. Install the BB print core in print head slot 2 by squeezing the levers of the print core and sliding it
into the print head.
Also explain here that the chip on the back side of the print core should not be touched as this can
cause connection problems later on.
5. The Ultimaker 3 should now automatically detect the print core (BB) that is placed in print head
slot 2.
6. Confirm to continue.
7. Close the print head fan bracket and confirm to proceed with the setup procedure.
6

Loading materials
Before you can start printing on the Ultimaker 3, you need to load materials into the printer. Material 2 will be
loaded first, because this is the material that must be placed closest to the back side of the printer.
Loading material 2:
1. Place the spool of PVA on the spool holder. Make sure to put it with the material in clockwise
direction, so that the material can enter feeder 2 from the bottom.
Straighten the material a bit so it can easily enter the feeder.
2. Wait until the Ultimaker 3 has detected the material (when using Ultimaker material).
3. Insert the end of the material into feeder 2 and gently push it until the material is grabbed by the
feeder and is visible in the bowden tube.
4. Wait for the Ultimaker 3 to heat up print core 2 and to load the material into the print head.
5. Confirm when the new material extrudes from the print head.
6. Wait a moment for print core 2 to cool down.
Loading material 1:
1. Take the material guide and hold it with the outer part towards you.
2. Place the spool of PLA on the material guide with the material in counter-clockwise direction.
3. Guide the end of the material through the hole in the material guide. When you have done this,
select continue.
4. Place the material guide - with material 1 on it - on the spool holder, behind material 2 and wait
until it is detected by the printer.
5. Insert the end of the material into feeder 1 and gently push it until the material is grabbed by the
feeder and is visible in the bowden tube.
6. Wait for the Ultimaker 3 to heat up print core 1 and to load the material into the print head.
7. Confirm when the new material extrudes from the print head.
8. Wait a moment for print core 1 to cool down.
7

Installing WiFi and firmware
The Ultimaker 3 allows for printing wireless over a network.Therefore the next step is to connect your Ultimaker 3
to a network.
Setting up WiFi:
1. Wait until your Ultimaker 3 has created a WiFi hotspot.This can take a minute.
2. Move to your computer and connect it to the wireless network of the printer.The name of the net
work is shown on the display of the Ultimaker 3.
3. A pop-up will appear on the display of your computer. Follow the steps to connect the Ultimaker 3
to your local WiFi network.The pop-up will disappear when you have completed these steps.
Updating the firmware:
As a last step the Ultimaker 3 will check if the latest firmware is installed. If not, it will get the latest firmware from
the network and install it.This will take several minutes.
8

Features explained
1. Nozzle lifting
system
2. Excellent
cooling
3. Silicone
cover
4. Capacative
sensor
1.
2.
3.
4.
Print head overview
• Print head
• Build volumes
The Ultimaker 3 has many new innovative features. Learn how they work and what they do.
9

• Nozzle lifting
The Ultimaker 3 has a nozzle lifting system to ensure that the inactive nozzle is out of the way while the other one
is printing.The first print core is fixed in place, while the second print core can be raised or lowered. The Ultimaker
3 does this by moving the print head towards the switch bay, which places the lifting switch to the front or back.
• Excellent cooling
The print head of the Ultimaker 3 has three fans.The two radial fans at the side cool the model during printing for
optimal surface quality.The front fan cools the print cores, to ensure that the heat does not travel too far upwards.
Lifting switch Switch bay
1.
1. Side fan
The axial fan in the front
bracket cools the print cores
above the heatbreaks
2. Front fan
The radial fans at the
side cool the model
while it is printed.
1.
2.
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• Capacitive sensor
The capacitive sensor is located at the bottom of the print head.This sensor is what enables active leveling.
• Silicone cover
The silicone cover closes up the bottom of the print head. It protects the print cores from two things:
• Backflow of the material
• Airflow from the fans
• Print cores
The Ultimaker 3 comes with two different types of print cores.The AA print core is for build material, the BB print
core is optimised for printing support material.The difference is the internal geometry.
The AA print core has a small horizontal part in the the tip.This ensures higher precision and reduces oozing.
The BB core is designed to ensure an easy flow of the material to prevent nozzle clogs.That is why this core does
not have the flat part.
• Electronics
The Ultimaker 3 has multiple electronics boards facilitate and and automate several processes. Below is a list of
all electronics:
AA PLA
ABS
CPE
Nylon
BB PVA
Print core compatibility table
1. Print core PCB
2. NFC antenna
3. Olimex board
4. Ultimainboard
5. UltiController
1.
2.
5.
4.
3.
Electronics overview
11

Print core pcb:
This stores information about the type of print core and the runtime statistics.
NFC antenna:
This small pcb in the spool holder recognises which materials are loaded and how much is left on the
spool.
Olimex board:
The Olimex is the ‘brain’ of the Ultimaker 3, containing a full Linux system.
Ultimainboard:
Not actually the ‘main’ board; it follow instructions from the Olimex and mainly does motion planning and
temperature control.
UltiController:
This passes on the information from the user (USB, button, display) to the Olimex.
• Feeder
The two geared feeders have been optimized for reliability.The gears ensure an excellent grip on the filament
during feeding and it is very easy to choose the correct pressure for your filament.
1. Feeder adjustment screw
Turn this screw to increase or
decrease the feeder tension.
2. Tension indicator
The indicator higher means
less tension, lower means
more tension.
3. Knurled wheel
The knurled wheel grips and
forward the filament.
4. Feeder lever
Pull the lever up to release all
tension on the filament.
5. Filament entry
Insert the filament here and
push until the knurled wheel
gets a grips on the material.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Feeder overview
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To ensure that you get the most out of your Ultimaker 3, it is important that it is calibrated properly.There are sev-
eral calibrations available, this section explains about all of them.
Bed leveling
Correct bed leveling is very important to ensure a high success rate of your prints. If the distance between the noz-
zles and build plate is too big, your print won’t stick properly to the glass plate. On the other hand, if the nozzles
are too close to the build plate, it can prevent the material extruding from the nozzles.
NOTE: Make sure there is no plastic on the nozzles and the glass plate is clean before calibrating
the build plate, otherwise your leveling may not be accurate.
Active leveling
Enabling active leveling is recommended.
During active leveling, the Ultimaker 3 will measure the distance between the tip of the nozzle and the glass plate
in several locations.These positions are stored in the printer, so it can compensate for inaccuracies of the build
plate level during the first layers of the print. It will do this by slightly moving the build plate up or down while
printing.
To start the active leveling procedure:
1. Go to System > Build plate > Active leveling.
2. Wait for the printer to finish the leveling procedure.This will take a couple of minutes.
3. Select the frequency for active leveling.
CAUTION: Don’t touch the Ultimaker 3 during the active leveling procedure.This could affect the
measurements.
Manual leveling
The Ultimaker 3 is shipped pre-calibrated, so manual leveling is not necessary out of the box. However, if the level
of the build plate is off too much active leveling cannot compensate for this. In this case you can manually level
the build plate.The Ultimaker 3 will guide you through this process step by step.
To start the manual leveling procedure:
1. Go to System > Build plate > Manual leveling.
2. Wait for the Ultimaker 3 to do its homing procedure and continue when the print head is in the
center at the back of the build plate.
Now simply follow the instructions provided by the printer.
Rough leveling:
1. Rotate the button at the front until there is approximately 1 mm distance between the first nozzle
and the build plate. Make sure that the nozzle is close to the build plate without touching it.
2. Adjust the front right and front left build plate screw to roughly level the build plate at the front
side. Again there should be a distance of approximately 1 mm between the nozzle and build plate.
Fine-tuning
1. Place the calibration card in between the nozzle and build plate when the print head is in the center
back of the build plate.
2. Adjust the build plate screw in the middle back until you feel slight friction when moving the card.
3. Press “Continue” and repeat these steps for the second and third point.
Calibrations
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After calibrating the build plate with the first nozzle, the second nozzle needs to be aligned as well, to ensure the
heights of both nozzles are set correctly. For this it is only necessary to set the correct height by using the calibra-
tion card.
Place the calibration card between the second nozzle and build plate.
Rotate the button at the front of the Ultimaker 3 until it touches the calibration card and fine-tune it until you feel
slight friction/resistance when moving the card.
Press the button to confirm and complete the calibration process.
CAUTION: Do not push on the build plate while fine-tuning with the calibration card. This will lead
to inaccuracies.
Z offset calibration
The last part of the manual leveling procedure is the Z offset calibration.This ensures that the correct vertical dis-
tance between the two nozzles is stored.This procedure can also be done separately.
Go to System > Maintenance > Calibration > Calibrate XY offset.
Place the calibration card between the second nozzle and build plate.
Rotate the button at the front of the Ultimaker 3 until it touches the calibration card and fine-tune it until you feel
slight friction/resistance when moving the card.
XY offset calibration
Besides the vertical offset, the horizontal distance between the nozzles, in the X andY direction, also needs to be
stored.The print cores that are supplied with the Ultimaker 3 are already calibrated. This is only necessary for new
combinations.
A correct XY calibration will ensure that the two colors or materials align well.
To do the calibration you will need the XY calibration sheet, which you can find in the accessory box.You also
need to make sure two print cores and materials are loaded.
To start the calibration:
1. Go to System > Maintenance > Calibration > Calibrate XY offset.
2. The Ultimaker 3 will now print a grid structure on the build plate. Wait until it is finished.
3. Once the Ultimaker 3 has cooled down, remove the glass plate from the printer and place it on the
XY calibration sheet. Ensure the printed grid it is exactly placed on the two rectangles on the sheet.
4. Find the aligned lines on the printed X grid and look which number belongs to these lines. Enter
this number as the X offset value on your Ultimaker 3.
5. Find the aligned lines on the printedY grid and look which number belongs to these lines. Enter
this number as theY offset value on your Ultimaker 3.
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Switch bay calibration
The switch bay is what enables the lifting and lowering of the second print core. For successful dual extrusion
prints, it is important that the switching functions well. The switch bay is already calibrated when the Ultimaker 3
is shipped, but the calibration can also be done manually.
1. Go to System > Maintenance > Calibration > Calibrate lift switch
2. Move the lift switch on the side of the print head to point towards you.
3. Move the print head so that the lift switch fits in the switching bay.
4. Wait for the print head to go to the home position and test the lift switch.
5. Did the lift switch lower and raise the print core? If so, press yes to complete the calibration. If not,
select no to perform the calibration again.
15

Materials
Ultimaker materials
The Ultimaker 3 officially supports the use of the following materials:
• PLA (polylactic acid)
• ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene)
• CPE (co-polyester)
• Nylon (polyamide)
• PVA (polyvinyl alcohol)
All Ultimaker certified materials have a diameter of 2.85 mm and are of high quality to ensure reliable printing and
high quality prints.
The Ultimaker 3 has an open filament system which allows for the use of other materials as well, but this is not
officially supported since Ultimaker cannot guarantee the quality of these materials. All Ultimaker materials have
been tested extensively and have optimized profiles in the Cura software to ensure the best print result.
Using Ultimaker materials will also allow you to benefit from the NFC detection system. Ultimaker spools will
automatically be recognized by the Ultimaker 3 and this information can be directly transferred to Cura when con-
nected via the network.This allows for a seamless connection between the printer and Cura software.
Material combinations
If you want to print with two materials on the Ultimaker 3, the following material combinations are officially
supported:
• PLA - PVA
• Nylon - PVA
• PLA - PLA
• ABS - ABS
• CPE - CPE
Other combinations may work as well, but are not officially supported by Ultimaker because they do not print as
reliably as the above combinations. Printing unsupported material combinations is experimental and means that
you have to develop/optimize Cura settings yourself.
Material properties
PLA
PLA is a commonly used material as it is easy to print with and has great aesthetic qualities.These are the main
properties of PLA:
• Good surface quality
• Allows creation of high resolution parts
• Good tensile strength
ABS
ABS is a well-known material used by professionals for mechanical and technical applications. Ultimaker ABS has
the following characteristics:
• Excellent mechanical properties
• Good durability
• Thermal resistance of up to 85 °C
• Specifically formulated to minimize warping
CPE
Another material that can be used for many mechanical applications is CPE.
The most important properties of CPE are:
16

• High tensile strength
• Good dimensional stability
• Chemical resistant
• Thermal resistance of up to 70 °C
• Low emission of UFPs and VOCs
Nylon
Nylon is a material that is often used for 3D printing tools, prototypes, etc. It has several characteristics that make
nylon an interesting material to use for this.
Reasons to choose Ultimaker Nylon are:
• Impact resistant
• Durable and abrasion resistant
• Slightly flexible
• Reduced humidity absorption
PVA
PVA is the material that can be used for printing support structures on the Ultimaker 3.
It has the following properties:
• Water soluble
• Good thermal stability
• Less moisture sensitive than other PVA filaments
• Biodegradable
How to print?
Temperature settings
Below you can find an overview of the recommended temperature and cooling settings for the Ultimaker
materials on the Ultimaker 3. Cura will automatically use the right settings when you use one of the predefined
profiles in Cura, so there is no need to set these manually.
Material Nozzle temperature (°C) Build plate temperature
(°C)
PLA 195 - 205 60
ABS 225 - 240 80
CPE 235 - 250 70
Nylon 245 - 255 60
PVA 215 - 225 60
Adhesion methods
For all the materials that are currently used on the Ultimaker 3 (PLA, ABS, CPE, Nylon and PVA) it is recommended
to apply a thin layer of glue to the glass plate.This will not only lead to a good adhesion, but specifically for ABS
and CPE it will also work as a protective layer for the glass plate.
Furthermore, it is advised to print all materials with a ‘brim’ as platform adhesion type. A brim will print some
extra lines of plastic around the object on the first layer to let the model adhere well and to minimize warping.This
setting is selected by default in all the Cura profiles for these materials on the Ultimaker 3.
Dissolving PVA
Prints for which PVA has been used as support material require some post-processing to remove the PVA support
material.This can be done by dissolving the PVA in water.
To do that, you can follow these steps:
1. Submerge the print in water to slowly dissolve the PVA.
2. Rinse the 3D print with water to remove any excess PVA.
3. Let the 3D print dry. 17

4. Dispose the waste water through the drain (check local regulations for concise guidance) and let
hot water from the tap run for approximately 30 seconds to remove any excess saturated
PVA water.
It is possible to use the water for more than one print, however, this might extend the dissolving time.Through
repeated use, the water becomes saturated by previously dissolved PVA, so for the quickest result, fresh water is
recommended.
Storing materials
Correct handling and storage of the materials is very important to keep them in optimal condition. When stored in-
correctly this may cause the material to lose quality over time. Some materials may become brittle when handled
or stored incorrectly and others may absorb too much moisture.
To keep your filaments in optimal condition it is important that you keep them:
• Dry and cool
• Out of direct sunlight
• In a resealable bag (when not in use)
The optimal storage temperature for PLA, CPE and Nylon is between -20 to +30° C. For ABS and PVA the advised
temperature is between 15 and 25° C. Furthermore a relative humidity of below 50% is recommended for PVA.
You can store the filament in the cardboard box it came in, including the supplied desiccant (silica gel). For PVA
it is advised to store the spool in a resealable bag with the supplied desiccant after printing to minimize moisture
uptake.
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