"The Ultimaker 2 deserves its reputation for impressive details, the ability to quickly crank out rough objects when needed, and a robust, user-friendly design."
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High maximum resolution
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Outstanding workmanship
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Easy to maintain and repair
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Expensive
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Fight with certain fine details
Ultimaker is probably one of the biggest names in 3D printing alongside MakerBot – and for good reason. In recent years, the company has pumped out some of the best Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) machinery in the business, and the brand has become very popular as a result.
The first generation Ultimaker (sold as a DIY kit) was released in 2011. A few years later, the company launched a new and improved version called Ultimaker 2. Then came the Ultimaker 2 Extended (a larger version) and the Ultimaker 2 Go (a smaller version).
Apart from the dimensions, the core pressure specifications are almost the same for all of the company's machines. To get an idea of how they are doing in a market crowded with all kinds of upstarts, we took the flagship Ultimaker 2 for a vortex.
Features and specifications
The Ultimaker 2 is immediately ready for use and offers impressive numbers. In addition to the enormous construction area, it also offers a maximum resolution of 20 micrometers – the smallest layer thickness that is currently offered by almost every consumer-oriented FDM printer on the market. This is also not a problem in the speed department. A well-set Ultimaker is said to be able to spit out ABS or PLA (regardless of the brand for both) at a maximum speed of 300 millimeters per second.
Setup and configuration
While the original Ultimaker required a lot of assembly, the Ultimaker 2 is almost completely pre-assembled and ready to print. As soon as you have removed it from the packaging, all you have to do is insert the building board, connect the machine and set the switch to "On".
It only takes a few minutes for the device to be set up and turned on. After that, however, some configuration is required before you can print out the Hello Kitty toothbrush holder you've always dreamed of. The next step is to calibrate the machine and ensure that the build plate is in the right place.
You will need to manually level the printer's glass build plate by adjusting the extruder tip so that it is exactly 1 millimeter from the glass at all four corners. The quick start guide recommends placing a piece of paper under the tip and lowering it until you feel some resistance as you pull the paper out – which is easy enough. Without these instructions, it is almost impossible to look at a millimeter.
The next step is to feed filaments into the extruder. We got into trouble here. Our unit was a bit moody and we had to deal with it a bit (more on that later) to get the filament through the feeder – but after this initial hiccup, everything went floating.
Construction quality and design
You don't want to keep it on your coat, but for 3D printers this is one of the more attractive options. No attempt is made to hide the fact that it is a 3D printer, but it also doesn't look as scratchy and cobbled together as many printers. The motors are enclosed in the main structural supports of the machine, and all other moving parts are neatly hidden behind the opaque Plexiglas walls from Ultimaker.
This thing could probably withstand a minor earthquake.
The Ultimaker's appearance is only surpassed by its build quality. The frame of the machine is made of this material called Dibond – basically there are two pre-painted aluminum sheets that are connected to a solid polyethylene core. It is widely used in the manufacture of signs and is an extremely durable material.
These supports and everything else on the printer are held together by a variety of steel screws, resulting in a very sturdy little box. It's almost unnecessarily strong. Your printer may not have to endure much abuse over the course of its life, but this thing could probably withstand a minor magnitude earthquake – let alone an occasional bump, crash, or stubborn soccer ball.
User interface and software
A single button, which also acts as a button, controls every control of the Ultimaker 2, which should be simple and intuitive for practically everyone. If you've ever used an iPod or car stereo, you can easily use this unit. Simply turn the knob to scroll through the available options and press it to make a selection. Ultimaker's menu trees are extremely logical and well designed, making it difficult for you to get lost or confused when you use them.
Bill Roberson / Digital Trends
To start printing, first download a print file (.stl or .obj) and then run it through Ultimaker's accompanying (and free) slicer program called Cura. This is the software that divides your digital model into individual layers that the printer can understand. We won't go into software criticism too much here, but compared to the other slicer programs, Cura is definitely one of the best. The learning curve is not particularly steep and the user interface makes it easy to use without restricting access to advanced features.
Once you've run your file through Cura, all you have to do is load it onto an SD card, insert it into the Ultimaker slot and get started. If necessary, you can also connect the device directly to your computer via USB 2.0. However, we prefer the SD method because you don't have to be tied to the device.
Printing performance
There are no two options – the Ultimaker 2 prints like a boss. It is extremely dynamic and has stood out in many ways in our tests.
At the beginning we took care of the print quality. The biggest selling point of this machine is its incredible print resolution of 20 microns – this is currently the lowest layer thickness that a 3D printer offers at the consumer level. To test this, we printed something with extremely subtle details and curves – a Buddha statue with a stormtrooper helmet – with the highest resolution settings. The printing took almost half a day, but when it was done we were quite impressed. With such thin layers, you can hardly see that there are layers at all, even in the most drastic curves.
The Ultimaker 2 can pump out some of the highest resolution objects we've ever seen.
If you don't mind waiting around, Ultimaker offers incredible print quality – but you don't always have 12 hours to wait for a print to complete. Next we tried to find out how fast it goes.
In order to test the speed, we first printed a 1x1x1 centimeter cube with an average layer thickness of 100 micrometers. Ultimaker can be much higher and much lower, but we always start with 100 microns because it keeps things mathematically simple and it's also the minimum layer height for most 3D printers.
Ultimaker 2 pumped out the cube in about 7 minutes 50 seconds, which is pretty good. The more expensive Form 1+ SLA printer from FormLabs took about 9 minutes with similar settings.
After this first test, we increased the print speed settings to 300 millimeters per second – the highest possible print speed – and printed the same 1x1x1 cube with the same resolution. It came out pretty sloppy, but the whole process only took about 3 minutes and 30 seconds, which is damn fast. As far as we can tell, the print speed specifications provided by Ultimaker are absolutely correct – everything depends only on your resolution / speed settings.
Bill Roberson / Digital Trends
But speed is of course only part of the equation. To get an idea of how the printer handles other things – overhangs, unsupported areas, etc. – we also printed a special object designed by Thingiverse user Cntrl V, which you can see here. The idea is to adjust your quality / speed settings so that the printer completes the object in less than an hour and then see how the piece comes out.
After running this test a few times, it's pretty clear where the Ultimaker excels and comes up short. Overhangs and unsupported spans don't seem to be a big problem, and the machine can handle them easily even at higher speeds.
The entire machine can be dismantled with three Allen keys.
However, some of the finer details (such as small numbers and letters) can break down if the printer moves very quickly. We also have a ton of plastic burrs and imperfections caused by over-extrusion – but that's to be expected from almost any 3D printer that works at high speeds, so we can hardly knock Ultimaker for it.
Overall, the big disadvantage is that Ultimaker 2 is a very dynamic machine that offers impressive quality and speed. With every 3D printer you use, there will always be a compromise between time and quality. But the great thing about Ultimaker 2 is that you can choose which side you prefer. It can make really high-quality, high-resolution prints if you don't mind waiting, but it can also spit out prints at a frantic pace if you're just looking for a low or medium quality resolution.
Maintenance, repairability and upgradeability
One of the things that we really liked about the Ultimaker was the fact that the entire machine can be assembled and disassembled with just three different Allen keys. Most screws and bolts are also the same size. So if you ever have problems with anything, it's pretty easy to disassemble the machine to assess the problem.
For example, when we unpacked our demo machine for the first time, we had some problems getting the filament feed to pick up the strand of ABS we wanted to give it, and after half a dozen unsuccessful attempts, we decided to take the entire module apart to get it see what the problem was. A few minutes and a couple of hex keys turn later and we had successfully broken it open and identified the culprit – an over-tightened thumbwheel (the thing that grips / pushes the filament). A quick adjustment solved the problem and a few screws later we were back in business.
Bill Roberson / Digital Trends
As mentioned earlier, the Ultimaker 2 is a pretty solid little machine. In the event that something breaks or stops working (which is really inevitable), Ultimaker offers a full suite of spare parts for the printer. Hot end cooling fan crap? Do you need a new stepper motor? Accidentally broken a belt? Don't worry – the company's website has everything you need to get to your door with just a few clicks.
The updateability is also pretty decent. There is a replacement kit on the back of the machine with mounting holes for an additional filament feed that you can use to upgrade your machine to a double extruder if you tend to. Granted, Ultimaker doesn't sell all of the parts you need to accomplish this, but there is at least one third-party that sells kits for it.
Conclusion
The Ultimaker 2 has earned a good reputation in the three years it was available. After using it for almost a month, we can confidently say that it definitely lives up to this reputation.
Printouts are fast, detailed, and precise – and if you don't mind waiting a few extra hours for them to finish, the Ultimaker 2 can pump out some of the highest resolution objects we've ever seen from a 3D consumer level have printers. In addition, it is extremely well built, easy to maintain and suitable for upgrades.
At $ 2,500, it's definitely one of the more expensive printers you can buy, but that extra money isn't wasted. In this case, the high price correlates directly with a high quality level – in almost every respect.
Heights
- High maximum resolution
- Outstanding workmanship
- Easy to maintain and repair
Lows
- Expensive
- Fight with certain fine details
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