Which UltiMaker 3D Printer is Proper for Me?

UltiMaker has been, and continues to be, a outstanding participant within the desktop 3D printing business for a very long time. They provide a complete vary of options for each a part of the 3D printing course of, from filament and their free slicing software program, Cura, to polished, high-quality 3D printers and invaluable equipment that add comfort to your workflow. UltiMaker’s line of machines is a power to be reckoned with, providing highly effective choices that vary from their skilled S-series line like the one extrusion UltiMaker 2+ Join and their twin extrusion assortment of the UltiMaker S3, UltiMaker S5, and UltiMaker S7 3D printers. Additionally they supply their specialised engineering Technique sequence, which incorporates the dual-extrusion UltiMaker Technique XL. It may be difficult to match completely different fashions and decide the most effective one to your wants with out realizing what to search for. Fortunately, the Execs at MatterHackers are right here to information you in your journey.

Let’s soar into it!

UltiMaker 3D Printer Overview of Variations

¹ Extra accent beneficial/required.
○ The Technique XL doesn’t make the most of the identical Materials Station because the UltiMaker S-series line. Nevertheless, it does include a Materials Case designed to maintain filament dry whereas printing. Observe filament nonetheless must be pre-dried earlier than putting into materials case/station.
*Study extra within the Tech Specs Highlight part! Hyperlinks within the desk above immediately take you to the part going into higher element about that characteristic. Click on on the product identify hyperlinks for extra data on that particular product.

UltiMaker 3D Printer Tech Specs Highlight

Want extra data to tell your choice? Carry on studying for extra particulars and suggestions on a number of the technical specs described within the Overview desk.

Worth

It may be exhausting to match pricing for machines that appear very comparable and but have some fairly important variations. Whereas the UltiMaker 2+ Join and UltiMaker S3 have comparable construct volumes, the two+ Join is sort of a bit cheaper than the S3 at the price of being solely single extrusion and leaving out handy options corresponding to interchangeable hotends and a cloth move sensor. Leaping to the UltiMaker S5 and UltiMaker S7 value tier is important, however comes with way more capabilities and quality-of-life options that guarantee your manufacturing workflow runs as easily as doable. For those who want an UltiMaker for vital on-demand tasks that require excellent end-use, purposeful prototypes, the UltiMaker Technique XL is properly price investing in.

TLDR; until your precedence is to maximise a restricted funds, your alternative will primarily come all the way down to their capabilities. The options can differ significantly between every mannequin so it’s exhausting to actually examine, however relaxation assured each UltiMaker 3D printer is properly price each penny, mirrored within the distinctive purposes they provide.

Variety of Extruders

If you have to print in a number of colours and/or advanced geometries, then the UltiMaker S3, UltiMaker S5, UltiMaker S7, and UltiMaker Technique XL are the beneficial selections to take a look at. The UltiMaker 2+ Join is restricted to 3D printing in just one materials (or coloration) at a time. Assist buildings together with your advanced geometries must be extruded in the identical materials as your construct materials, which is completely serviceable. Nevertheless, this will require fairly a little bit of post-processing effort and time chipping and clipping away on the helps to disclose your 3D print beneath (which is able to in all probability want extra sharpening of any help stubs left over). Twin-extrusion 3D printers mean you can use dissolvable help supplies so you’ll be able to toss your completed 3D print in a bathtub of water and easily look forward to the helps to dissolve away and reveal a easy mannequin.

TLDR; if you wish to decrease post-processing advanced prints and/or need to print elements in two colours, look no additional than the UltiMaker S3, S5, S7, and Technique XL.

Construct Quantity

Between the 4 UltiMaker fashions, there are basically two measurement courses (see sizes under). The UltiMaker 2+ Join and UltiMaker S3 have comparable construct quantity dimensions with the S3 shedding some Y peak as a consequence of having a twin extrusion head. Take into account that could also be well worth the loss if twin extrusion is vital to you! In distinction, the UltiMaker S5, UltiMaker S7, and UltiMaker Technique XL are significantly bigger. The S5 and S7 share the very same measurement whereas the Technique XL has a bit of bit extra whole quantity than the S5 and S7. If massive prints are in your future and you are not restricted in benchtop area, take into account the worth of the mannequin and your utility/characteristic wants as these can simply make or break your choice between the S5, S7, and Technique XL.

TLDR; if an enormous measurement issues and you haven’t any restrictions in workspace, take into account value and model-specific options when deliberating between the S5, S7, and Technique XL.

Most Temperatures

The temperatures that your 3D printer can attain dictate what supplies you’ll be able to and might’t work with. Within the case of the UltiMaker 2+ Join, its most mattress temperature is 110°. The UltiMaker S3, UltiMaker S5, and UltiMaker S7 have a most mattress temperature of 140°C, so you’ll be able to relaxation simple realizing the mattress won’t be your limiting issue as it could actually attain the best temperature for even essentially the most excessive supplies like ABS or Polycarbonate. The UltiMaker Technique XL reaches a most mattress temp of 105°C which is generally not the best most you’d need readily available if meaning to print increased temperature supplies however isn’t any drawback for this machine as a consequence of its energetic heating chamber that provides a further 100°C to its enclosed surroundings, giving temperature-sensitive supplies the suitable area to succeed.

Moreover, they differ within the temperatures that the nozzle can attain; as a result of the UltiMaker S3, S5, S7, and Technique XL make the most of interchangeable hotends, the utmost printing temperature is 280°C (for the S-series) and 300°C (for the Technique sequence) which ought to enable for the usage of most supplies you could 3D print with. Whereas the UltiMaker 2+ Join is restricted to 260°C and is sufficient for any UltiMaker supplies, it could add issue for different manufacturers of filament that want increased temperatures.

TLDR; the UltiMaker S3, S5, S7, and Technique XL ought to be the go-to concerns should you intend on printing any materials that requires greater than 260°C to efficiently print.

Enclosed

All UltiMaker 3D printers are enclosed to some extent—how a lot depends in your utility wants (and probably different components). For those who plan on simply printing PLA and PETG, then the UltiMaker 2+ Join could be an optimum alternative because it is not absolutely enclosed and would prevent extra cash. Nevertheless, should you plan on printing plenty of ABS for manufacturing, then both the UltiMaker Technique XL or UltiMaker S7 could be the working candidates since each come out of the field absolutely enclosed. The Technique XL even has the distinctive bonus of getting an actively heated chamber, offering the best surroundings for supplies like ABS to succeed. The UltiMaker S5 and UltiMaker S3 are largely enclosed and are able to printing supplies like ABS, however it’s price noting that the UltiMaker doesn’t have an Air Supervisor obtainable for the S3 to cowl the highest, and the Air Supervisor that’s obtainable for the S5 is a separate buy both by itself, as an improve bundle, or bundled along with the printer.

TLDR; if materials compatibility and success are the primary precedence, the 2+ Join is ideal for printing primarily PLA/PETG whereas the Technique XL and S7 are the highest selections for out-of-the-box optimum efficiency with temperature-sensitive printing supplies.

Materials Compatibility

It is important to know whether or not or not the machines you are contemplating can print particular supplies. For those who intend to make the most of each metallic and composite 3D printer filament, the UltiMaker S5 and UltiMaker S3 are the highest contenders. The UltiMaker S7 and UltiMaker Technique XL knock composite 3D printing out of the park however are unable to print metallic (inexperienced) elements right now. Observe that no matter whether or not you are printing metallic or composite filament, you may want a Print Core CC hotend for the S-series (S3, S5, S7) 3D printers as abrasive supplies like metallic and composites will shortly destroy brass nozzles that come customary on these printers. The UltiMaker Technique XL mechanically comes with an abrasive-resistant hotend (with extra hotend choices obtainable). The UltiMaker 2+ Join just isn’t outfitted with a dual-geared extruder to deal with the abrasive filament nor does it include an abrasive-resistant nozzle (it is also not suitable with Print Core know-how).

TLDR; the UltiMaker S3 and S5 can fulfill each metallic and composite 3D printing wants. The UltiMaker S7 and Technique XL are each viable choices as properly if it is simply improbable composite 3D printing you want (whereas retaining in thoughts that Print Core CC‘s are mandatory for the prolonged lifespan of your S-series [S3, S5, S7] 3D printer’s nozzle).

Handy Options

While you’re on a time crunch for an vital mission, out of the blue that quality-of-life characteristic turns into a necessity as an alternative of a need. Whereas the UltiMaker 2+ Join has the widespread built-in hotend format, the UltiMaker S3, UltiMaker S5, UltiMaker S7, and UltiMaker Technique XL design their hotends in an simply detachable bundle. If you would like a brand new nozzle measurement, new nozzle materials, or if you wish to take away it for normal upkeep, you’ll be able to swap out the whole hotend in seconds and have one other pre-packaged hotend able to go whereas the opposite is out of fee. Having this interchangeable characteristic saves massive and is a good funding in the long term in a manufacturing world the place downtime just isn’t an choice.

Different time and price saving handy options it is best to take into account when selecting your 3D printer candidates are if they arrive with a cloth move sensor (pauses your printer when it runs out of filament), what kind of construct floor it contains (versatile plates imply simpler print removing and an simply swappable construct floor), and what kind of mattress leveling system it makes use of (automated leveling equals assured accuracy and handy hands-off strategy). See the desk under for which capabilities every mannequin has.

TLDR; if absolute minimal downtime is a high precedence to your wants, take into account the UltiMaker S7 and UltiMaker Technique XL for prototyping purposes or the UltiMaker S7 for print farm jobs.

Air Filtration and Management

If you recognize you’re going to be printing with a number of the stinkier 3D printing supplies like ABS or Polycarbonate, having built-in filtration to wash the air of the printer is a worthwhile funding. Each the UltiMaker Technique XL and UltiMaker S7 come built-in with an air filtration system. The UltiMaker 2+ Join and The UltiMaker S5 have the Air Supervisor add-on you could buy that merely plug into the again of the Ultimaker, snap onto the highest, and supply full management of the air surrounding the 3D print. Within the case of the UltiMaker S3, there isn’t a filtration choice obtainable from UltiMaker.

TLDR; in case your workspace requires filtration otherwise you actually don’t need the smelly scents that come up with filaments like ABS and PC, take into account the Technique XL or UltiMaker S7 which incorporates an air filter system. The S5 and 2+ Join are additionally candidates should you mix them with their respective Air Supervisor add-ons.

Materials Station

The UltiMaker S5 and UltiMaker S7 actually stand out on this lineup by having the choice to make the most of the Ultimaker Materials Station which manages as much as 6 of your supplies without delay with none consumer intervention. Hold a number of supplies or colours loaded and on the prepared (though you’ll be able to solely use 2 supplies per print job). The primary objective of that is to totally make the most of the Ultimaker Cloud to ship, for instance, a Yellow PLA with PVA print to your cloud-synced print farm and have the UltiMaker S7 / S5 mechanically unload filament and cargo within the desired supplies to get began. Paired with a sensor in each bay to find out in the event that they’ve run out of fabric earlier than the job is completed, and you may have a virtually fully hands-free print job from begin to end, save for the print removing. It is price noting that, whereas not the identical factor as a Materials Station, the UltiMaker Technique XL comes with a Materials Case that shops two spools of filament to take care of a humidity-controlled surroundings to your materials (essential for printing success).

TLDR; if rising automated materials loading for optimum manufacturing uptime is a should, look no additional than the UltiMaker S7 and UltiMaker S5 fashions.

Summarized Advice Information

Observe that there could also be private variations on specifics corresponding to “restricted area”, “restricted funds”, “minimal manufacturing downtime”, and so forth. Evaluate the Tech Specs Highlight once more for any data you’ll have missed or click on on the product names under if you wish to study extra about these particular machines.

As you’ll be able to see, UltiMaker has a variety of 3D printers that encompasses numerous additive manufacturing wants. Hopefully issues are a bit clearer now and you’ve got a greater sense of which UltiMaker 3D printer would be the powerhouse manufacturing machine for you!

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Excited about extra comparability content material? Take a look at the video under! Please be aware, the under video was created in mid-2021.
Fashions launched post-2021 should not talked about such because the UltiMaker S7 and UltiMaker Technique XL.