Which UltiMaker 3D Printer is Proper for Me?

UltiMaker has been, and continues to be, a distinguished participant within the desktop 3D printing trade 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 drive 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. In addition they provide their specialised engineering Technique collection, which incorporates the dual-extrusion UltiMaker Technique XL. It may be difficult to check completely different fashions and decide the very best one on 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 leap into it!

UltiMaker 3D Printer Overview of Variations

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

UltiMaker 3D Printer Tech Specs Highlight

Want extra info to tell your resolution? Carry on studying for extra particulars and suggestions on among the technical specs described within the Overview desk.

Value

It may be onerous to check 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 kind 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 circulate sensor. Leaping to the UltiMaker S5 and UltiMaker S7 value tier is critical, however comes with way more capabilities and quality-of-life options that guarantee your manufacturing workflow runs as easily as potential. In the event you want an UltiMaker for necessary on-demand initiatives that require very good end-use, useful prototypes, the UltiMaker Technique XL is properly price investing in.

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

Variety of Extruders

If it’s worthwhile 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 advisable decisions to have a look at. The UltiMaker 2+ Join is proscribed to 3D printing in just one materials (or shade) at a time. Assist buildings along with your advanced geometries must be extruded in the identical materials as your construct materials, which is completely serviceable. Nonetheless, 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 can most likely want extra sharpening of any help stubs left over). Twin-extrusion 3D printers let you use dissolvable help supplies so you’ll be able to toss your completed 3D print in a bath of water and easily watch for the helps to dissolve away and reveal a clean mannequin.

TLDR; if you wish to reduce post-processing advanced prints and/or wish 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 primarily two dimension lessons (see sizes under). The UltiMaker 2+ Join and UltiMaker S3 have comparable construct quantity dimensions with the S3 dropping some Y peak because of having a twin extrusion head. Needless to say could also be well worth the loss if twin extrusion is necessary to you! In distinction, the UltiMaker S5, UltiMaker S7, and UltiMaker Technique XL are significantly bigger. The S5 and S7 share the very same dimension 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 house, contemplate the value of the mannequin and your utility/characteristic wants as these can simply make or break your resolution between the S5, S7, and Technique XL.

TLDR; if a giant dimension issues and you don’t have any restrictions in workspace, contemplate 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 straightforward realizing the mattress won’t be your limiting issue as it could actually attain the perfect temperature for even probably 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 perfect most you’d need available if aspiring to print larger temperature supplies however isn’t any drawback for this machine because of its energetic heating chamber that provides a further 100°C to its enclosed surroundings, giving temperature-sensitive supplies the precise house 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 collection) which ought to permit for using most supplies you can 3D print with. Whereas the UltiMaker 2+ Join is proscribed to 260°C and is sufficient for any UltiMaker supplies, it could add issue for different manufacturers of filament that want larger temperatures.

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

Enclosed

All UltiMaker 3D printers are enclosed to a point—how a lot relies in your utility wants (and doubtlessly different elements). In the event you 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 more money. Nonetheless, in the event you plan on printing a number of ABS for manufacturing, then both the UltiMaker Technique XL or UltiMaker S7 could be the operating 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 perfect surroundings for supplies like ABS to succeed. The UltiMaker S5 and UltiMaker S3 are principally enclosed and are able to printing supplies like ABS, but it surely’s price noting that the UltiMaker doesn’t have an Air Supervisor accessible for the S3 to cowl the highest, and the Air Supervisor that’s accessible 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 decisions 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. In the event you 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. Be aware that no matter whether or not you are printing metallic or composite filament, you will want a Print Core CC hotend for the S-series (S3, S5, S7) 3D printers as abrasive supplies like metallic and composites will rapidly wreck brass nozzles that come normal on these printers. The UltiMaker Technique XL mechanically comes with an abrasive-resistant hotend (with extra hotend choices accessible). The UltiMaker 2+ Join is just not 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 expertise).

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 implausible 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

Whenever you’re on a time crunch for an necessary venture, out of the blue that quality-of-life characteristic turns into a necessity as a substitute of a need. Whereas the UltiMaker 2+ Join has the frequent built-in hotend format, the UltiMaker S3, UltiMaker S5, UltiMaker S7, and UltiMaker Technique XL design their hotends in an simply detachable package deal. If you’d like a brand new nozzle dimension, 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 is just not an choice.

Different time and price saving handy options you must contemplate when selecting your 3D printer candidates are if they arrive with a cloth circulate sensor (pauses your printer when it runs out of filament), what sort of construct floor it contains (versatile plates imply simpler print elimination and an simply swappable construct floor), and what sort 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 on your wants, contemplate the UltiMaker S7 and UltiMaker Technique XL for prototyping purposes or the UltiMaker S7 for print farm jobs.

Air Filtration and Management

If you understand you’re going to be printing with among the stinkier 3D printing supplies like ABS or Polycarbonate, having built-in filtration to scrub 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 can 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 accessible from UltiMaker.

TLDR; in case your workspace requires filtration otherwise you actually don’t desire the smelly scents that come up with filaments like ABS and PC, contemplate the Technique XL or UltiMaker S7 which incorporates an air filter system. The S5 and 2+ Join are additionally candidates in the event 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 person 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 principle goal of that is to completely 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 finished, and you may have an almost utterly hands-free print job from begin to end, save for the print elimination. 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 on your materials (essential for printing success).

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

Summarized Advice Information

Be aware that there could also be private variations on specifics corresponding to “restricted house”, “restricted price range”, “minimal manufacturing downtime”, and so on. Overview the Tech Specs Highlight once more for any info you’ll have missed or click on on the product names under if you wish to be taught extra about these particular machines.

As you’ll be able to see, UltiMaker has a variety of 3D printers that encompasses varied 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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Taken with extra comparability content material? Try the video under! Please notice, the under video was created in mid-2021.
Fashions launched post-2021 are usually not talked about such because the UltiMaker S7 and UltiMaker Technique XL.