Members want to understand some of our assembly processes, and what's needed and what can be changed.
AMA (which stands for "Ask Me Anything") is a popular Q&A format in online communities. During a session, people can ask the host anything about a specific topic. In our last session, Steve and Erin answered questions from users on Twitter (using the hashtag #UltimakerAMA) or our community forum.
Steve works at Ultimaker's production facility in the Netherlands, leading our global Six Sigma projects, planning, procurement, logistics, manufacturing, manufacturing engineering, and quality assurance teams. Erin works at FBRC8 North America. She oversees the daily operations of the assembly, technical support, quality management, shipping, and inventory departments.
Big News: Ultimaker S5 Released
The latest Ultimaker release has changed our production process and generated a lot of interest. The Ultimaker S5 is a larger printer than our previous products, with a new volume of 330 x 240 x 300mm (the Ultimaker 3 is 215 x 215 x 200mm). User @Dim3nsioneer asked: "What special challenges did you encounter during the production of the new Ultimaker S5?"
Steve answered this question. "The Ultimaker S5 is very large! It presented new challenges for us in terms of how to move semi-finished and finished products. So, we developed a lifting table that can be used as a trolley, making it easier and safer for the team to lift and move the S5 for the assembly process."
@cjs also asked about the new aluminum print bed and its challenges. "No challenges, only opportunities," Steve replied. "In this case, we are working hard to achieve the highest quality of the aluminum print bed, which took a little longer than expected."
Processes and Procedures
@ultiarjan wanted to know if the S5 was installed on the existing conveyor belt, which sparked a discussion about how the production line works.
"We actually have each trained operator assemble every model of printer we produce," Steve said. They have work instructions for each printer and assemble one complete printer at a time. This is often a little different from mass production lines.
Erin also confirmed this: "Most printers are assembled by one technician working at a desk, which is ESD safe. However, certain parts of the printer are assembled separately in advance to help streamline the assembly process."
Steve went on to explain: "The people who pick and fill the production trays for assembly are divided into two parts of the process. One process [involves] individual parts directly from the warehouse. The other process is pre-assembly, where we pick parts and then assemble [these] into a combined part."
@kmanstudios wanted to know how the Netherlands and North American sites stay in sync. Erin explained: "We have regular meetings to discuss upcoming changes or issues we've found.
There is a continuous feedback loop between quality control and technical support during production. This means that any problem seen at any point in the process can be investigated, and the cause can be identified, the best course of action can be taken, and solutions can be discussed."
About all the assembly
Some users wanted to learn more about how our printers are assembled. @cjs's question about the average assembly time per printer led to an interesting response from Steve: "The total time - including picking, pre-assembly, quality control, and boxing - ranges from 400-550 minutes. The Ultimaker 2+ is currently the fastest printer to assemble. The S5 is now faster than the smaller dual-extruder Ultimaker 3 because the manufacturing engineering team has improved the assembly process."
He went on to explain some of the upgrades that reduced the S5's assembly time. "The assembly of the casing is a clear improvement, with self-locking flat head screws for speed and aesthetics. We can now operate with an electric screwdriver with one hand, instead of having to hold and tighten screws with both hands."
You can read the full AMA session on our community forum. Thanks to everyone who asked questions. We love to share all things Ultimaker, so follow us on Twitter for our next AMA!
Original link:https://ultimaker.com/en/blog/52641-how-are-ultimaker-printers-made-read-our-ama-recap