With its high-end hardware and software and delicate materials working together, the Ultimaker 3 is now able to reproduce object details more accurately than ever before!
As Ultimaker's official distributor, 3DMART is proud to introduce the 【Ultimaker 3 Starter Guide】!
From unboxing to initial installation and setup of various hardware and software, this guide covers it all. As the saying goes, "a good start is half the battle," so let's get started!
【Table of Contents】
I. Unboxing
II. Installing Hardware Accessories
III. Installing Print Cores
IV. Loading Materials
V. Installing WiFi and Firmware
VI. Cura Software
I. Unboxing
The Ultimaker 3 is shipped in durable, reusable packaging.
Please follow the unboxing steps below or watch the Ultimaker 3 unboxing video:
①Start unpacking
Remove the Ultimaker 3 from the box and loosen the straps.
②Remove the styrofoam top
Remove the top styrofoam packaging, which contains two material spools and the original test print sample.
③Accessory box
Take out the accessory box.
④Remove the front and bottom styrofoam
Remove the styrofoam from the front of the Ultimaker 3.
Then lift the machine, remove the styrofoam from underneath, and place the machine on a flat surface.
⑤Remove packaging material under the heated bed
Manually lift the heated bed and remove the packaging material underneath.
⑥Zip tie
Cut the zip tie securing the print head.
⑦Contents:
In addition to the Ultimaker 3 printer body, the box contains many hardware accessories. The following items should all be included:
1. PrintCore AA 0.4 nozzle (in print head slot 1 of the Ultimaker)
2. PrintCore AA 0.4 nozzle
3. PrintCore BB 0.4 nozzle
4. Glass plate
5. Cable cover
6. Spool holder with NFC cable
7. Material guide
8. Original PLA filament (350g)
9. Original PVA filament (350g)
10. Ethernet cable
11. USB drive
12. Glue stick
13. Machine oil (for X/Y axis)
14. Magnalube grease (for Z axis)
15. Hex wrench
16. XY calibration sheet
17. Calibration card
18. Quick start guide
19. Power adapter
20. Power cable
21. Test print
II. Installing Hardware Accessories
①Place and connect the NFC spool holder
Gently tilt the printer to the right and insert the spool holder into the rear panel.
First, insert the top into the hole, then push down until it clicks into place.
②NFC cable
Connect the NFC cable to the NFC socket, with the flat side of the connector facing away from the base plate. Route the NFC cable through the slot on the back panel.
③Cable cover
Insert the cable into the rear panel, then gently stand the Ultimaker upright.
④Heated bed clamps
Open the two heated bed clamps at the front of the heated bed.
⑤Place the glass plate
With the sticker facing up (front), gently slide the glass plate over the heated bed, ensuring it clicks into place at the very back of the heated bed clamps.
To secure the glass plate, close the two front heated bed clamps.
⑥Connect the power supply
Connect the power cord to the power supply and plug the power cord into an outlet.
Then connect the other end of the power supply to the Ultimaker 3. The flat end of the connector should point downwards.
The sliding mechanism must be pulled back before firmly inserting the cable into the socket. When the power cable is in the printer, you can release it to lock it into place.
III. Installing Print Cores
For the installation steps, turn on the power switch button at the back of the printer.
The main menu will now appear on the screen. Rotate the knob to navigate through all the options, then press the knob to confirm your selection.
The Ultimaker 3 has two interchangeable print cores on the print head.
There are 2 types of nozzles:
‧AA type: for printing build materials (PLA, ABS, CPE and Nylon)
‧BB type: for printing support materials (PVA)
Every Ultimaker 3 comes with two AA print cores, one of which is already installed in print head slot 1. The other is a BB print core.
This indicates that the printer can use two build materials simultaneously, or one build material and one support material.
Print cores contain this information, allowing the printer to always know which print core is installed and which materials can be used with this print core.
②Install the second Print Core
To install the second print core, follow the on-screen steps below:
1. Open the print head fan bracket.
2. The Ultimaker will automatically detect the AA print core in slot 1. Press Confirm to proceed.
3. Rotate and press the print core lever and slide it into the print head, installing the BB print core into slot 2.
4. The Ultimaker 3 should now automatically detect the BB print core in slot 2. Press Confirm to proceed.
5. Close the print head fan bracket and press Confirm to continue with the setup steps.
★Caution: Do not touch the chip on the back of the print core.
★Note: Ensure the print core remains fully upright to slide it smoothly into the print head.
IV. Loading Materials
Before officially using the Ultimaker for printing, please load the relevant materials.
Material 2 will be loaded first, as it must be placed near the back of the printer.
①Load Material 2:
1. Place the spool with material on the spool holder. Ensure it is placed clockwise so that the material enters the feeder from the bottom. Straighten the material to make it easier to feed into the feeder.
2. Wait for the Ultimaker 3 to detect the material (when using original materials).
3. Insert the end of the material into the feeder, gently pushing until the feeder grips the material and it can be seen in the remote feed tube.
4. Press the knob, and after the Ultimaker heats print core 2, the feed motor will quickly push the material to the nozzle.
5. Confirm again when new material is extruded from the print head.
6. Wait for print core 2 to cool down.
②Load Material 1:
1. Take out the material guide and face its exterior towards you.
2. Place the spool on the material guide, positioned counter-clockwise.
3. Thread the end of the material through the hole in the material guide. When this step is complete, press "Continue" to proceed to the next step.
4. Place the material guide (with Material 1) on the spool holder for Material 2 until the printer detects it.
5. Insert the end of the material into feeder 1, gently pushing until the feeder grips the material and it can be seen in the remote feed tube.
6. Press the knob. After the Ultimaker heats print core 1, the feed motor will quickly push the material to the nozzle.
7. Confirm again when new material is extruded from the print head.
8. Wait for print core 1 to cool down.
③Indicator Lights
Typically, when the Print Core is cooling, the LED will emit a continuous blue light.
When heating begins, the LED will start flashing orange. When the Print Core reaches its target temperature, it will emit a continuous orange light.
When printing is complete and cooling begins, you will see the orange light start flashing. Once cooling is complete, the light will return to blue.
V. Installing WiFi and Firmware
The Ultimaker 3 allows for wireless printing over a network. Therefore, the next step is to connect the Ultimaker 3 to the network.
①WiFi Setup
1. Wait for your Ultimaker 3 to create a WiFi hotspot, which may take a few minutes.
2. Turn on your computer and connect it to the printer's wireless network. The network name is displayed on the printer's screen.
3. A pop-up window will appear on your computer screen. Follow the computer's instructions to connect the Ultimaker 3 to the local WiFi. The pop-up window will automatically disappear once all steps are completed.
★Note: If no pop-up window appears, open your file browser and search for "Ultimaker.com".
4. Return to the Ultimaker 3 to complete the initial setup.
★ Note: In some environments, the Ultimaker 3 may be blocked. If this happens, use another computer for WiFi setup.
★ Note: If you skip this step, you can still reset WiFi via 【System】→【Network】→【WiFi】→【Enable WiFi】.
②Firmware Update
As a final step, the Ultimaker 3 will check if the firmware is installed.
If not installed, the Ultimaker 3 will download the latest firmware from the internet and install it automatically. This step will take a few minutes to complete.
VI.Cura Software
For the Ultimaker 3, we recommend using the free Cura software to prepare your 3D print files.
Cura will quickly and accurately convert 3D models into 3D print files, allowing you to preview them beforehand to ensure the printed result meets your expectations.
①System Requirements
Operating System
● Windows Vista or newer
● MAC OSX 10.7 or newer
● Linux Ubuntu 15.04, Fedora 23, ArchLinux or newer
Processor
● OpenGL2 compatible graphics card
● Intel Core 2 or AMD Athlon 64 or newer
● At least 4GB of RAM (more than 8GB is better)
Compatible File Formats
● STL (most common 3D print file format)
● OBJ
● 3MF
②Installation
The software can be downloaded from ''www.ultimaker.com/software''. After downloading, open the file and proceed with the installation.
The first time you open Cura, the system will ask you to set up your 3D printer → Ultimaker 3. If no other settings are required, you can start using Cura directly.
I'm sure everyone has completed the initial setup by now!
In the next episode, PART 2, we will provide detailed explanations of the basic operations of the Ultimaker 3.
Stay tuned for the Ultermaker 3 PART 2 tutorial guide!