izzy

It does look like the filament feeder needed adjusting, but just to check have you upgraded to the latest firmware and latest Cura? Initially I could print the robot ok but when I tried to do something I generated I had all sorts of problems. Upgrading the firmware and Cura at Christmas solved them and with a good level bed Robots feeder was one of the first things I printed. I've now changed over the fan case but need to find the correct settings for the fan speed, it is now printing the robots left ear fine but I need to get it right for the right ear which now has a problem but used to be fine

Hi Keukpa, on YouMagine. Look for lRobertl Alternative UM2 Feeder, I got some slightly longer screws and made some small spacers as I made a change to the yoke, It's also worth finding the part for a guide on the bearing that helps prevent the filament from moving side to side. I'll try and add my modified yoke on the site too. Roberts feeder really is the bees knees, also make a small knurled nut to cover the head of the screw to make easy tension adjustments. Happy printing Izzy

Go to support above, then check the visual trouble shooting guide for more info

Hi Keukpa, It sounds like it's the tension on the filament feeder, there is a little screw visable as you look down on the feeder from the top, that you adjust the tension with, I would recomend Printing of the Alternate UM2 feeder by lRobertl as soon as you can, it is much easier to change filament and get good tension. You may need to alter you nozzel temperature slightly and it may be worth trying the Automic pull method to clean. I usuall print PLA at 210 degrees Cent Have a quick search for the link on maintenance and cleaning, if I can find it I will add it in another post.

It doesn't look like the nozzle is getting up to temperature and allowing the filament to retract from the head. Have you tried to print a small item and then change the filament the second it finishes before the nozzel has had a chance to cool down? I would advise changing your feeder to the lRobertl Alternate UM2 Feeder, download and print from the YouMagine site, makes it so much easier to change filament and controll the pressure on the feeder.

Waiting for a couple of samples to come through to see what they print like, it's good that their CAD library is available to all.

Has anybody looked at or tried the filaments from igus? Check www.igus.co.uk and search for filament. The site also have a CAD library of STL files for their products

I would definatly recomend printing off the components and installing the lRobertl's feeder from youMagine, it makes swapping filament etc. much easier I keep my feeder pressure light especially if you have a lot of retractions and allow a good air flow about the machine, even a small desk fan blowing air across the filament feeder and reel at the back if it's a warm room. Good luck with your printing, Izzy

Hi max, it could be that the thickness in some parts is over 0.8mm thick, 2 runs of a 0.4mm nozzle, and so adds some infill. Or it could be a problem with the version of Cura you may be using, I have a thin part and it's not putting infill where I want it, and I don't want to print 100% fill.

Quite agree ChrisR, UM is a quality product, and they are right in not putting something out that will not work correctly, taking the time to get it right and sticking to their principles. It also great to see other peoples mods to be able to print and try them. You can't please everybody all the time, and in engineering you have to be able to take criticism and hopefully use it to build on and improve. Thanks for the Faberdashery filament I will look into it, ColorFabb are announcing a new filament next week, will be interesting to see what it is, and if we can get samples. To the Guys and Girls at UM, keep up the good work, look forward to meeting you some time for a coffee at some show or other. Izzy

Ok so no dual printing, disapointed as this was one of the reasons I purchased UM2, but not the only reason. The CE conformity in Europe the same for the CF in The US is for the retail purposes, you can make changes that's not a problem depending on the change that would effect the warranty, but the CE etc. is only required if you want to supply it. Re the warranty being extended to 1 year, please check I think all items sold in Europe are covered by a 1 year warranty by law, if in doubt pay by credit card and they will sort it, and I think in the UK electrical items are covered by a 2 year although retailers will try and say it's only 1, again credit card will sort it. (Please correct me if you know the actual laws) And items must have been declared as a consumable such as the hot end, in the documentation, if not its a failure under the warranty, and if the are user replaceable, the process of replacement must be documented and not cause damage to other items in the process of replacement if done with due care, and not effect the manufactures warranty if done to the manual. I would hope that out of good customer relations UM would also supply existing users with the extra hot end kits too and not just the new purchasers, as we were swayed by the dual head upgrade a bit when purchasing originally. The UM2 is a tinkerable machine, after all at some point im going to have to change the belts, and at the same time I'm going to get better quality pulleys. If you do have a UM2 please check the LED wires in the top front left corner, mine were rubbing on the pulley, I have pushed it back a bit and may add a drop of glue as if they had worn through then they would short out! I would also suggest UM mod the Z platform with some access holes to be able to access the heater screws without disassembly mine were loose so problems initally with the heated platform. OK gripe over, I do think the UM2 is a good machine, yes there are some problems but nothing disasterious yet, some loose screws and such and my UK supplier has been helpful. I do like some of the upgrades on YouMagine and the IRobert feeder mod is the bees knees, now I need a shorter Filament holder on the back (no need for a dual reel holder now!) and my printer is mounted on a lazy Susan for easy all round access. I have tried some interesting fillaments from ColorFabb and they have great customer service, (Hoi girls & guys)(try their special filament pack )yet to try an ABS and a flexy. Which machine would I recomend to a friend? The UM2, I was critical when I looked around at the London 3D print show last year, also speaking to 3rd party users and most prefered UM mainly having the UMO but highly thought of. If I got another machine I would likely go for a UMO to build myself as an alternate but wouldn't rule out another UM2. As engineers remember, "those that don't make mistakes don't make anything!" Let's be positive in feedback with UM even on the negative and together we can improve things, who knows that 'lightbulb' moment for a dual extruder upgrade may be only a coffee break away. "Just because it hasn't been done doesnt mean it can't be done". Izzy

Also check the tightness of the screws where the wires connect to the heated platform, mine were a little loose, since tightening ive had no problems

Having read a few more threads there seams to be a small issue when swapping between types of material, especially when changing to a material with a lower temperature. It's looking like the feeder is creating small particles or filament dust that is entering the Bowden tube and possibly contaminating the other filaments. It might be worth trying a pull through on the tube with a very small piece of cloth to pull through any of this dust etc. and hopefully reduce the chance of blocking the nozzle. So far I have only been printing with PLA but have just inserted a reel of XT so when I swap back I will give my Bowden tube a pull through to see if I get a problem. My only other option is to have a set of 3 tubes, 1 for PLA, 1 for XT and 1 for ABS, that way I would cover the 3 main temperature range materials and not cross ranges.

I'm lucky with a tolerant wife as my UM2 is on the table in the living room so stays at about 19 degrees. With it being very quite when printing is not a problem, and although I lost my sence of smell two years ago I keep asking her if there is any smell but she has not said there is anything unwanted. I mainly print with PLA but am just trying ColorFabb XT and have yet to purchase some ABS or nylon.

Hi guys, I watch these threads on nozzle blockages with interest and dread. So far, touch WoodFill , I have not had a blocked nozzle on my UM2. I tried ColorFabbs WoodFill PLA, and after a failed Ultimaker Robot, which even though I hadn't been watching it for 10 minutes, then noticed it had stopped extruding, was lucky that it didn't cause problems. I have even managed to repeat it and get a robot at 0.1 mm step height with no problem 2nd time around. Some where somebody mentioned getting a accupunture needle in case of a block nozzle which I now have from my practitioner just in case to clear it out. One thing I do is a temperature test print to see which is the optimum print temperature for the material, then I print some UM robots and record the settings on the base for records. At the moment im trying to find the correct settings for ColorFabb XT White, although the web says no fans, iv got better results at 236C with 50% fans at 50mm/s and 0.1mm step. But still testing. My aim is to keep print temperatures low but quality high to reduce nozzle problems.

There are some simular post under the post "little issues after finishing prints" These may help. Depending on your quality of material you will be able to adjust the hot end temperature, Ive been using ColorFabb PLA with a range between 195 to 220 degrees C, I tried a test print and used the handy pause at Z height feature in Cura to alter the temperatures and ranged from 220C down to 202C, looking at stringing and bonding between layers and lines, and am printing at about 206C with both the Ultimaker supplied PLA and the ColorFabb ones. Having said that I am still a newbie and still learning, I don't have any ABS to try at the moment nor the ninja flex but I do like the ColorFabb XT. Hope you get your issue sorted soon. Izzy

Hi Guys just 5 months late into this topic It doesn't look like its adding too much extra mass to the print head for the inertia, and looks a neat solution, is there enough room for this in a Dual print head system that may arrive in the next 3 ish months. Izzy

Like everything in life you get what you pay for. After purchasing a good quality printer don't purchase cheap bargin price filament from a non trusted source. Before I purchased my UM2 I went to a few shows etc and spoke to lots of users, and the general advice was use good quality filament. I purchase a few of the sample packs from Coloufabb, the PLA, XT, and the Specials, and had good results for all of them including the WoodFill after I got the settings right even with the 0.1 mm layer height. Come on boys and girls the reason you got a ultimaker in the first place was because you wanted a good printer. If you purchase from a good supplier you've got good backup, as well as a friendly voice for advice by email and phone. And cheap imported filament may have cheap filler material or poor tolerances, you wouldn't drink poor quality beer so don't use poor quality filament. Izzy

Hi Juha, Cheers I'll have a read. Many thanks, Izzy

I would recomend the Roberts' feeder it's great when swapping materials etc, ive only printed it in PLA but no problems a difinate improvement, ive printed but not added the guide for the flexy material. But I purchased a longer screw for the tensioner and added a small knurled knob to easily adjust the tension, having said that ive not had to adjust it yet. I will be printing a second set if suitable for the dual extruded upgrade for the Um2 later in the year. I would check the tightness of the screw retaining the knurled nut though, mine wasn't tight and so not effective for material retraction during printing. I'm going to look at putting a small material straighten below it to straighten out the curl and improve the feeding but not just yet.

Hi all, this post is probably way to late but reference the set screws. The main problem with the set screws gripping a shaft is that they bite into it and damage the shaft. Have a look for no-mar set screws, they come in several forms usually a nylon tip or a small silver tip, both tips deform to grip the shaft surface with out damaging it, although I have used these in aerospace R&D equipment I fear that with the constant direction reversal they would allow some slipage over time so a good quality "cup point set screw" (you get what you pay for stay clear of cheap ones) that would cut into the shaft a little would retain alignment accuracy. Although adding a little loctite bearing loc to the pulley would lock it in position on the shaft, perhaps added after after calibration alignment.

I was having some problems / errors, test pieces worked fine, my parts had problems inc warping and poor extruding. I updated Cura and the firmware and I would say check the grub screw on the filament feeders knurled nut, mine was loose. My UM2 is working fine now.

I would update to the new version of Cura and the new firmware, I would also check the tightness of your fasteners on the heated bed connections and the knurled down on the filament feeder motor, mine were loose causing a problem with the bed not heating, and incorrect filament feeding. My machine is working fine now, Izzy