Ultimaker 3 First Impressions

[randyinla 14]

 

i don't think so.. the glue stick should be sufficient.

 

I have never liked glue sticks.  My sticking agent of choice has been hair spray (Loreal Elnett Satin as they are not all created equally) or more recently 3DLAC which is basically the same thing but you know it will work.  I have an extra glass that I keep ready as spraying inside the printer leads to a bit of a buildup (though it does cleanup well).  It also works for most materials though not always with ABS where the only thing that works 100% for me is Klapton tape.   But sticking is a whole 'nuther topic!

 

Whenever I use hair spray, I spray it onto a paper towel outside of the printer, then wipe it onto the glass. Less mess that way.

[Wisar 86]

Whenever I use hair spray, I spray it onto a paper towel outside of the printer, then wipe it onto the glass.  Less mess that way.

 

Hmmmm...not sure why I have not done this before? Good idea. As long as the glass is clean only a minimum of spray stuff is needed :-o

[Wisar 86]

Look for the file fdmprinter.def.json

In that file, the default adhesion type is set to 'brim'. Most of the quality profiles for the UM3 do not contain a value for adhesion type, meaning that the default value in fdmprinter definition is used. (I think that only one nylon profile is set to 'raft').

So if you change that value to 'skirt', in almost all profiles a skirt is applied.

 

Can I please get more guidance on what exactly needs to change here? I have tried to make the change as suggested and not gotten it to work. I am sure I am just changing the wrong thing but am struggling.

I am going to sound cranky here but why would anyone in their right mind set a default of brim for PLA? PLA sticks just fine! If PVA is being used then brim away...with the PVA! I love the default profiles but having to remember that brim is on every time I switch something is a real pain in the arse! :-)

Thanks in advance for helping me!

[chrisbranson 1]

 

Look for the file fdmprinter.def.json

In that file, the default adhesion type is set to 'brim'. Most of the quality profiles for the UM3 do not contain a value for adhesion type, meaning that the default value in fdmprinter definition is used. (I think that only one nylon profile is set to 'raft').

So if you change that value to 'skirt', in almost all profiles a skirt is applied.

 

Can I please get more guidance on what exactly needs to change here?  I have tried to make the change as suggested and not gotten it to work.  I am sure I am just changing the wrong thing but am struggling.  

I am going to sound cranky here but why would anyone in their right mind set a default of brim for PLA?  PLA sticks just fine!  If PVA is being used then brim away...with the PVA!  I love the default profiles but having to remember that brim is on every time I switch something is a real pain in the arse! :-)

Thanks in advance for helping me!

 

Open the fdmprinter.def.json file and look for the section "adhesion_type" and change the line: -

                   "default_value": "brim",

To: -

                   "default_value": "skirt",

That's the only change I made to that file and now all the default profiles show skirt as the adhesion type by default.

[Wisar 86]

 

 

Look for the file fdmprinter.def.json

In that file, the default adhesion type is set to 'brim'. Most of the quality profiles for the UM3 do not contain a value for adhesion type, meaning that the default value in fdmprinter definition is used. (I think that only one nylon profile is set to 'raft').

So if you change that value to 'skirt', in almost all profiles a skirt is applied.

 

Can I please get more guidance on what exactly needs to change here?  I have tried to make the change as suggested and not gotten it to work.  I am sure I am just changing the wrong thing but am struggling.  

I am going to sound cranky here but why would anyone in their right mind set a default of brim for PLA?  PLA sticks just fine!  If PVA is being used then brim away...with the PVA!  I love the default profiles but having to remember that brim is on every time I switch something is a real pain in the arse! :-)

Thanks in advance for helping me!

 

Open the fdmprinter.def.json file and look for the section "adhesion_type" and change the line: -

                   "default_value": "brim",

To: -

                   "default_value": "skirt",

That's the only change I made to that file and now all the default profiles show skirt as the adhesion type by default.

 

Hmmmm...I am on OSX and when I make that change to the file that is in

/Applications/Cura.app/Contents/Resources/resources/definitions/fdmprinter.def.json

it seems to corrupt my setup. I get a dialog box asking me to add a printer and my two printers that were there are no longer!

Are you windows or linux?

Thanks,

Will

[chrisbranson 1]

 

 

 

Look for the file fdmprinter.def.json

In that file, the default adhesion type is set to 'brim'. Most of the quality profiles for the UM3 do not contain a value for adhesion type, meaning that the default value in fdmprinter definition is used. (I think that only one nylon profile is set to 'raft').

So if you change that value to 'skirt', in almost all profiles a skirt is applied.

 

Can I please get more guidance on what exactly needs to change here?  I have tried to make the change as suggested and not gotten it to work.  I am sure I am just changing the wrong thing but am struggling.  

I am going to sound cranky here but why would anyone in their right mind set a default of brim for PLA?  PLA sticks just fine!  If PVA is being used then brim away...with the PVA!  I love the default profiles but having to remember that brim is on every time I switch something is a real pain in the arse! :-)

Thanks in advance for helping me!

 

Open the fdmprinter.def.json file and look for the section "adhesion_type" and change the line: -

                   "default_value": "brim",

To: -

                   "default_value": "skirt",

That's the only change I made to that file and now all the default profiles show skirt as the adhesion type by default.

 

Hmmmm...I am on OSX and when I make that change to the file that is in

/Applications/Cura.app/Contents/Resources/resources/definitions/fdmprinter.def.json

it seems to corrupt my setup.  I get a dialog box asking me to add a printer and my two printers that were there are no longer!

Are you windows or linux?

Thanks,

Will

 

I'm on a Mac too - I did a fresh install of Cura 2.3.1, found that file inside the app and edited it using Atom.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/176278/fdmprinter.def.json

That's the file I'm using - completely stock from the clean install, but with the default changed to skirt.

[Wisar 86]

 

 

 

 

Look for the file fdmprinter.def.json

In that file, the default adhesion type is set to 'brim'. Most of the quality profiles for the UM3 do not contain a value for adhesion type, meaning that the default value in fdmprinter definition is used. (I think that only one nylon profile is set to 'raft').

So if you change that value to 'skirt', in almost all profiles a skirt is applied.

 

Can I please get more guidance on what exactly needs to change here?  I have tried to make the change as suggested and not gotten it to work.  I am sure I am just changing the wrong thing but am struggling.  

I am going to sound cranky here but why would anyone in their right mind set a default of brim for PLA?  PLA sticks just fine!  If PVA is being used then brim away...with the PVA!  I love the default profiles but having to remember that brim is on every time I switch something is a real pain in the arse! :-)

Thanks in advance for helping me!

 

Open the fdmprinter.def.json file and look for the section "adhesion_type" and change the line: -

                   "default_value": "brim",

To: -

                   "default_value": "skirt",

That's the only change I made to that file and now all the default profiles show skirt as the adhesion type by default.

 

Hmmmm...I am on OSX and when I make that change to the file that is in

/Applications/Cura.app/Contents/Resources/resources/definitions/fdmprinter.def.json

it seems to corrupt my setup.  I get a dialog box asking me to add a printer and my two printers that were there are no longer!

Are you windows or linux?

Thanks,

Will

 

I'm on a Mac too - I did a fresh install of Cura 2.3.1, found that file inside the app and edited it using Atom.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/176278/fdmprinter.def.json

That's the file I'm using - completely stock from the clean install, but with the default changed to skirt.

 

Thanks.....that worked! But it is exactly the same change that I made! I don't get it but am not going to sweat it. Thanks again. Default is now as it should have been in the first place!

[chrisbranson 1]

Thanks.....that worked!   But it is exactly the same change that I made!  I don't get it but am not going to sweat it.  Thanks again.  Default is now as it should have been in the first place!

 

Great

[Wisar 86]

 

Thanks.....that worked!   But it is exactly the same change that I made!  I don't get it but am not going to sweat it.  Thanks again.  Default is now as it should have been in the first place!

 

Great

 

BTW, don't know this for sure, but I am assuming that Text Edit on OSX probably introduced some line control when I saved the file. Not sure why I did not just do the edit in terminal. Doop.

[Wisar 86]

Printer halted with terrible noises! Told me to contact support 'cause of an endstop failure!

Not a big deal to fix as one of the axis rods had slipped and was no longer triggering the end stop. I wonder, however, if the endstop switch should be mounted a couple of mm's further away from the case so this can't happen as easily?

[Daid 306]

I wonder, however, if the endstop switch should be mounted a couple of mm's further away from the case so this can't happen as easily?

 

You can, you have to re-calibrate the switching bay location. The reason why this is not per default is to get the maximum build volume.

[Wisar 86]

 

I wonder, however, if the endstop switch should be mounted a couple of mm's further away from the case so this can't happen as easily?

 

You can, you have to re-calibrate the switching bay location. The reason why this is not per default is to get the maximum build volume.

 

I am not sure what you mean by re-calibrate...my problem is a physical geometry issue of the x-axis rod for the carriage is slipping to the right and then not hitting the switch.  If the switch were a tiny bit wider or the rod a tiny bit longer it would still trigger.  My fix will be to insert a spacer between the switch and the frame to move the contact point in a little. But why is the rod moving so freely to the right and presumably to only thing stopping it is when it hits the far wall? Can't be good?

Edited December 24, 2016 by Guest

[peggyb 170]

can you move the rod back to the left? The rods can be clicked in and out of the white blocks (do they have cracks?) to remove the whole printhead from the rods. From the UM2 instructions they said to put the x-rod back with a fingernail distance from the left panel, so it can hit the endstop.

[SandervG 1,521]

Did you check if your sliderblock shows a crack so it has less grip on the rod?

[Wisar 86]

Did you check if your sliderblock shows a crack so it has less grip on the rod?

 

Had not but just did...THEY ARE BOTH CRACKED!  How did that happen...? It seems to be worse on the side with the lever for the 2nd nozzle. Is this stress induced? I have temporarily applied some cable ties that were the perfect size to not interfere with anything.

Will :-o

Edited December 24, 2016 by Guest

[Ronan 58]

Oh wow! Keep us updated on this issue. We now have a few UM3's as our main 3d printers since they are cheaper to run than the stratasys.

[Melka 57]

 

Did you check if your sliderblock shows a crack so it has less grip on the rod?

 

Had not but just did...THEY ARE BOTH CRACKED!  How did that happen...? It seems to be worse on the side with the lever for the 2nd nozzle.  Is this stress induced?  I have temporarily applied some cable ties that were the perfect size to not interfere with anything.

 

It is indeed stress induced because of improper assembly.

Yeah, I was probably the first guy reporting this problem on the forum.

I'm also preparing my review of the printer. Spoil alert: won't be fun.

Edited December 26, 2016 by Guest

[Ronan 58]

Anything from Ultimaker?

[Wisar 86]

Replaced the cracked blocks on my printer. Am curious as to the cause of the failure. Obviously I am not the only one impacted.

Anyhow. Replacing sliders is really fiddly. For me anyway. So, being a 3D kinda guy I designed a couple of parts to make slider replacement a little less fiddly. No expressed or implied warranty!

Ultimaker Sliding Block Fitting Jig Thing

[tomnagel 126]

Unfortunately, we have used a batch of slider blocks that were made from PC-ABS, and it should have been ABS. Really frustrating, and probably partly our own fault.

Not all printers are affected, but obviously too many. Our resellers will do everything they can to help everyone.

We're really sorry for this.

[ultiarjan 1,223]

Ah so pc abs is more brittle?

Are all white blocks, untill you changed to black, from the PC ABS batch ?

[Wisar 86]

Unfortunately, we have used a batch of slider blocks that were made from PC-ABS, and it should have been ABS. Really frustrating, and probably partly our own fault.

 

Tom: I have to take a little exception to the language "probably partly our own fault". Ultimaker manufactures a product that occupies a premium price point that it can demand at least partly due to an expectation of superior quality. It is the Ultimaker name on the printer. If there is a bad part anywhere in a finished product shipped by Ultimaker then it is your fault as it happened in your supply chain and is indicative of a process failure! It is always nice to be able to blame a supplier but it is the Ultimaker name that will suffer regardless of the excuse. Just sayin'

[Above statement comes after my spending of hours fixing a new and expensive printer that had been down for days.]

[tomnagel 126]

I understand your response. I am very sorry for this, we are dedicated in providing a good product. Your expectation of superior product quality is entirely appropriate.

[gr5 2,172]

>Tom: I have to take a little exception to the language "probably partly our own fault".

I suspect Tom isn't authorized to represent the company so he has to be tactful. Now if it was the president of Ultimaker posting here and he used those words - then I might expect a little annoyance. My understanding is that this is a small percentage of customers with this problem but that it is being taken very seriously at UM. It's always frustrating when a printer works perfectly but then after DHL gets through with it then it has all kinds of problems. UM is not some brand new kickstarter company and is pretty experienced with things like this but not as experienced as say HP is. So expect something in between. They are one of the most mature 3d printer companies for consumers and prosumers but they are still very young.

[Wisar 86]

>Tom: I have to take a little exception to the language "probably partly our own fault".

I suspect Tom isn't authorized to represent the company so he has to be tactful.

 

I appreciate Tom's tactful response and would hope that he understands my point of view as a customer...one that worked for most of his career at a manufacturing company with a name most everyone will have heard of and one that has fought the occasional quality issue. It is all about process discipline, and of course, that includes learning from one's mistakes. I am back up and running, and the repair was not terribly hard to implement, but this is the second issue that I have had (first printer went back as the LCD display tipped over) and that is concerning after my experience with my two UM2's (flawless).