Ultimaker Mark2 - The Smart Dual-Extrusion Upgrade

[foehnsturm 970]

Mark2 is an asymmetrical multi-extrusion upgrade for the Ultimaker 2, based on Foehnsturm's magnetic tool changer. It offers some unique features compared to conventional approaches.

 

Keep it smart and simple

The Mark2 upgrade doesn't require to modify or even disassemble the well-working single extrusion setup. Instead it adds a detachable second extruder. This leaves you with several benefits.

Powerful - print quality on par with eg. the UM3 or BCN3D Sigma

Flexible - use whatever you want: Olsson ruby, 3Dsolex block / nozzles, ...

Cost-efficient - all you need is a second drive train, some magnets and screws

Simple - all tried-and tested standard components

Smart - Z-offset managed by firmware, calibration wizards

Open & scalable - a non-extrusion tool head, a 3rd extruder ... all possible

Mark2 is an Ultimaker community project, we don't offer a complete kit but we can help you out with a package, including all the parts you need, besides the second drive train.

 

See it live

Probably the best way to get an impression of the usability and print quality is to watch a few videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLeNzDYMnqAqIeZHWU9iOWnj_2OaemupQG

 

Full Cura 2.5 integration

Mark2 comes with a set of Cura definition files and can be added as a pre-configured printer.

 

Tried and tested

Mark2 setups have been printing for more than 5.000 hrs now, which equals more than 500.000 tool changes. Beta-testers and co-developers include well-known guys here like Tinkergnome, Ultiarjan and many more.

 

The Mark2 website

ultimaker-mark2.com is the place where you find all the information you need for doing this upgrade.

... and The Mark2 Dual Extrusion Project Contest is still running.

Edited May 4, 2017 by Guest

[darkdvd 983]

This mod for my second UM2 is planned...

Edited May 4, 2017 by Guest

[greengecko 8]

Hi mark2 team,

wow awesome site and upgrade. i looked through the documentation and it looks great.

i do not want o hijack this thread but i guess the best start is here to find interested collaborators.

my "problem" is that i have an UMO (no plus) and would love to mod it to a Mark2 but not sure where to start.

- upgrade hotend and feeder to an um2+ x2 (if that is possible)

- simply use a double UMO hotend (eg i have the old dual extrusion kit is that possible to reuse it?)

- do i need the umo+ electronics ?

so many options and i am sure every version needs a lot of testing.

so here the question what is the best way to start and are there any interested makers out there?

thanks again for the awesome community upgrade.

[SyntaxTerror 344]

Hah, @foehnsturm - 113 views already. You're a regular click magnet.

[ultiarjan 1,223]

my "problem" is that i have an UMO (no plus) and would love to mod it to a Mark2 but not sure where to start.

- upgrade hotend and feeder to an um2+ x2 (if that is possible)

- simply use a double UMO hotend (eg i have the old dual extrusion kit is that possible to reuse it?)

- do i need the umo+ electronics ?

 

First, I think it's certainly doable.

Lets start with firmware/electronics. @tinkergnome how difficult will it be to run it on the UMO board, assuming the rest of the machine is setup like the UM2, with same endstop positions,sliderblocks, UM2 hotend etc...?

Regarding hardware I think converting to the UM2 hotend is the most reliable way to go, @neotko can you share the link to the conversion you did?

Edited May 4, 2017 by Guest

[neotko 1,417]

Sure https://ultimaker.com/en/community/21167-assembly-manual-um2-upgrade-kit-on-ultimaker-original-plus

The only issue I see hardware wise is that the 25W heaters 24V using 2 of them on a 19V old UMO board 1.5.X might get tricky. @amedee is much more an expert than me on UMO hardware and he's the @tinkergnome equivalent of UMO/UMO+

[ultiarjan 1,223]

Sure https://ultimaker.com/en/community/21167-assembly-manual-um2-upgrade-kit-on-ultimaker-original-plus

The only issue I see hardware wise is that the 25W heaters 24V using 2 of them on a 19V old UMO board 1.5.X might get tricky. @amedee is much more an expert than me on UMO hardware and he's the @tinkergnome equivalent of UMO/UMO+

 

So getting a china 75,- UM2 board is probably the easiest option? though you would also need a new power supply. It would save you 2x a pt100 board which would be needed to use the old UMO board.

Does the UM2 firmware run ok on the UMO controler (display wise)?

[neotko 1,417]

No it doesn't. Would be a 140€ upgrade china with screen. For that price I would just move the whole printer to duet3d.. but also that would need more modding

[EricksonM 0]

Would you please show me the way where can I buy the Mark2 extension board?

I am looking forward to upgrade my 3 Ultimaker 2+ in the elegant way!

Cheers

[amedee 349]

There is actually little advantage (not to say zero) in moving from a 1.5.x to a 2.1x board for this purpose.

It is very reliable, probably much more than a Chinese 2.1.

Running the board at 24v is not an issue either (just change the step-down to power the Arduino); PT100 are doing fine as well with the E3D adapter.

The real issue is probably the firmware, as one need to backport the changes done for the UM2.

Another potential issue is that the X/Y axes are inverted on the UMO, so they might be in the way for the docked head.

Having said that, one should consider the total cost of the operation, an UM2 head upgrade + the second head + the mods is not a small budget for an experimental setup. It might be wiser to start from an UM2 and go with a proven solution...

[chenci 3]

Just visited the website. Great tutorial! When the second extruder arrives, i will test and post pics.

Quick question. I have the UM2+ extended. Which firmware should I use:

Mark2-dual-ext-17.02.2.hex

Or

Tinker-Mark2-extended-dual-17.02.2.hex

I don't know if there are any differences?

[bob-hepple 59]

Ok Stupid Question coming up How do I download TinkerGnomes Software when I select the file I ge to see the code but no download... Sorry in advance ????

[ultiarjan 1,223]

Just visited the website. Great tutorial! When the second extruder arrives, i will test and post pics.

Quick question. I have the UM2+ extended. Which firmware should I use:

Mark2-dual-ext-17.02.2.hex

Or

Tinker-Mark2-extended-dual-17.02.2.hex

I don't know if there are any differences?

 

The one with TINKER in the name is like the tinker firmware you may already know, it provides much more information in the display compared to regular Ultimaker firmware. The other is the regular Ultimaker firmware, with the Mark2 functionality added.

My advice, get the TINKER.

[chenci 3]

Ok Stupid Question coming up How do I download TinkerGnomes Software when I select the file I ge to see the code but no download... Sorry in advance ????

 

Right click -> download will work fine. Or you could download all the files with the button clone or download

[ultiarjan 1,223]

Ok Stupid Question coming up How do I download TinkerGnomes Software when I select the file I ge to see the code but no download... Sorry in advance ????

 

https://github.com/foehnsturm/Mark2

The easiest way to download from github is just to grab the ZIP file download and you get all files, printfiles, firmware, BOM, etc...

[ahoeben 1,986]

Great work developing this!

I have not been paying much attention to the previous thread. Is there anything you wish Cura would do or do differently that I can help with?

[foehnsturm 970]

Thanks very much!

Answering your question: supporting 3 extruders sometime this year

Well, and there are extra movements before and after a tool change occasionally generated by Cura, which we think are not necessary (in our case). Like extruder 2 travelling to a place just been visited by extruder 1 before moving to its "real" starting position.

I'm sure some of the co-developers will come up with additional ideas

[ahoeben 1,986]

Note that I'm a "frontend" guy, so I may not be able to help with the gcode produced by CuraEngine.

Supporting 3 extruders should already be possible, by adding a third extruder.def.json file. Cura 2.6 will have a Custom FDM Printer that will let you configure up to 8 extruders.

[RudydG 62]

Building the Mark 2!!

Printed all the parts and put them togheter, connected everything and tested.

Use the thinkerware firmware version, everything is ok, docking and changing works superb!!

Only one issue at this moment, my second hotend is my old UM2 one, and when i put everything together, my Z is wrong. The second head is higher as the first, making it impossible to print.

I already tried raising the first hotend as much as possible, and lowering the second as much as possible, but still a few mm's between them 2, in the wrong direction....

At this moment i "adjusted the height with putting some spacers between the printed part and the alluminium top plate of my second extruder.

[RudydG 62]

Hello, next question,

The cura files on github, are they for windows only? i am a mac user....

Greetings,

Rudy

[ultiarjan 1,223]

You mean your 2th hotend has the old fixed UM2 block and not the olsson block?

I see a few options;

- change to an olsson block on the 2th also

- adjust the plastic part of the head the be a few mm lower

Do you know how to do CAD, the .stp files are on github. Let me know if I need to do it for you if you want option2, I can do it in the weekend, if needed tell me how many MM you need it to be lower, take a bit of a margin so it will most likely also work for other users...

Edited May 4, 2017 by Guest

[RudydG 62]

You mean your 2th hotend has the old fixed UM2 block and not the olsson block?

I see a few options;

- change to an olsson block on the 2th also

- adjust the plastic part of the head the be a few mm lower

Do you know how to do CAD, the .stp files are on github. Let me know if I need to do it for you if you want option2, I can do it in the weekend, if needed tell me how many MM you need it to be lower, take a bit of a margin so it will most likely also work for other users...

At this moment i put 5mm between the plastic part and the hotend unit. Works.

So 5mm would do it for me, then there is 3mm of difference (second is lower now)

I use 123d design, which cant read the files. If you could do it...

In the end, if everything works out, i will buy a second olsson and bondtech extruder.

Do you know a solution for the Cura config files on Mac?

Thanks

[ultiarjan 1,223]

Sorry. Have not used a mac since the late nineties

[LePaul 331]

I was looking at the instructions and kept looking for some subtle warming about alignment of the magnets North or South

[foehnsturm 970]

You mean your 2th hotend has the old fixed UM2 block and not the olsson block?

I see a few options;

- change to an olsson block on the 2th also

- adjust the plastic part of the head the be a few mm lower

Do you know how to do CAD, the .stp files are on github. Let me know if I need to do it for you if you want option2, I can do it in the weekend, if needed tell me how many MM you need it to be lower, take a bit of a margin so it will most likely also work for other users...

At this moment i put 5mm between the plastic part and the hotend unit. Works.

So 5mm would do it for me, then there is 3mm of difference (second is lower now)

I use 123d design, which cant read the files. If you could do it...

In the end, if everything works out, i will buy a second olsson and bondtech extruder.

Do you know a solution for the Cura config files on Mac?

Thanks

I've only Macs. Just rightclick on Cura -> open package

Then you see the directory structure and can move the files there.