Hello from the UK

[industrialdesigner-uk 0]

Hi folks,

I'm not new to the world of design, but I am new to the art of 3D printing and have hit the ground running with a new Ultimaker 2.

I hope to do this lovely machine justice as I put it to work in my design studio here in the UK.

I can see that there is quite a bit to consider when preparing a model for the printer in order to get the best results, aside from any fine tuning or material choices....I hope to learn from experienced users and eventually I might be able to help others once I have the experience myself.

Regards,

David

 

[gr5 2,167]

Welcome. Check out these photos with words which will hopefully quickly teach you a few things about 3d printing:

http://umforum.ultimaker.com/index.php?/topic/1872-some-calibration-photographs/

 

[industrialdesigner-uk 0]

Thanks for the info GR5 !

Think i'm going to need it.

 

[ian 32]

welcome to the forum David !

To be honest go a little slow to start. trying something relativly easy to build up confidence like an object with not so many over hangs for example.

When you have one or two good nice pieces on your table, then the confidence is there and you can start HITTING THE HARD STUFF ! ;-)

Also not sure what type of models you will be focused on. I myelf do a lot of building and structural concrete steel models and also Industrial design products, but what ever it is.. the imporvements in the Cura slicer software will greatly help you.

If the exported geometry is not so perfect coming out of your project models. then go to expert settings in Cura and try and combine elements options. They are very powerful and very helpful !

After that back into the normal Cura window and click on the right, layers.. you can see what your printer will do with your model.

That would be my first golden tip or tips for you !!

Have fun and we are always here, 24 / 7 to help you out !!

Ian :-)

 

[industrialdesigner-uk 0]

Hi, Thanks Ian.....wise words.

I create my models in SolidWorks and export them in STL format for Cura import. There seems to be a few different export options for STL, but I have'nt used STL much in the past, so i'm not playing around with those settings at the moment.

The files seem to import ok and Cura does it's thing without me needing to consider tweeking anything (so far).

All of that stuff seems to be pretty ok at the moment.

The tricky things i'm experiencing so far is getting the material to flow reliably through the nozzle. In fact the very first loading up of material caused an immediate blockage. I ended up having to strip the head assembly down and pull what appeared to be bits of material that must have been left in there when the factory did it's test print.

I have since read that there are more simple ways of unclogging nozzles, and I am doing that procedure now with success. I just wish I did'nt have to mess about de-clogging after every other print.

I have observed the starvation of flow through the nozzle mid print which is also rather frustrating. It seems to be when I use either the Black PLA or the Black ABS (both from Ultimaker)...it might be just coincedence but it got me wondering if this batch of material had got a defect...i.e some sort of dirt in it that blocks off the nozzle.

I've also been having a new issue start up this week....warping/material lifting off the glass bed. The first few prints came off great but warping is becoming an issue. I've tried plain, untreated glass which worked fine to begin with and then tried using the glue stick provided in the kit, but that does'nt seem to improve things any.

hmm... there's more to this game than meets the eye.. :geek:

 

[gr5 2,167]

Switching from ABS back to PLA can cause lots of clogs. It can take a few meters of PLA before you get all the ABS out of there - you need to print at 250C until it's all gone. You don't want any tiny strings of ABS in the bowden tube or in the feeder mechanism. You might even want to take that apart and clean out any bits of ABS in the teeth of the extruder.

Really I recommend you either always print with PLA or always with ABS as switching can take a long time.

 

[thirty6 3]

Hi David

Glad to see another ultimaker has landed in the UK.

They do take some tweaking to get the best out of them and my um1 had a steep learning curve but I just love what I can now get it to do.

You will find this forum to be the most helpful bunch of guys with incredible experience.

[skint 61]

Hello ID.UK

Do you mind me asking where you purchased your U2?

Thanks

 

[industrialdesigner-uk 0]

Switching from ABS back to PLA can cause lots of clogs. It can take a few meters of PLA before you get all the ABS out of there - you need to print at 250C until it's all gone. You don't want any tiny strings of ABS in the bowden tube or in the feeder mechanism. You might even want to take that apart and clean out any bits of ABS in the teeth of the extruder.

Really I recommend you either always print with PLA or always with ABS as switching can take a long time.

 

Thanks for that advice. Yes, I think i've touched on that issue just the other day. It's quite logical to expect some flow issues if there is cross contamination of materials routing through the same tiny nozzle. The differing melting temperatures would signal what you have said. Though, how much of a problem it can be can only be realised through experience....that's what I hope to gain from the forum....Thanks again..

 

Hi David

Glad to see another ultimaker has landed in the UK.

They do take some tweaking to get the best out of them and my um1 had a steep learning curve but I just love what I can now get it to do.

You will find this forum to be the most helpful bunch of guys with incredible experience.

 

Hey, Thirty6.......Seems like there is a bond that builds between user and printer due to the 'learning/tweaking' experience.

I like the thought of that, I just don't want a too steep learning curve on this one because I can't afford too much time.....but hey, I quite like the challenge.

 

Hello ID.UK

Do you mind me asking where you purchased your U2?

Thanks

 

Hi Skint. I bought my UM2 direct from Ultimaker.

I think that is the most cost effective way, here in the UK, but that wasn't my prime motive really.

I met Sander van Geelen and some of the team at a trade show at the NEC last autumn and thought that they were a great bunch of people, so it was natural to go straight to them when I decided to order one.

When I was reseaching about which machine to go for I came to the conclusion that even the higher priced machines out there needed to be 'mastered' through learning the process and learning how the machine worked. The combination of the clean design of the UM2 and the great enthusiasm and knowlege for the product and process reflected by the guys at Ultimaker sold it for me.

Good luck with your decision...

 

[skint 61]

Thanks ID. Yes it seems like my decision is almost made... now just gotta get the wallet out !

What sort of stuff do you work on in your studio?

 

[industrialdesigner-uk 0]

I specialise in industrial products, and industrial vehicles.

So mainly big stuff, but I also get to design smaller ancilary components such as switches, interior trim details, lights, mirrors etc...

My intention is to use the UM2 for prototyping/developing ergonomic hand controls (scale i:i) for example.

and perhaps ocasionally a scale model of one of the big products, like an excavator concept, for example.

As a hobby I love motorbikes and I like to design and improve details on my own bikes so the UM2 will get roped in to prototype bits and pieces before I start cutting aluminium.

Because I am new to this 3D printing thing, I am practicing on my hobby stuff at the moment rather than using it as part of my professional services. Once I get to a point where I am confident about whether I can produce parts reliably and on time, I can offer it as part of my design service.

Lets see how it go's.

How about you? What stuff do you hope to do with a UM2 ?

 

[skint 61]

Hey ID

I`m not 100% sure what I intend to do with the Ultimaker yet haha which is one of my main holdbacks… but I just know that I want to be involved in this exciting 3D printing future. I am sure it will be a mixture of work & play eventually.

I currently work as a product design manager developing…wait for it… ergonomic hand controls ( Architectural Door and window hardware mainly ) and I have been outsourcing 3D prototyping for many years so I am familiar with the industry and what it offers. Can`t wait for the day when I can afford a desktop DMLS metal sintering machine! I kinda miss an old pattern maker I used to deal with though, with his incredible wood carving talents!

I`m sure I could knock up a few contract design jobs which would help me convince “the better half” that this printer is necessary .

 

[industrialdesigner-uk 0]

From what you've just described, i'm not sure how you can not have one of these machines.

Good luck ! :grin: