Ultimaker parts ordering costs are unacceptable

[3poro 9]

Hi nallath, can you clarify the license on those files, or find someone who can?

 

The license may refer to the files themselves, but not the physical parts. In other words, you can't sell the documents or turn them into "your" documents by removing all references to their origin.

Some of the Ultimaker parts might be protected by some design copyright or patent, but even that would be very difficult for Ultimaker to enforce - given that they have published the drawings and underlined the "open source" nature of their product.

[csshih 0]

For a while we could not put them online for purchase because, as the lead time proved, we couldn't afford to

sell them individually and run out of stock. Instead we did offer them to our users when they contacted our sales department. They have always been available, but perhaps not in the most easy way. Our apologies for any inconvenience for this.

 

I am willing to stock and purchase spare parts for the UM2 in the USA.. just let me know minimum orders...

As you're bringing on more USA Sellers I'm sure you'll be getting more and more requests.

 

[gr5 2,171]

I am willing to stock and purchase spare parts for the UM2 in the USA.. just let me know minimum orders...

As you're bringing on more USA Sellers I'm sure you'll be getting more and more requests.

 

This is already being done. For North America. The main issue here is the price of the nozzle. I suspect the current supplier is charging a lot as the nozzle is a bit complicated. Plus you need a decent markup on some things as paying lots of people to do customer support - the money has to come from somewhere. I think this is mostly UM growing pains.

 

[3poro 9]

The main issue here is the price of the nozzle.

 

Not only that. I think there are other problems also:

1) Lack of published price list;

2) Slow ordering and delivery processes;

3) Rate of errors with orders/deliveries;

4) High shipping charges;

5) High prices across the board.

As examples of #5, here are some prices for Europeans (VAT included):

Print Table Glass: 70 EUR (95 USD)

Pt100 sensor: 45 EUR (61 USD)

Stainless steel hot end isolator: 33 EUR (45 USD)

I understand some parts can be complicated to produce, but I would blame the design if a nozzle block (for instance) can't be sold on decent profit for less than 84 EUR (with VAT - that's 114 USD!).

If Ultimaker would rather focus on other things than making spare parts, they should publish data on their printer sales. Then 3rd parties could estimate business opportunities better and start producing and selling parts.

[Titus 170]

I've been wondering that in general, if someone asks you to print a design that was published as open source non commerial, are you allowed to ask for material/energy costs? What about time/effort to get it right?

Anyway, /ontopic: what 3Poro mentioned could be interesting: having 3rd parties produce (quality!) spare parts, could make the people happy(cheaper, better availability), and release some pressure on the UM production line.

I'm not sure if last is a benefit, since I have no clue what the business strategy is with regards to making and selling parts vs machines.

 

[eldrick 65]

And here is what a brass hotend nozzle, nearly identical to the UM2 nozzle, should cost: 18.38€ or US$ 24.99, with flat rate shipping of US$ 7.75 to Europe.

That makes it almost exactly US$100 less costly than the ripoff UM pricing.

https://www.hotends.com/index.php?route=product/product&manufacturer_id=11&product_id=52

Note that this is from Reifsnyder Precision Works, known for their high quality hotend parts.

 

[csshih 0]

This is already being done. For North America. The main issue here is the price of the nozzle. I suspect the current supplier is charging a lot as the nozzle is a bit complicated. Plus you need a decent markup on some things as paying lots of people to do customer support - the money has to come from somewhere. I think this is mostly UM growing pains.

 

I am also familiar with production I am willing to get them produced to UM2 standards, and at the prices we're seeing now.. made in the USA. They should only cost under $5 in the thousand off, made on a screw machine, I'd imagine, though I do not have experience with this particular product to give you an exact estimate.

Markup? Of course!

I would have purchased an UM2 already, but I'm waiting for the growing pains to be through!

 

[mnis 11]

I would have purchased an UM2 already, but I'm waiting for the growing pains to be through!

 

Do not wait ... buy immediately and suffer with us something ...

Perhaps then soon enough money to meet minimum requirements, efficiently and economically.

Because in addition to the current support issues that will hopefully go over soon, Ultimaker has two truly excellent machines in the range.

For me personally, it's not about a company represent bad, I would ask to be awake. Not that at the end someone misunderstands.

Markus

 

[eldrick 65]

I've sent a note to Reifsnyder Precision Works, asking them if they would consider offering nozzles for the UM2. They could supply various apertures, so .4mm would not be the only option.

I'd expect a price of around US$25 and $7.75 shipping to Europe like their existing j-head nozzles.

Perhaps competition will get some attention from Ultimaker management.

 

[mnis 11]

I very much hope there will be a possibility, Eldrick, I would want to immediately take four or five pieces.

1x 0.3> 2x 0.4> 1x 0.5 and 1x 0.7 ... That should be enough for a start, I think.

Hm, what could be done with a 1mm nozzle, which would be unnecessary? :roll:

Markus

 

[Daid 306]

Hm, what could be done with a 1mm nozzle, which would be unnecessary? :roll:

Markus

 

It's no use to go beyond 0.8, as you cannot heat up the material fast enough to get the increased flow you want beyond that. (With the UM2 hotend+feeder combination)

 

[nallath 1,120]

The price of 25$ a pop seems a whole lot more reasonable. I personally don't really think that the argument of not being able to scale is all that well; We (IMHO) are still a company that has gotten to where they are because of tinkerers & makers and those people need (affordable) spare parts.

Also; The only rights Ultimaker has on those drawings is the exact drawings. If you change a very small parameter (say, put a useless hole somewhere or even a small identation) there is nothing that can be done about that legally. You'd have to ask a lawyer about your local laws, but in most cases copyright will not protect you. You could also sell the parts as 'satire' (Call them 'Even more expensive UM parts' and you should be good )

 

[Daid 306]

Good news everyone

The price of the spare parts will change. I do not know when&how. But stuff has been set in motion.

Pretty new info, just got updated on this myself, and not everyone in the company knows this yet. So will take some time before it's all changed, finished, implemented and stuff like that.

 

[nallath 1,120]

Inb4 even higher prices

 

[SandervG 1,521]

Hi All,

As David just said the price indeed will change for the nozzle.

After my previous post on Friday I looked into some documents and conversations and when I just talked it over again we came to the conclusion somewhere down the difficult line of communication something got misinterpreted.

The price of €69,50 was intended for the Ultimaker 2 printhead, comparable to the Ultimaker Original hot end upgrade.

It would include the nozzle, teflon tube, hot end isolator and the spring.

The nozzle itself costs €39,50.

I understand some users have paid the high price, and I would like to offer those either the entire package (what they actually paid for), or a coupon code for the difference in price.

You can send your ordernumber to me in a DM or contact sales (you know the way), and we would be happy to make things right.

Our apologies for the inconvenience.

The plan still stands to offer more parts through the webshop within a reasonable amount of time.

Thank you all for your time,

 

[gr5 2,171]

The plan still stands to offer more parts through the webshop within a reasonable amount of time.

Yay!

 

[eldrick 65]

Thank you Sander.

Unfortunately I just discovered that Ultimakers Sales department decided to send the nozzle to Portland Maine, instead of Portland Oregon. Their Sales or shipping departments appear to be populated by clueless incompetents.

 

[ea407 0]

These are the posts/threads that most concern me as a potential buyer. I just got rid of my Prusa, which although quite a learning experience wasn't much of a printing experience. I learned all of the things I don't want to have to deal with when it comes to my next printer.

$90 US for a new print tip is ludicrous and almost insulting when taking into account that Chinese copies will soon be on eBay for less than $3 US shipped! I'd rather buy for toy from the product manufacturer to retain tight tolerances, but as a consumer you just have to look at some potential purchases and calculate the cost of maintenance into the overall purchase price.

I'd hate to have to replace a faulty control board or thermistor with these kinds of prices set for a simple cap with a hole drilled through it.

[nallath 1,120]

If you read a few more posts, you'd notice that the 90 usd is not the price for the tip, but the price of the head.

 

[DidierKlein 729]

So i ordered the teflon coupler isolator and i live in Belgium at less than 200km away from Ultimaker HQ and i'm charged with almost the price of the piece in shipping (12.5€ for the teflon and 10.56€ for shipping).

I really don't understand why such a small piece is so expensive to ship :eek:

 

[Blizz 53]

I was considering ordering a bunch of parts and just driving there to pick them up. Wonder if that would be a possibility

 

[DidierKlein 729]

Then come back to Liège before going back to Antwerpen :mrgreen:

 

[Blizz 53]

If there was enough interest from people "around" we could do a bulk buy

I really like to have a couple spare parts in house (like the teflon piece etc)

 

[SandervG 1,521]

Like Nallath says the price is for the entire print-head, instead of the tip.

The nozzle + integrated heaterblock costs €39,50

Depending on what you buy and where you live (obviously) shipping can be relatively expensive compared to the item you buy. That is because we use professional couriers only like FedEx and DHL, instead of sending parts out through

a postage service and hoping for the best that it will ever arrive because it has no tracking.

For the veterans around here, we did offer this option in the past (remember PostNL?) but by now we have grown significantly and we can not afford to have discussions of parts never arriving and us not being in the opportunity to proof we actually send it. (because there is no T&T).

So everything is being send out by the bigger couriers, who also guarantee a part to arrive. Fast and in good condition.

If, for some reason this isn't the case we will sort it out with the courier and compensate you so you will not be left in the dark.

Through the years the prices have dropped and I suppose they will continue to go down gradually as we are becoming a bigger customer for these couriers as time passes by.

 

[Daid 306]

I was considering ordering a bunch of parts and just driving there to pick them up. Wonder if that would be a possibility

 

No. That causes too much disruption in the normal process, so it was decided a long time ago that we won't do local pickups. (Sometimes some rare occasions local pickups do happen, but that's very rare)