Introducing the new Ultimaker 3

At 3D Universe, we've long been fans of Ultimaker's 3D printers. Ultimaker has a proven equation of reliability and consistency that has earned numerous awards, and enabled them to dominate the desktop 3D printing market. Thus, you could imagine our excitement, when we were invited to participate in their beta-testing program to help validate and stress-test the new Ultimaker 3.

What we have seen of the new Ultimaker is, thus far, very impressive. Watch our video for an overiew of what you can expect from the new Ultimaker 3.

Dual Extrusion with Ultimaker Precision

With dual extrusion, the new Ultimaker 3 can easily tackle even the most complicated or intricate geometries with dissolvable support materials. You can also print objects with dual colors or dual materials.

The Ultimaker engineering team approached dual extrusion by introducing a unique, automatic nozzle-lifting mechanism. While one nozzle is emitting material, the other nozzle is kept clear of the print job. You can expect far higher quality, much more professional finishes with every print job.

Swappable Print Cores

The Ultimaker 3 introduces smart, swappable print cores that can be switched in a matter of seconds. For additional safety and monitoring, the print cores contain LED indicator lights. Print cores will report when a nozzle is hot or cold, or when when an incorrect material is loaded.

Click here to view the print core LED indicators in action

New units ship with two "build cores" and one "support core" that is optimized for 3D printing with PVA for dissolvable supports.

3D Universe is now accepting orders for both the Print Core AA "build core" and the Print Core BB "support core".

Active Leveling and Increased Print Bed Rigidity

Active Leveling
A capacitive sensor in the print head will detect even the slightest tilt angle in the print bed. The Ultimaker 3 automatically compensates by adjusting the z-height of the first layers. This leads to far more accurate leveling and better build plate adhesion.

Newly-refined Build Plate Design
The Ultimaker 3 features a new build plate design, that's twice as rigid, and 20% lighter. This leads to reduced vibrations, and increased print quality. Also, like earlier-model Ultimakers, the glass plate is easily removed for handling jobs and cleaning. And the bed can still be heated to 100 Celsius for maximum print adhesion.

Geared Feeders and Increased Cooling

Dual-Geared Feeders
Geared feeders exert more force on the filament, and also eliminate heat exposure from the motor. Change your 3D printing materials with ease, select the correct pressure with a push on a button, and use the lever function to manually insert or remove a filament.

New and Improved Cooling System
The Ultimaker 3 comes with new fans, which are encased in newly designed fan shrouds. The new cooling system creates significant pressure build up, which provides better cooling for your prints. Expect improvements in the quality of 3D prints with "bridging", and reduced noise levels.

Smart Control and Monitoring

Automatic Material Detection
With Near Field Communication (NFC) scanning, Ultimaker 3 spool holders tell you in real-time which materials are loaded. Connected with the new, smart print cores, the Ultimaker 3 will warn you if the wrong material is loaded for either extruder.

Wi-Fi and Ethernet Connectivity
Connect to your Ultimaker 3 through Wi-Fi or ethernet cable with the latest version of Ultimaker's Cura slicing software. Boost your productivity by remotely launching and monitoring print jobs across multiple printers.

Built-in Camera
Streamline your workflow process by remotely monitoring your print jobs with an onboard camera that feeds directly into the new Cura software.

Optimized Cura Profiles, 100% Open Source

Ultimaker's Cura slicing software now comes loaded with optimized material profiles. These profiles are the result of Ultimaker exhaustively testing their hardware, materials and software together to find the best possible settings. This is why the integrated Ultimaker materials ecosystem is a compelling choice for professionals: stop experimenting and immediately start producing high-quality prints.

At the same time, Ultimaker continues to support their open filament system. You still have the freedom to use or experiment with any type of filament. Also, Ultimaker is committed to remaining 100% open source. You're free to modify your 3D printer in any way you can envision. And, finally, with a large, growing online community of thousands of professionals and makers, you're never alone.

Includes Free 3D Universe LokBuild 3D Print Build Surface

Hassle Free 3D Printing
The 3D Universe LokBuild 3D Print Build Surface provides the perfect printing surface for 3D models to adhere and also allows completed objects to be removed easily. LokBuild is a durable sheet that sticks to the bed of 3D printers. Our LokBuild sheets are sized to 8.8 x 8.8", perfect for the Ultimaker 3 and Ultimaker 3 Extended.

LokBuild is made from uniquely textured sheets that attach to your build plate easily with heat-resistant adhesive backing. LokBuild works well with ABS and PLA, but it also works with other more exotic materials. We have tested LokBuild with HIPS, PET, ColorFabb XT, ColorFabb XT-Carbon Fibre, Woodfill, Bronzefill, Copperfill, Brassfill and flexible materials such as PolyFlex and Ninjaflex. LokBuild even works with some Polycarbonate materials!

To keep all of your options open, you can apply the 3D Universe LokBuild 3D Print Build Surface to the under-side of your glass build plate. This way, if you ever want to print directly onto the glass, you can simply flip the glass build plate over!