There aren't many 3D printers out there that have two extruders for putting out two materials at once, and even fewer that are ready to hit the market, but Ultimaker's latest device is up to the task. The Ultimaker 3, which starts at $3,495, has two...
Ultimaker's 3D printers will now ship out with a backpack, so you can take them anywhere you want. Now, we don't know why you'd want to to lug a big device around, but we won't judge. Maybe you want to impress a cute, geeky date or print out anything...
The new Ultimaker 2+ and Ultimaker 2 Extended+ 3D printers have been unveiled at CES 2016, where the manufacturer has also discussed its vision regarding 3D printing in 2016.
As successors of the Ultimaker 2 and Ultimaker 2 Extended, the two new products focus even more on making 3D printing accessible. While the devices developed by the Netherlands-based Ultimaker aren’t exactly cheap, they are extremely easy to use, and I’m sure that’s what the main priority should be.
“We are excited to release two new 3D printers at CES this year,” says Jos Burger, CEO of Ultimaker. “The Ultimaker 2+ and Ultimaker 2 Extended+ are results of countless collaborations and insightful feedback we have received from the Ultimaker community. Both printers feature crucial upgrades based on what our customers are looking for in a 3D printer.”
Some of the features shared by both 3D printers include interchangeable nozzles, optimized print results and enhanced surface quality. By allowing users to change the nozzles whenever they want, Ultimaker provides them a greater freedom for choosing the materials they work with. Both printers come with 4 nozzles that measure 0.25, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 mm in diameter. Depending on the nozzles that are used, people can choose between highly detailed prints and high speed prints.
Similar in length and width (493 x 342 mm), Ultimaker 2+ and Ultimaker 2 Extended+ differ significantly in height, the latter being 10 cm taller than the former (688 vs 588 mm). That difference becomes noticeable in the build volume (223 x 223 x 305 mm vs 223 x 223 x 205 mm), as well as in the overall weight of the 3D printers (12.1 vs 10.8 kg).
In terms of used materials, layer resolution and speed, the two printers have identical specs, again. Both can work with open filament systems and are optimized for PLA, ABS, and CPE. The layer resolution ranges from 600 microns to 20 microns. As for the speed, the new Ultimaker 3D printers build at up to 24 mm3/s, and travel at up to 300 mm/s.
“We have seen great success this year with professionals and educators who can optimize the modular components of our infrastructure for their own specific needs,” concluded Burger. “Ultimaker has seen an expansion of sales within industries such as Aerospace, Automotive, Healthcare, Energy and Education especially within engineering, design and manufacturing in the past year. We look forward to see how Ultimaker’s global community will continue to grow and help it create the products of the future.”
Both printers are available for purchase now, and while the Ultimaker 2+ costs €1,895, the 2 Extended+ comes at €2,495 (both prices exclude VAT). These definitely aren’t cheap printers, but that’s not even what Ultimaker wants for its products. Instead, the Dutch company wishes to provide reliable, versatile 3D printers that print quickly and accurately. Keep in mind that the company is working on also providing top-class software for its 3D printers, and not only the hardware. This stands to show Ultimaker’s commitment to making all of its customers happy, regardless of what they’re using the 3D printers for.
The Ultimaker 2 became a popular 3D printer after it was launched in 2013, thanks to a combination of high-resolution output, sharp looks and decent pricing. The fact that it outputs larger-than-average objects for its size also makes it attractive f...
The world’s first commercially available modular smartphone, Fairphone 2, has just gotten a pair of wooden 3D printed accessories, in the form of an amplifier and nightstand.
Promoted by its Dutch developer as an ethical smartphone, Fairphone 2 is supposed to prevent users from throwing money out the window when trying to stay in touch with the latest developments in the world of mobile devices. Their solution is to provide a backbone to which users can add modules and change them as they see fit. Of course, such a revolutionary device deserves to be used in tandem with some equally revolutionary accessories, and the amplifier and nightstand that were 3D printed using wood filaments definitely match that title.
To make the 3D printed accessories, Fairphone collaborated with 3D Hubs, an online 3D printing service platform that’s also headquartered in the Netherlands. Here’s what 3D Hubs had to say about this partnership:
“To help kick off the launch of the Fairphone 2, we’ve teamed up with Fairphone to introduce a new collection of 3D printable accessories for Fairphone owners. These accessories will add additional functionality and style to your Fairphone 2.
Instead of being mass-produced like most other smartphone accessories, these accessories are 3D printed on demand, preventing both unnecessary transport and overproduction. Even better, the designs are printed using a unique material made from recycled wood fibers and bioplastic PLA.”
The recycled wood fibers mentioned above are in fact called ColorFabb woodFill, and are supposed to take the smartphone’s sustainability to a whole new level. Not only will Fairphone 2 reduce the amount of waste that’s typically generated by people who are constantly upgrading their smartphone, but so will the accessories designed for this device.
“Designed by professional industrial designer Alan Nguyen and printed using woodFill 3D printing filament, the Fairphone 2 Nightstand is the ideal charging and resting spot for your device during twilight hours,” added 3D Hubs on their website.
Below is a video of how the Fairphone 2 was designed.
The wooden 3D printed Fairphone 2 nightstand is available on the manufacturer’s website for €19.50 (approximately $21.40), while the Fairphone 2 amplifier is a tad more expensive, as it costs €26.50 (around $29). Much like the modular smartphone itself, the 3D printed accessories are only available in Germany, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Denmark and Norway. We can only hope that the company is planning to sell its products globally.
The only other culprit, besides the smartphone’s limited availability, is that the Fairphone 2 costs €529.38 ($580), which is a bit of a steep price, considering the outdated specs. The manufacturer should have launched the product with better components, if it wanted people to even consider buying it. This way, they’ll have to think of upgrading it right after making the purchase, which is definitely not the way to go in the rapidly evolving industry that is mobile tech.
Over the past few years, Maker Faire has transformed into something of a 3D printer fest, and there's no reason to expect that this weekend's event in Flushing, Queens will be any different. Ultimaker, for one, is launching a new printer, the simply named Ultimaker 2 (though the product itself displays the name as Ultimaker squared). The next-gen product doesn't seem to bring a ton of new features to the table, though the company promises that it's faster and more accurate than its predecessor. It also ships with Cura software, which should speed things up even more. Also, the launch coincides with the unveiling of the company's Thingiverse-esque YouMagine online collaboration site, which will help you find objects to, you know, print on the thing. Again, the Ultimaker 2 will be on display this weekend, and has an asking price of 1,895 euros ($2,563).
There aren't many 3D printers out there that have two extruders for putting out two materials at once, and even fewer that are ready to hit the market, but Ultimaker's latest device is up to the task. The Ultimaker 3, which starts at $3,495, has two...
Ultimaker's 3D printers will now ship out with a backpack, so you can take them anywhere you want. Now, we don't know why you'd want to to lug a big device around, but we won't judge. Maybe you want to impress a cute, geeky date or print out anything...
The Ultimaker 2 became a popular 3D printer after it was launched in 2013, thanks to a combination of high-resolution output, sharp looks and decent pricing. The fact that it outputs larger-than-average objects for its size also makes it attractive f...
