​​​​​​​Ultimaker workflow

1. Complete the makerspace induction and 3D printing training. 

We recommend the 3D printing training to all users who have either never 3D printed before or never used an Ultimaker printer before, however, it is not compulsory.

2. Source your STL file. 

There are multiple ways you can source a file for 3D printing, through 3D scanning, CAD modelling or downloading a model online.

3. Slice your STL file in Cura and save the gcode file on a memory stick.

Slicing your file for printing in Cura will tell you how long your print is going to take. This is important to know when booking the 3D printer. 

For guidance on slicing using Cura, please either see here or attend our 3D printing training. 

4. Make a 3D printer booking.

In order to use the 3D printers, you must make a booking. We recommend booking a printer for slightly longer than your print will take. For example, if your print is 5 hours long, book 5.5 to 6 hours.

When do you need to change the printing material?

Changing the material on the Ultimakers is a common task and may be needed when:

• You want to use a different colour of PLA filament - Multiple colours of PLA are available to use on the ultimakers and you are free to change them whenever you need to.
• There is not enough material - When you slice your file in CURA it will tell you how much material you need (in meters (m)). To estimate how much material is left on a spool you can count the number of remaining turns (which are about 1/3rd of a meter each) and divide that number by 3. You should also take 1m off your total, as the machine needs about a meter of filament to feed itself. So for example 30 turns would be 9m of usable filament. If CURA says you need 12m, then you will need to change it.
• You are having a printing issue such as a clogged nozzle, grinding or under-extrusion - Unloading and reloading the problem filament should be your first port of call for any of these issues as quite often it will fix them.

Unloading material:

• To begin unloading the material, use the wheel button to navigate the menu:
  Material/Printcore > Material 1 (For PLA) or Material 2 (For PVA) > Unload (to remove) or Change (to remove then immediately add another)
  The material should now automatically unload itself from the machine and you can remove it (If it does not, then seek a staff member for help).
• Use the wheel button to Confirm that the material has been unloaded from the machine.
• Next, (especially if you are changing the filament due to troubleshooting) check the filament for grinding - you should feel/see slight indentations along the length of the filament where it was inside the machine - if anywhere along this (usually at the end of the indents) you find an area that has been heavily worn away - cut the material to remove the damaged part. 

Loading material:

• (If you did not select Change in the unloading step) To begin loading the material, use the wheel button to navigate the menu:
  Material/Printcore > Material 1 (For PLA) or Material 2 (For PVA) > Load 
• Now you can press Select Material and then choose the appropriate material.
• You should now hear the feeder you have chosen at the back of the machine whirring. 
• To prepare your material - ensure it is securely on a spool holder, ensure the tip of the material is cleanly cut (cut it if it is not) and make sure to load the material in an underslung manner from the spool (e.g. the material should come from below the spool, not above it)
• Next, find the hole on the bottom of the feeder you are loading with your hand, push the filament into it (you may have to wiggle it a bit to get it to go all the way in), follow this by applying a moderate amount of pressure upwards (through the filament) until the feeder starts pulling the filament in (you can tell by feeling the filament being slowly pulled into the hole). If you are having trouble, take it out and try again or ask a staff member for help.
• Once the feeder has caught the material, you should allow it to pull the material in enough - this can either be estimated by looking for it to be visible in the transparent tube that comes out the top of the feeder by ~5cm or simply waiting about 30 seconds.
• You can now press Confirm to load the material into the print head.
• You must now wait (up to a minute) for the material to be cleanly (in the right colour) extruding from the nozzle for several seconds, after which you can press Confirm again. The material has been changed. (Make sure to recycle the material which came out the print head.) If the material does not come out the nozzle, you may be dealing with a clogged nozzle - seek staff support.

• Simply insert the USB stick into the front port of your chosen printer and wait a few seconds. You can then select Print using the button wheel followed by selecting the file you want to print from the list of available files on the USB stick.
• If you receive the message "Printcore mismatch" then you have chosen the wrong printcores when slicing - reslice for the right printcores or use the correct printer (the printcores are written on the front of each Ultimaker 3 printer).
• Other messages may indicate you have, for instance, sliced for the wrong printer - regardless of the warning message do not select "Print anyway" as this could damage the printer.

12. Remove your print from the build plate so the printer is ready for use by the next user.

To remove your print from the plate, remove the build plate from the Ultimaker S7 printer and gently flex it to release the print. The buildplate from the S5 cannot be removed, please use a scraper. 

If you have a printer booked and there is a completed print on the buildplate, remove it and place it on the 'Unclaimed Prints' shelf.