Ultimaker rev.3 assembly: Mounting the electronics

Assembly guide

Software setup guide

3D printing guide

3D design tips

Troubleshooting

Mechanical assembly of the Ultimaker revision 3 (click for an overview)

1. Frame

2. X-Y motors

3. X-Y axes

4. Extrusion head

5. Z-stage

6. Material feed mechanism

7. Mounting the electronics

Step 1: What you'll need

Time needed: About 30 to 60 minutes.

Tools needed: Hex keys (2mm) Tiny flat screw driver

About the electronics The electronics simply need to be mounted to the machine and a few wire connectors plugged in. For extra safety, there's also a cooling system under the electronics that will reduces the chance of problems. The stepper drivers can get hot, and if they would overheat, a thermal fuse will turn them off. The cooling system will allow the machine to work in a warm environment or allow you to set the current slightly higher than usual.

When handeling electronics make sure that you are not statically charged. This can permanently damage your electronics.

Step 2: Installing the electronics

1. On the BOTTOM plate put the 30mm bolts from INSIDE toward OUTSIDE.

2. Put the Tube spacer on the 30mm bolts

3. Put the green circuit board on the 4 bolts.

4. Secure the circuit board on the bolts with the threaded spacers.

Completing spacers Before completely tightening the white threaded spacers, you can slide the bolts through their slots to decide how much you want to put the electronics towards the side of the machine. Mount the circuit board with the threaded spacers.

Step 3: Preparing the electronics cooling system

Get ready for some serious origami!

You'll be working with the following parts:

1. Mount the fan to the side that is not marked. Use the 30mm bolts.

2. Take the cooling duct sheet and place it on top of the assembly.

3.Fold it along the perforations like in this picture.

4. Turn the assembly over and put the white tabs on the side that now faces you.

BOTTOM SIDE

TOP SIDE

5. Continuing on the side with the markings, place the wooden air-duct cover over the openings and fasten it with 5 bolts (12mm long). Using short bolts is important so that the ends do not touch the electronics. Then, insert the bolts from the TOP side.

6. After screwing a nut on the bolts, make sure they are VERY tight (make sure they will never loosen up by vibrations).

7. Put blue tape on the bolt ends to ensure they are isolated electrically.

Sealing If needed, tape the duct sheet to the fan to prevent unwanted air leaks and to get the most air flow concentrated on the stepper chips.

The finished assembly should look like this:

From above This photo is not up to date

Mounted This photo is not up to date

8. Connect the fan to the (always on) 12V power output. The red wire (+ 12V) should be connected + side of the header. When you toggle the power switch, the fan should turn on (make sure you plug in the power supply, too).

Make sure you only have the board powered on when the cooling system is connected and in place. Otherwise parts may become very hot. Some parts have an automatic thermal shutdown, but this doesn't mean you can't burn your hand or damage other objects.

v1.5.4 PCB: connect it there

Step 4: Installing the electronics cooling system

1. Insert the 10mm bolts into the white threaded spacers, but not all the way.

2. Place the cooling assembly over the bolts, guiding them through the larger holes.

3. Slide the part in place to lock it.

4. Insert the bolts slightly more so that they touch the wood.

Assembly Before you really start using your Ultimaker, make sure they are really tight, otherwise the cooling system might not be secured in place.

5. For now, remove and place the cooling system while you finalize the setup of your machine.

Step 5: Connecting the Heater

Wiring instructions Most of the wiring instructions are listed on the bottom side of the machine.

1. Connect the white cables of the heater element to two terminals of the HEATER 1 output on the motherboard (the first of the 3 bigger green screw terminals). Make sure there's not too much wire stripped away so that the one wire touches the other.

2. Use a small screwdriver to tighten the screw terminals for the heater.

Make sure the wires are connected to the terminals in the correct way (see picture below).

Step 6: Connecting the printhead electronics

The black electronics cable with the 3 tiny plugs on both sides will be used for connecting the circuit board with the extruder head

1. Maneuver the 3 tiny plugs of the black through RIGHT BACK corner of the machine.

The connection with the female plugs should be on the bottom.

2. Then follow up with guiding the cable through the cable duct and out through the hole in the BACK (below the motor).

3. Now you are able to connect the plugs to the printhead.

4. Plug the RED/BLACK connector of the extruder head in the BLUE/PURPLE connector of the black cable.

5. Plug the RED/BLACK/YELLOW connector (with the dot) on the white connector of the extruder head (tiny circuit board).

6. OPTIONAL: plug the GREEN/ORANGE/BROWN connector on the second connector.

7. When you are done, you are ready to connect the cables at the bottom of the machine.

Positions of the connectors At the bottom of the machine you see engraved in the wood the position where you need to plug in the connectors.

8. Plug the BLUE/PURPLE connector on the circuit board where is says FAN PRINTHEAD.

9. Plug the RED/BLACK/YELLOW connector on the circuit board where is says TEMP1

10. Plug the GREEN/ORANGE/BROWN connector on the circuit board where is says TEMP2

Step 7: Connecting the rest of the cables

To prevent problems later you need to guide all the cables through the cable ducts. Make sure that you guide the cables the shortest way down to the bottom of the machine. Any loose cables inside the machine (printing area) can cause trouble.

1. The connect the limit switches to the circuit board where is says END STOPS. The limit switches each have a number (e.g. ), listed next to the limit-switch itself and listed where the header for this limit-switch is located.

Tracing back cables limit switches The black limit switch that is connected at the BOTTOM plate is limit switch number 1. The black limit switch at the TOP of the machine is limit switch number 2. The Red limit switch at the BACK of the machine is limit switch number 3. The Red limit switch at the FRONT of the machine is limit switch number 4. The Blue limit switch at the RIGHT of the machine needs to be placed where is says FRONT RIGHT. The Blue limit switch at the LEFT of the machine needs to be placed where is says FRONT LEFT.

2. You now can connect the motors to their respective connections on the circuit board.

Tracking back cables motors The X-MOTOR is connected to the BACK of the machine and needs to be connected at the circuit board where is says X-MOTOR. The Y-MOTOR is connected to the LEFT of the machine and needs to be connected at the circuit board where is says Y-MOTOR. The Z-MOTOR is connected tot the BOTTOM of the machine and needs to be connected at the circuit board where is says Z-MOTOR. The EXTRUDER-MOTOR is connected to the BACK (outside) the machine and needs to be connected at the circuit board where is says EXTRUDER-MOTOR.

3. Optional is to connect a 24V led strip (some were supplied with the very first kits) directly the 19V of the power supply. Alternatively, if you want the LED's to blink while extruding, you can connect it in parallel with one of the extruder motor phase (output 1/2, or output 3/4 of extruder 1).

4. When your circuit board looks like the one shown below, you can safely mount cooling system as written in Step 3.

Step 8: Strain relief

Picture by Bernhard

1. Wrap the black cable, bowden cable and the white cables of the heater together in transparent wire wrapping to get a tidy cable.

2. At the bottom you should wrap the electronic cables together with the velcro strips.

3. The cables inside the transparent wire wrapping should go through a strain relief at the extruder end.
The black F-shaped part that is bolted on top of the extruder housing, can be used to wrap the thin wires through.

All the cables inside the machine (printing area) should be guided through the cable ducts.

This will ensure that if you pull the cable, it will not put strain on the crimped connections in the connector, but instead put the strain on the F-shaped part.

Step 9: Checking and aligning the Z-homing switch

This is the MOST important end-stop of the system. It is important that the starting height of your machine is about 0.1mm above the platform, and especially important that it doesn't start after digging INTO the platform.

Start by leveling the bed.
1. Turn the Z-leadscrew until the the extruder head is almost touching the build-platform.
2. Move the printhead to the front left corner.
3. Turn the adjustment bolt up until it touches the platform.
4. Screw DOWN the front right of the platform until you can move the print head to the right side of the platform without scratching the platform.
5. Then turn it up slightly until it also touches the platform.
6. Repeat this process for the adjustment bolts in the back.

Your platform's plane should now be exactly parallel to the XY-plane. Now it's time to adjust and TEST the Z-switch.

1. The top Z-switch in the back (with black wires) is for homing the platform until the platform is elevated to the 'zero' position. Zero means, no distance between the platform and print-head. It should already be installed.
2. Loosen the bolts slightly so you can move it up and down.
3. Turn the lead screw to elevate the platform until the head almost touches the platform.
4. Now lower the endstop and fasten it slightly on one side, while still being able to slide in the other slot. Sliding the 'free side' means that you're rotating the switch a little bit.
5. Rotate it until it the switch click in the closed position.
6. Then fasten the other side slightly. If it doesn't click yet, that's okay, just lower the other bolt of the switch until it clicks.
7. Check the Z-position when it clicks the switch to the closed position. Where it clicks open again is not as important, as long as it doesn't stay closed.
8. Fasten both bolts fully. They're allowed to sink into the wood slightly, the switch shouldn't move anymore.

When you're using the control software for the first time, test the response to the limit switches, especially the Z-homing switch.

Troubleshooting the mechanics

Please interact through the forums at Ultimaker.com/community. Please also have a look at the Troubleshooting the mechanics page.

What's next?

Congratulations! You now have a complete 3D printer. Controlling it, and mastering the 3D printing process is something that also requires some time. There are a few wiki-pages that will help you with this:

• Software setup guide (probably the next step to take, use our Ultimaker version of ReplicatorG)
• Newcomer guide to your first 3D print
• The Ultimaker electronics come fully pre-assembled, but there is more information about tuning the electronics if needed.

If you'd like to read older comments for troubleshooting of the steps on this page, most of them are at the bottom of the previous revision's page.

Questions or comments regarding this page? Let us and others know!