The Ultimaker S3 professional 3D printer [Source: Ultimaker]
Ultimaker announced a new 3D printer, the S3.
The S3 appears to be a somewhat smaller and more affordable version of their very popular Ultimaker S5 device, introduced in April 2018.
Ultimaker S3 Features
Like the S5, the new S3 includes a number of very useful productivity features:
-
Ability to 3D print almost any 2.85mm filament using their robust extrusion system
-
Full color touchscreen control panel
-
Ultimakerās print profile system for highly reliable 3D printing
-
Dual extruders, allowing for use of soluble support on highly complex prints
-
Heated build plate
-
āActive Levelingā
-
Higher-grade stepper drivers for more accurate motion
-
Dual filament flow sensors for detection of filament-out conditions
I think youāll agree that this is a very good combination of useful 3D printer features.
Ultimaker S3 Build Volume
One thing weāre not quite sure about is the build volume of the new S3. Itās clearly smaller than the S5, if only by counting the number of doors, one versus two. But more seriously, the intent here is to provide a smaller build volume in a more economical platform. Not everyone needs to 3D print larger objects in the S5ās rather large 330 x 240 x 300 mm volume.
Weāll find out more about the S3 when we can get our hands on one. But interestingly, Ultimaker says:
āThe wider nozzle coverage ensures that no space is wasted,āÆwhich offers an increased build-volume-to-size ratio.ā
It seems that Ultimaker has found a way to optimize the design of their motion system to enable an unexpectedly larger build volume for the given case size. When we determine the build volume, this deserves further analysis.
The Ultimaker S3 professional 3D printer [Source: Ultimaker]
The Ultimaker S3 is most definitely a professional-grade 3D printer.
It seems to pack in quite a few convenience features that would make the device suitable for professional use, and reduce the frustration encountered when using machines of lesser quality.
The Ultimaker S3 professional 3D printer [Source: Ultimaker]
Ultimaker S3 Price and Availability
Pricing for the new Ultimaker S3 is set at US$4,395, a price typical for professional 3D printers these days, and while itās far above the inexpensive hobby 3D printers, it actually performs far better too.
One thing still bothers me a bit. When the S5 was announced, its name seemed a bit of a departure from Ultimakerās previous machine naming strategy. I always wondered what the āS5ā meant, as it was not obvious. Now with the S3 their names make a bit more sense, as there is now an āSā series. Could we expect to see an S7 in the future?
Via Ultimaker