Ultimaker Upgrades Their Original 3D Printer

By on September 21st, 2014 in Hardware

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Ultimaker announced the availability of a heated bed for their 3D printer. No, not for the current model, but for their previous model. 

Their current model, the Ultimaker 2, already includes a heated print surface, but ā‚¬245 (USD$315) youā€™ll get not only a heated print bed, but also a brand new replacement Z-stage that should prove even more reliable. 

The heated print surface permits more successful 3D printing of many different materials, particularly those that shrink when cooling. In other words, warping is drastically reduced. 

Weā€™re very impressed with Ultimaker on this one. There is a tendency for commercial companies to abandon their earlier models in hopes customers would purchase current equipment. While weā€™re certain Ultimaker DOES hope for new purchases, providing such active support to older equipment can only be viewed very positively. 

Consider that most of the Ultimaker ā€œoriginalsā€ were sold as kits. Customers painstakingly assembled them and made them work well. Theyā€™ve invested significant time into these machines and abandoning them for improved equipment could be difficult for some, not just due to cost. 

But is this the end of upgrades for the old Ultimaker? Apparently not. Ultimaker has committed to delivering a ā€œsecond extruderā€ upgrade in ā€œQ1 2015ā€. So, no, thereā€™s much road left to travel if you invested in an Ultimaker original kit. 

Via Ultimaker

By Kerry Stevenson

Kerry Stevenson, aka "General Fabb" has written over 8,000 stories on 3D printing at Fabbaloo since he launched the venture in 2007, with an intention to promote and grow the incredible technology of 3D printing across the world. So far, it seems to be working!