Ultimaker 3D printers are the most expensive 3D printers on the market. Despite the hefty price tag, Ultimaker 3D printers still have a huge loyal following in the 3D printing community. Why is that and is the price tag worth it? Here are 9 reasons why Ultimaker is the world’s #1 3D printer brand and why it would be wise to buy one.
1. Powerful, reliable, & easy-to-use 3D printers
Let’s get straight to the meat of the matter, Ultimaker 3D printers are simply the best on the market because they are powerful, reliable, and easy to use. Since their first model, Ultimaker products have been durable workhorses that can stand the daily abuses of rapid prototyping and industrial applications. Everything has been thoughtfully and carefully engineered to be high-performing and high-functioning, from the software and hardware down to the Ultimaker ecosystem. This results in high uptime and throughput capacity and minimal downtime.
2. Built with premium materials
Ultimaker 3D printers are made of premium materials, making them premium and durable. They are equipped with an enclosed front with sturdy glass doors, an intuitive touchscreen interface, frame lights, and an embedded power supply. They also usually have advanced features that are unavailable anywhere else, such as filament flow sensors, wifi and cloud connectivity, active bed levelling, remote monitoring capability, first-class Cura slicer, and automated material changing.
3. Supportive and active community
One of the good things about the 3D printing community is that it has passionate and helpful members that are willing to help out and commiserate with each other. If you’ve got questions about your printer or 3D printing projects or just want to bond with fellow Ultimaker users, you can rely on the Ultimaker community.
4. Open-Source Philosophy
Ultimaker is a huge proponent of the open-source movement in the 3D printing community. They have released their 3D printing files as a way for users to collaborate and partner with them in improving their products and services. Their proprietary slicer program, Cura, is also a free, open-source slicing software.
5. Ultimaker Cura slicer
Ultimaker’s slicer software is one of the best in the world. The Cura slicer is free and open-source that was originally developed for Ultimaker 3D printers. Since it is open-source, users have been customising it according to their preferences and even for compatibility with other 3D printer brands.
6. Collaborative Platform
To improve uptime, Cura Connect allows users to collaborate using multiple Ultimaker 3D printers from a single interface for more efficient production. Users can start print jobs automatically and monitor them and their 3D printers’ maintenance schedule.
They have also recently launched their Ultimaker Enterprise Software to scale 3D printing innovation across the organisation. It features easy remote 3D printing and device management for teams, analytics compatible with BI tools, and up to round-the-clock support during business days.
7. Open Filament System
Ultimaker recognises that collaboration with other industry brands is key to innovation. This is why it has created the open filament system, which enables materials from any brand to be used with its 3D printers as long as it’s 2.85 mm in diameter.
Ultimaker also developed the Material Alliance Program to meet the growing need for industrial-grade engineering 3D printing materials. To date, it has partnered with over 80 of the world’s leading 3D printing brands to develop filament print profiles. It has resulted in the creation of innovative industrial-grade filaments for engineering applications.
8. Ultimaker Cloud
Ultimaker Cloud is a platform that consists of tools to simplify the 3D printing workflow and provide seamless integration with a wide variety of industry-standard software applications and materials. It consists of tools such as the Ultimaker Marketplace, Marketplace ratings, backups for Cura settings to allow retrieval from any computer, and remote printing.
9. Upgrades
Ultimaker allows upgrades to their 3D printers to allow adaptability and prevent the constant need to buy the newest model. They also release hardware additions that improve 3D printing operations, such as the Air Manager and Materials Station for the Ultimaker S5. When equipped, it allows reliable 24/7 production for improved print success and uptime.
Powerful 3D printers right out of the box!
While Ultimaker is not for the typical hobbyist or enthusiast, it makes powerful workhorses for workplaces and educational institutions that have a high 3D printing workload. For those that are looking to transition to Ultimaker or expand their 3D printing lab, now’s the perfect time to invest in Ultimaker 3D printers. We offer discounts on our Ultimaker 3D printers and free filament rolls for some models. Check out our complete range of Ultimaker 3D printers here.