How to Pack Your Ultimaker 3 (Extended)

Properly boxing your printer for travel is very important. There are some steps you need to take before putting your printer in the box. We have outlined those here, along with the directions on how to situate the foam pieces. Please read the complete directions for each section before starting. 

If you are returning your printer for repair: please pack only the printer itself--with the Cores you are using still installed in the printhead--and its power supply. Do not return any of the other accessories, such as the glass bed or reel holder unless the support team specifically requests that you do so.

If you are shipping your printer for other reasons, please do include all of the accessories. All of your printer's accessories will fit in the top tray where they were when you received the printer. Do not leave the glass installed in the printer during shipping under any circumstances.

fbrc8 and Ultimaker are not liable for damage incurred during shipping. Properly packing it for transit greatly reduces the risk of damage. The user accepts all risk and financial responsibility. 

 

To protect the alignment of your printer, it’s important to secure the head in position on the XY axes, and to secure the front fan bracket to the side fan brackets. To secure the front fan bracket, place a strip of tape across the side fan bracket and front fan bracket as pictured below.


Grab the top of the print head and manually position the it in the front-right corner of the printer. 

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Secure the printhead in the axes by using two zip ties, one for front-to-back and one for left-to-right. If zip ties are not available, please use a loop of knotted string or wire to hold the rods in the same way.

Use one tie to secure the rod that skewers the head front-to-back onto the axis rod on the left side. Use the other tie to secure the rod that skewers the head left-to-right onto the axis rod in the front. Make sure ONLY the two rods are within the tie. Do not tie the belts or the front panel to the rod. Tighten the zip ties to the point where the head will not move, but not so tight enough that there is pressure on the rods or the rods bend.

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To protect the heated plate, z-stop, and nozzle, it’s important to keep the heated bed from moving up and down. You must first place bubble wrap or a piece of cardboard under the bed to keep it from breaking the z-stop. The cushion under the bed should be about 1/4 inch thick. Then, apply a piece of tape that spans from the heated plate to the front panel. We suggest using electrical tape, which does not leave a residue and is easy to remove. Be sure the tape does not stick to the display screen. Painter's tape is not recommended, as it can tear.

The next step is placing the bottom foam into your box. On the foam, you can see the indentations meant for the feet of the printer where the side panels extend past the front and back panels on the printer. Place the foam in the bottom of the box so that the front of the printer is toward the side that says "Ultimaker" and has the URL at the bottom.


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Carefully place the printer in the box. Ensure that you do not put any pressure on the axes. The easiest way to hold the printer for this step is to put two fingers into the reel hole on the back panel and with your other hand hold where the front and top panels adjoin (do not put pressure on the belt or rod). The printer is seated correctly in the foam when the front and back edges of the side panels are within the indentations.

 

Next, place the top foam around the top of the printer. The square base faces down. There are two cut-outs in the front of the foam (the right one is for the hot end) and two cut outs in the back of the foam for the 2 bowden tubes.

The  foam is inserted correctly when the square base encircles the top of the printer and the tube and cord protrude through the cut-out in the back.

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Then place the top tray in the box. The edges of the top tray will be folded upward and go along the edges of the box on the “Ultimaker” sides. If you're returning your printer for repair, the power supply should be in the rectangular cut out where your accessory box originally was. If the printer is traveling for any other reason, all of your accessories will fit in the top tray--there is room for one 750g roll of filament, or two 350g rolls stacked together, your power cable, and all of your accessories.


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Tape your box shut with packing tape. 

 

 

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