Printhead

This replacement applies to Ultimaker 3 and Ultimaker 3 Extended printers. To replace the white plastic printhead, please see the instructions immediately below. To replace other parts: 

• the printhead cable, please see here
• the printhead PCB, please see here
• the hot end cooling fan (front fan) see here

Printhead

 

1. Remove filament from printer. Go to Material --> Print Core 1 and/or Print Core 2, and choose to unload the material in the unloading wizard. Wipe the nozzle tips clean with a paper towel while they are still hot, then, power off the printer.

2. Slide the white, horseshoe shaped clips sideways out of each of the white collets in turn.

3. Push down on the white collets while pulling up on the bowden tubes to free them from the printhead. Note: if the filament could not be ejected from the printhead, you can still remove the bowden tube, and cut the filament off above the collet.

4.Using your 2mm hex head screw driver, unscrew the 2 long screws at the rear of the printhead, highlighted in green below. Then, remove the small back cover on top of the printhead. Depending on when your printer was built, there are two ways to remove it. If your printhead looks like the one below, you can slide your screwdriver into the hole in the back cover and pull it backwards. If your printhead does not have the slot indicated by the red arrow, lift the cover vertically up to slide it off.

5. Press your screwdriver against the plastic flap on the front of the connector to release the printhead cable from the printhead.

Here's a clearer view of the cable and connector:

6. Tilt your left and right sliding blocks until the printhead shafts come free from the block; repeat this process on the front and back sliding blocks.

Hold the printhead carefully so that neither shaft slides out, and rotate it 45 degrees. You should then be able to freely pull the printhead and shafts out of the printer housing.

7. To replace the printhead, press the printhead cable into the connection port on the printhead and make sure you hear it click into place, to let you know it's fully seated.

8. Thread your longer printhead shaft through the bearing running left to right in your printhead, and your shorter printhead shaft through the bearing running front to back. Position the printhead at a 45 degree angle, and rotate it to line it up with the sliding blocks.

9. Push the printhead shafts into each of the blocks one at a time--it's easiest to start with the front to back shaft. Hold the block steady to make sure that the rod snaps into it straight--tilted sliding blocks will cause errors with the automatic leveling. The printhead shaft running front to back should be positioned with the back of the shaft flush with the back of the rear sliding block. The printhead shaft running left to right through the printhead should be positioned about a fingernail's distance or so from the left side panel. You want to make sure that the shaft will not scrape the left panel, but that it will engage the metal trigger arm on the red Y-stop well.

10. Press the top-rear plastic piece back into position and screw the printhead screws back in place. If possible, apply a little removable thread-locker to the ends of the screws before screwing them in. When tightening the screws, make sure that all parts of the printhead block are well aligned.

11. Push both of your bowden tubes back into their respective positions on the printhead as far as they will go. Then, raise the collets to slip the horse-shoe shaped clip in place under the collet. This clip is vital for helping your bowden tube remain seated securely during printing.

12. After you have installed your new printhead, go ahead and run an XY offset calibration. This can be accessed in the menu by System --> Maintenance --> Calibration --> XY Offset Calibration.

If you've installed your printhead and you're seeing a message about the Height Difference Between Your Cores not being realistic, you may need to adjust your bed. Please check the troubleshooting instructions here.

Printhead Cable

1. Begin with the bed lowered to the bottom of the printer, and the printer powered off and unplugged. Pull at the top corner of the white plastic cable cover to remove the cable cover from your printer. It's held in place with push fit tabs, so no screwdriver is required, however, you may have to tug and wiggle the cable cover a bit to get it out. Remove the white clips that secure the printhead cable to the Feeder 2 bowden tube.

2.Using your 2mm hex head screw driver, unscrew the 2 long screws at the rear of the printhead, highlighted in green below. Then, remove the small back cover on top of the printhead. Depending on when your printer was built, there are two ways to remove it. If your printhead looks like the one below, you can slide your screwdriver into the hole in the back cover and pull it backwards. If your printhead does not have the slot indicated by the red arrow, lift the cover vertically up to slide it off.

3. Press your screwdriver against the plastic flap on the front of the connector to release the printhead cable from the printhead.

 

Here's a clearer view of the cable and connector: 4. Go ahead and pull the cable through the hole in the back panel between the X motor and Feeder 2 to free it from the back panel.

5. Raise the build plate by turning the Z-screw by hand so you can access the screws on the bottom panel beneath the build plate.

6. Remove the the electronics cover screws using your 2mm hex head screw driver, and set the printer on its side or back so you can access the main board. Once you've removed the 2 electronics board cover screws, you should be able to pop the white plastic cover off of the bottom of the printer; it's held in place by those 2 screws and lock nuts, and some push fit tabs.

7. Unplug the printhead cable from the main board by pressing on the white connector tab and lifting it free. You should now be able to push the cable into the hole in the corner of the panel and completely remove the old cable.

8. Plug the new cable into the electronics board and push the printhead end of the cable up through the hole in the bottom panel.

9. While the printer is still on its side or back, go ahead and reinstall the electronics cover. Make sure not to pinch any of the wires between the plastic cover and metal panels. The lock nuts on the plastic cover can be held in place with one finger while you screw the screws into place through the bottom panel from inside the printer. If it's easier for you, you can set the printer back on it's feet before screwing the screws back into position.

10. Thread the printhead cable into the hole between Feeder 2 and the X-motor on the back panel, and bring it up over the back of the printer to seat it at the back of the printhead. You should hear a click and make sure it's fully seated.

11. Press the top-rear plastic piece back into position and screw the printhead screws back in place. If possible, apply a little removable thread-locker to the ends of the screws before screwing them in. When tightening the screws, make sure that all parts of the printhead block are well aligned.

12. Replace the white clips that secure the printhead cable to the bowden tube. There should be 4 of them.

13. Push down on the back of the build plate to lower the bed and reinstall the white cable cover into position.

 

Printhead PCB

 

Axial Fan/Hot End Cooling Fan