In addition to printers, Ultimaker manufactures filament from a variety of materials. Read on to learn more about Ultimaker filament options!
From the creators of Cura
Ultimaker is a manufacturer of professional 3D printers such as Ultimaker 2+ Connect, Ultimaker S3 and Ultimaker S5. While their printers are certainly popular, they are perhaps even more famous for the Ultimaker Cura – 3D open source slicer for FDM printers. Cura allows users to create custom slicing profiles based on specific printers as well as specific materials—a feature that integrates well with Ultimaker's filament line.
The company manufactures filaments in a wide range of materials from PLA to CPE. These filaments are generally compatible with Ultimaker 3D printers and are made with a high level of quality control to maintain Ultimaker's great reputation in the 3D printing community.
In this article, we'll discuss some of Ultimaker's most notable threads, everything from their basics to some of their more advanced threads. Before we get into all that, though, we'll first go over some details common to all Ultimaker threads.
Ultimaker threads
Ultimaker filament is a little more expensive than other brands, but as a well-known and respected manufacturer of 3D printing products, they aim to deliver high-quality filament. To accomplish this goal, they test their filaments for quality and printability.
Despite the range of materials on offer, you'll find some common features in all Ultimaker threads, namely their diameter, NFC tagging, and pre-built Cura profiles.
Diameter
All Ultimaker filaments are 2.85mm in diameter as the filament is matched to Ultimaker printers that require this diameter. This diameter is much rarer than the common 1.75mm diameter thread and is usually used on higher end machines.
According to some users, the larger filament diameter of the Ultimaker makes the filament stiffer and makes it easier to print flexible materials. A larger diameter also means that more material comes out of the nozzle and therefore needs to be printed at higher speeds.
NFC
All Ultimaker thread spools have a built-in NFC thread information chip. Some Ultimaker printers (eg the Ultimaker 3, 3S and S5) read and scan this chip to detect the material, allowing them to monitor filament usage.
Cura profiles
Each type of Ultimaker filament has its own pre-built Cura slicing profile, eliminating the need for a lengthy setup process that you would have to go through with third-party filament brands. This makes it easy to load another spool on your Ultimaker printer and continue printing without having to print a bunch of calibration patterns.
Category: Basics
In this category, we will look at standard 3D printing filaments from Ultimaker, including their PLA, strong PLA, ABS, nylon, TPU, PC and PETG filaments.
PLA
First up is Ultimaker's PLA filament, and if you've never heard of it, PLA is the most widely used 3D printing material because of how easy it is to use. Although this filament is Ultimaker's "normal" PLA option, it still produces solid and strong parts given its great physical properties.
According to Ultimaker, their PLA has a high stiffness value, good impact resistance, and excellent flexural strength (which refers to the amount of bending stress the material can take just before breaking). The higher bending strength of this filament is a big advantage because most PLA materials are super brittle. Additionally, MatterHackers, an online Ultimaker PLA seller, praises the filament for producing accurate-to-size parts.
PLA is a fairly easy material to print on, but that doesn't mean Ultimaker PLA doesn't have some issues. Some users have noticed that the filament tends to cause extrusion problems and is prone to stringing when used with another material (via double extrusion).
- Available colors: 11 colors including primary and some secondary colors, transparent and of course black and white
- Temperatures: Hot end 200-210 ° C; heated bed 60 ° C
- Size: 0.75 kg
- Price: ~ BGN 75 (the price is at the time of writing the article)
Tough PLA
Ultimaker also offers Tough PLA. When they say tough, they mean it. This filament has an impact strength close to double that of standard PLA filament. Ultimaker's Tough PLA has strength properties similar to ABS, but they claim to retain the easy printability of regular PLA.
Ultimaker highlights how this filament has greater machinability than other filaments and suggests using this filament to print machined parts and functional prototypes.
- Available colors: red, green, black, white
- Temperatures: Hot end 210-220 ° C; heated bed 60 ° C
- Size: 0.75 kg
ABS
ABS is generally considered a difficult material to print on due to its sensitivity to temperature changes. Compared to their PLA options, Ultimaker ABS will definitely be more difficult to print. But in return, the parts will be much stronger and soluble in acetone, which you can use to make smooth prints.
According to Ultimaker, their ABS filament has high stiffness and impact strength, as well as good flexural strength. They also focus on the layer adhesion aspect of their ABS filament, stating that the layers bond well when printed in enclosure (like on the Ultimaker S5).
Due to the strength of the material, Ultimaker recommends using their ABS filament for printing end-use components, concept models, functional prototypes, and more. Examples may include door hinges, model mechanical engines, and interior car parts. Another example is the handle that one manufacturer successfully printed using this material.
As for post-processing, some manufacturers mention that parts printed in Ultimaker ABS take a little longer than usual to smooth out when using acetone vapor smoothing techniques.
- Available colors: 10 colors, including the original, black, white and two shades of gray
- Temperatures: Hot end 225-260°C; heated bed 80-90 ° C
- Size: 0.75 kg
- Price: ~ BGN 90 (the price is at the time of writing the article)
Nylon
Nylon is a tough, impact-resistant 3D printing material, and Ultimaker Nylon is one to be reckoned with. According to the company, the thread is resistant to high temperatures and various chemicals, including alkali. It also has an extremely high elongation before breaking (210% according to Ultimaker), which means this filament is not brittle at all.
Unfortunately, the Ultimaker nylon filament is more expensive than the previous filament, but if you need high-strength parts that are not brittle, this filament may be your choice. They say applications include end-use parts, functional prototypes and industrial modeling.
- Available colors: Black, transparent
- Temperatures: hot end 230-260 ° C; heated bed 60-70 ° C
- Size: 0.75 kg
- Price: ~ BGN 128 (the price is at the time of writing the article)
TPU 95A
TPU is the king of 3D printable flexible materials, and while it can be difficult to print, its flexibility makes it a great material option. Ultimaker's TPU filament has a value of 95A on the Shore hardness scale, with "A" representing softer, more flexible materials. The company points out how this thread is very similar to rubber when it comes to flexibility, with a tested 580% elongation at break.
Ultimaker lists that their TPU filament can be used for concept models, fit and final part test prints, and more.
- Available colors: Blue, red, black, white
- Temperatures: Hot end 220-235°C; heated bed 70 ° C
- Size: 0.75 kg
- Price: ~ BGN 140 (the price is at the time of writing the article)
PC
Polycarbonate, known as PC, is one of the strongest 3D printing materials. In addition to its strength, the Ultimaker PC is great for parts that need to withstand high temperatures. According to the company, this thread will retain its shape up to 110°C. They also say it has high strength and impact strength, as well as good tensile strength (which is a measure of how much load or stress a material can take before to stretch and break).
Of the three color options offered by Ultimaker, the clear one is quite useful as it would be great for lighting - PC-made fixtures can get hot and not warp. Ultimaker suggests using this filament to print molds, end-use parts, short-run production components, and more.
- Available colors: Black, white, transparent
- Temperatures: Hot end 260-280 ° C; heated bed 110 ° C
- Size: 0.5 kg
- Price: ~ BGN 128 (the price is at the time of writing the article)
PETG
After market research showed increased use of PETG among manufacturers, Ultimaker developed and launched its own PETG filament, which hit the market in May 2021. PETG is notoriously difficult to print. Ultimaker PETG is optimized for Ultimaker users, increasing the likelihood of print success on the first go.
Given the material's chemical and temperature resistance, ideal use cases include functional prototypes, industrial parts, and manufacturing aids.
- Available colors: 14 colors including all the usual suspects as well as fluorescent yellow and translucent red, blue and green
- Temperatures: Hot end 225-245°C; heated bed 85 ° C
- Size: 0.75 kg
- Price: ~ BGN 90 (the price is at the time of writing the article)
Category: Unique and Extended
In this category, we'll look at Ultimaker's more advanced filament types, including PVA, Breakaway, CPE, CPE+, and PP.
PVA
PVA is a water soluble material that is most commonly used for 3D support material. You can leave a part in water and the printed supports will dissolve. Ultimaker PVA is designed for dual extrusion 3D printers, such as Ultimaker -3, 3Extended, S3 and S5. This is because you cannot take advantage of a special support material without being able to print two filaments at once.
Their filament is non-toxic and 100% biodegradable, releasing no dangerous by-products when mixed with water. According to Ultimaker, you can use regular tap water to dissolve PVA structures on a part.
Ultimaker highlights how well PVA filament adheres to parts printed in PLA, CPE and nylon materials. Filament is known to be quite hygroscopic and some manufacturers have experienced extrusion problems due to wet PVA filament. To avoid some of these problems, be sure to store this thread properly to prevent it from absorbing moisture from the air.
- Available Color: Transparent
- Temperatures: Hot end 215-225°C; heated bed 60 ° C
- Dimensions: 0.35 kg; 0.75 kg
- Price: ~ BGN 94; BGN 200 (the price is at the time of writing the article)
Breakaway
Ultimaker Breakaway is also a filament designed for printing props. Like PVA, you'll need a dual extrusion machine to get the most out of the material. However, this is different than PVA because Ultimaker's filament breaks right off your prints, leaving a smooth surface with no post-treatment. If you're eco-minded and want to save water, or just don't want to soak your parts (which can take hours), Breakaway is the better option.
Ultimaker highlights how this thread leaves a much cleaner surface on the underside of the overhang than if you use another support material. The filament works well with basically all Ultimaker filaments.
- Available Color: Transparent
- Temperatures: Hot end 215-230 °C; heated bed 60 ° C
- Size: 0.75 kg
CPE and CPE +
Ultimaker's CPE and CPE + threads are amazing. Their CPE filaments are reliably dimensionally accurate, chemically resistant, super strong, impact resistant, unbreakable and rigid. The only significant difference between it and CPE + filament is that the latter is more resistant to wear and heat.
These materials are known to be similar to PETG due to their improved strength properties, but are more like ABS due to the difficulty of printing with them.
In terms of possible applications, Ultimaker recommends using their CPE and CPE + filaments for 3D printing parts such as mechanical components that need to be chemically resistant and assemblies that need to be dimensionally accurate.
- Available colors: 9 colors including the original, black, white, several shades of gray and transparent
- Temperatures: hot end 250-275 °C; heated bed 110 ° C
- Size: 0.75 kg
- Price: ~ BGN 97 – BGN 128. (the price is at the time of writing the article)
PP
Finally, polypropylene (PP) is a material known for producing chemically resistant and lightweight yet durable parts. Ultimaker PP prides itself on these properties and the company advertises its chemical resistance and low density.
The material is said to have a high electrical resistance, so it can be used for insulating plastic parts. It also returns to its original shape after being physically deformed or bent. Like other filaments, Ultimaker offers prototypes as well as finished and machined parts as possible uses for the filament.
- Available Color: Transparent
- Temperatures: Hot end 205-220°C; heated bed 85-100 ° C
- Size: 0.5 kg
- Price: ~ BGN 93 (the price is at the time of writing the article)
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