In YorCreate in the University Library, we have two Ultimaker S5 and two Ultimaker S7 3D printers, with material stations.

You can find out more about the specs of the Ultimaker S5 and the specs of the Ultimaker S7 if you're interested - they both have the same size build plate, but the S5s have glass build plates and the S7s have metal flexible build plates, meaning it can be easier to remove prints. Each printer has specific settings in terms of what filament it is set up for - check the booking system to be sure which one you're booking.

Here are the key things you need to know if you want to book and use these printers:

• They have dual extrusion - meaning they can print in two different materials at once. One of the S5s and both S7s are set up so you can print two different colours of PLA at once (see our guide on how to do two-colour printing), and one of the S5s is set up to print in PLA with dissolvable PVA supports.
• They have a build volume (maximum size of prints you can make) of 330 x 240 x 300 mm.
• You can use Ultimaker Cura software to slice your 3D models ready to print using the Ultimaker printers.
• You need to put your sliced file in .ufp format onto a USB stick to put into the printers to send your job to print (there is not currently wireless functionality for print jobs).

The basic workflow for printing on an Ultimaker 3D printer is as follows:

1. Get a 3D model.
2. Import your model into Ultimaker Cura, check if you're set to Ultimaker S5 or S7 depending on which printer you want to use, choose the settings you want to use, and slice your model. Note: if you're using two colours, you'll need two separate 3D models, which you'll import and then set the corresponding print core (1 or 2) so you have each part printed from each one, and then right click and merge your models in Cura.
3. Book your Ultimaker printer using the booking system, ensuring you use the estimated print time with extra time on each side (at least 10-15 mins) for setting up and finishing.
4. Bring your sliced file in .ufp format on a USB drive to the Ultimaker printer you booked.
5. Check your printer is clean, load up the filament you want to use, and then choose your file on the Ultimaker printer and start your print.
6. Wait at least a few minutes to ensure your print starts as expected.
7. Once your print has completed and says so on the Ultimaker's screen, open the doors and remove the plate once it feels cool enough, then remove the model from the plate. Remove any excess filament from the plate/machine.

See our document for a full walkthrough of how to use an Ultimaker printer in YorCreate (and some cleaning tips when using the printers):

Ultimaker Cura is the software you can use with the Ultimaker printers to get your 3D model ready for printing on an Ultimaker printer. You can get it for free on your own device and set it up to be able to print on an Ultimaker S5 or S7 printer so you get the right settings.

Ultimaker Cura allows you to slice your 3D models, meaning that you set up the layers that will be printed using the 3D printer and settings such as how thick the layers are and how much the model is filled in. Once you slice a 3D model, you'll have a file that you can send to a 3D printer to print. For Ultimaker Cura, you'll end up with a .ufp file you can put in a USB stick to use in the Ultimaker printers.

This video from Ultimaker goes over the basics of using Cura:

In YorCreate, the Ultimaker printer U002 has been set up so you can print with one colour of PLA in print core 1 and dissolvable PVA supports in print core 2. This means that you can print models that need supports to print successfully and then dissolve away those supports rather than cutting them away (as you would need to do if the supports are printed using PLA as well as the model).

PVA can be a tricky material to print with and a lot can be wasted as the default 'Normal' setting for supports uses a lot of filament. Changing your Support Type to Tree can be a good way to reduce the amount of PVA needed to print and have more targeted supports.

The PVA supports dissolve in cold water. You can do this by putting your model in any container of water, or you can use the specific PVA removal station we have available in YorCreate, which can speed up the process somewhat. See our walkthrough for how to use the PVA removal station if you're new to using it: