The UltiMaker Factor 4 is a dual-extrusion, industrial-grade 3D printer using fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology. The UltiMaker Factor 4 can make three-dimensional objects from a wide range of polymers. Print objects with a single material, two materials or colors, or by using a build material and a support material.
The Factor 4 features a direct drive print head with easily swappable print cores, an enclosed build chamber for enhanced part stability, an air filtration system with HEPA filter, and an integrated Material Station for automated material switching.
In this article, you find an overview of the main components of the UltiMaker Factor 4. This will help you get familiar with some of the terms for the systems and components used in the manuals and support articles and understand the setup of the machine.
Component overview
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UltiMaker Factor 4
- Build chamber glass door
- Air filtration system
- Camera
- Print head (see details on the right)
- Gantry system
- Purge buckets
- Z stage with flexible build plate
- USB port
- Interface with touchscreen display
- Red stop button
- Material Station (see details on the right)
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Print head
- Bowden tubes
- Print head communication and motor cables
- Bowden release clip
- Feeder latch
- Feeder wheels
- Feeder motors
- Lift switch
- Cooling fans
- Print cores
- Nozzle cover
- Front bracket
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Material Station
- Material bay (A - F)
- Filament entry port 1
- Filament entry port 2
- Bay divider with NFC
- Material indicator light
- Eject button
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Printer functions
The UltiMaker Factor 4 can be divided into its main printer systems, or 'functions'. These each have their own responsibility before, during, and after the print process. See the short descriptions below:
Frame & enclosure
The UltiMaker Factor 4 has a robust design, ready for industrial environments. The internal frame is made of sheet metal and can be seen as the skeleton of the printer. This frame is covered with a layer of insulation for improved temperature management inside the build chamber, and aesthetic panels on both the inside and outside of the printer give the UltiMaker Factor 4 its industrial look and feel while still keeping some references to the S series heritage.
XY motion
The UltiMaker Factor 4 XY motion system is the the newly developed gantry. This high-precision H-bridge system helps to ensure that Factor 4 meets the dimensional accuracy specifications. While it is a complex system, it is optimized for serviceability. Retightening the belts can be done by anyone, without the risk of errors. For more complex service actions, the entire module can be removed from the printer in under a minute. This provides better access to certain components, or simply swap the gantry system with a new one for optimal up-time.
Z motion
The build plate, or Z stage, contains familiar S series components. The heated magnetic platform and easily removable flexible build plate ensure the best user experience and optimal adhesion, even for trickier engineering materials. Enabled by the inductive sensor in the print head, the Z stage will subtly move up and down as necessary to correct for any tilt in the build plate, ensuring that the printed part is always perpendicular to the build plate.
Material handling
Simply drop in spools at the front of the printer and never worry again if enough material is left on the spool. The Factor 4 material handling system, or Material Station, contains various sensors to detect end-of-filament, and will automatically switch to a new spool when material runs out. The improved mergers lead to a smoother extrusion path with less friction on the filament. Due to excellent insulation, the internal relative humidity is kept below 15% in all environments, so you can safely store up to 6 spools and keep them in great condition.
Extrusion
The direct-drive, dual-extrusion print head of the UltiMaker Factor 4 gives you great flexibility in your applications. The Factor 4 excels at quickly switching from 3D printing highly flexible materials all the way to strong composites, like UltiMaker PPS-CF. Its new design incorporates familiar elements, such as the UltiMaker print cores (including the new HT core), smart active leveling with inductive sensor, and a nozzle lifting system.
Air Management
The UltiMaker Factor 4 features an actively controlled build volume with temperatures of up to 70 °C. The build volume is warmed by the heated build plate (temperatures of up to 120 °C) and the air is internally circulated over the nozzle plane by the two recirculation modules, one on either side of the gantry. The large HEPA filter at the top of the chamber filters up to 95% of ultrafine particles to increase the air quality and peace of mind.