The Material Station delivers a flexible, efficient, and reliable solution for material handling and storage. The Material Station is an optional add-on for S series printers (S5, S6, S7, and S8), and it is an integrated part of the UltiMaker Factor 4.
Many different types of materials can be used in the Material Station; not just UltiMaker filaments, but a wide variety of third-party materials as well. Note that there are some limitations:
- The Material Station is only compatible with 2.85 mm materials (as are UltiMaker S series printers and Factor 4).
- Materials work best in the Material Stations if they have compatible profiles (including, for example, prime and deprime parameters). Check the UltiMaker Marketplace for compatibility.
- The S series Material Station is not optimized for very stiff materials (due to the curved path) or extremely flexible ones (due to the length of the path). The material handling system in Factor 4 is more suitable for these types of filaments because of a different filament path and direct drive system.
Tip: When working with stiff or flexible materials on the S series Pro Bundle, it is recommended to load these materials in the shortest and straightest extrusion path. For extruder 1, load the spool in bay A, and for extruder 2, load the spool in bay F.
Besides these considerations, the most important limitation is the size. See the limits and recommendations below. These apply to both the S series Material Station and the Factor 4 material handling system.
Physical spool size limit
The Material Station has six different material bays in which material spools can be loaded. These material bays have a physical limit for compatible spool sizes. Spools that can be used in the Material Station have the following maximum dimensions:
- Maximum width of 70 mm (2.7 in)
- Maximum diameter of 203 mm (8 in)
Spools larger than these dimensions will not fit in the Material Station.
Spool size recommendations
Additionally, we have the following recommendations regarding supported spool sizes:
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Width
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50 - 70 mm
(2 - 2.7 in)
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The minimum spool width makes sure that the NFC information of Ultimaker materials can be successfully read and displayed. To improve detection, place the material spool on the left side of the material bay. Spools < 50 mm may not be held in place reliably.
Spools wider than 70 mm will not fit in the material bay. The sides of the spool must not exceed the bay dividers (i.e. rest in the neighboring material bay). This will cause loading, feeding, and rewinding problems.
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Outer diameter
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197 - 203 mm
(7.8 - 8 in)
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The minimum spool diameter ensures good contact with the gears for successful rewinding of the filament.
Spools larger than 203 mm will not fit in the material bay. Attempting to place a larger spool in the Material Station may cause it to get stuck and could damage the top brackets.
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Core diameter
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> 98 mm
(> 3.8 in)
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The minimum core diameter is especially important for stiff materials to ensure that the last filament windings can be successfully handled in the Material Station.
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Note: Do not use spools in the Material Station or Factor 4 that don't follow these specifications.
On S series printers, you can (temporarily) Disconnect the Material Station and reinstall the spool holder if you want to print with larger or smaller spools, or materials that are otherwise not supported for the Material Station.
The Material Station is an integrated part of the Factor 4; it cannot be bypassed. Select your materials and spool sizes for Factor 4 taking the limitations listed on this page into account.
Note: The bay dividers in the Material Station contain the NFC readers for UltiMaker materials. These are not intended to be removable to fit larger spools. Attempting to remove the bay dividers may damage your machine.
