The UltiMaker Factor Series consists of dual-extrusion, industrial-grade 3D printers utilizing Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology. The UltiMaker Factor 4 and Factor 4 Plus are engineered to produce three-dimensional objects from a wide range of polymers, supporting single-material printing, dual-color or dual-material printing, and dedicated build/support material combinations.
To ensure high predictability and reliability on the factory floor, the Factor Series 3D printers feature a large effective build volume, a direct-drive print head with easily swappable print cores, an enclosed temperature-controlled build chamber, an integrated air filtration system with a HEPA filter, and an automated Material Station for seamless filament switching.
In this article, you will find an overview of the main components of the UltiMaker Factor Series printers. 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 and Factor 4 Plus
- 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 Series printers can be divided into their 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 Series printers have 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. The design gives the UltiMaker Factor Series printers their industrial look and feel while still keeping some references to the S series heritage.
XY motion
The UltiMaker Factor Series XY motion system is the gantry. This high-precision H-bridge system helps to ensure that the Factor Series printer 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.
Note: The XY motion system is the main hardware difference between the Factor 4 and Factor 4 Plus. The redesigned gantry system absorbs vibrations at high print speeds.
Z motion
The build plate, or Z stage, contains familiar UltiMaker (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 Series 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 six spools and keep them in great condition.
Extrusion
The direct-drive, dual-extrusion print head of the Factor Series printers gives you great flexibility in your applications. The Factor 4 and Factor 4 Plus excel at quickly switching from 3D printing highly flexible materials all the way to strong composites, like UltiMaker PPS-CF. Its Factor Series-specific design incorporates familiar elements, such as the UltiMaker print cores (including the HT core on Factor 4 and the high-flow AA+ and CC+ print cores on Factor 4 Plus), smart active leveling with an inductive sensor, and a nozzle lifting system.
Air Management
The UltiMaker Factor Series printers feature 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.
