Ultimaker 2 Upgrade Parts

One of the fun things about the idea of 3D printing is that you can print improved parts for your own printer.

It's only day 2 and already I have created an addition for the printer. A clear front cover.

The prints can sometimes take several hours so the printer is going to be unattended for long lengths of time. With four cats there is always a chance of some inquisitive investigation. I'm not worried about the printer but when it finishes printing the bed lowers to the bottom. It worries me that a cat could be under it when it does that!

The clear acrylic cover prevents access under the bed while the bed is raised during printing.

The top is still open but the cats are unlikely to get hurt by playing with the print head. It does get hot but they would feel that before it did any serious harm.

To support the cover I designed and printed a hook which is bolted to the acrylic sheet. The whole thing neatly hangs over the top edge.

The bolt holes are hexagonal with a step. The nuts are held in the holes so they cannot turn when the bolts are screwed in.

I printed it out using the quick setting. It has a few holes in it but it is still a completely serviceable component. This took about 1.5 hours to print compared to an estimated 5 hours on the normal setting.