Yet Another Ultimaker 2 Feeder - robspin

thingiverse

The Ultimaker 2 Extended came with a 2.85mm diameter filament feeder/extruder, but using 1.75mm diameter filament resulted in many failed prints due to its brittle nature near the end of the reel. To overcome this issue, I've created a collection of upgrades that allow for more reliable operation. The first upgrade is a modified |Robert| extruder with "yet another UM2 feeder" modifications. This includes pulleys to straighten the filament before feeding it in and a grommet (instead of Bowden tube) filament inlet which was standard on the Ultimaker 2. I've also added an integrated wire-capture clamp on the feeder arm to keep the hot-end wires out of the way of the filament. Another upgrade is a yoke with built-in filament feeder to prevent buckling of thinner 1.75mm filament and embossed lettering to identify length of yoke. Alternatively, you can use a snap-on guide for 1.75mm filament, but be aware that only one option can be used at a time. To manage the unruly filament on the reels, I've added a hanging reel filament guide that keeps the filament from springing off the reel and then knotting. However, not every problem is solved yet - the 3mm filament was brittle and near the end of the reel it was curved so tightly that the straightening pulleys snapped it. I don't have a solution for this issue other than buying fresher filament or using an electric heating pad to prewarm the filament. Here's a list of helpful designs that inspired my respin: * Sfriedi is a respin of |Robert| extruder at: https://www.youmagine.com/designs/alternative-um2-feeder-version-two * User pmdude integrated a 1.75mm (and 2.85mm) filament guide with the v6 yoke of YAUM2. * Alternatively, there is a modified snap-on guide for 1.75mm filament at: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1147029 Note that you'll need to download the STL files from the Youmagine site listed above and make prints of all of them except for three parts. You can also use OpenSCAD program "YAF_body4grommet.scad" to somewhat modify the three parts before printing them. Post-printing, cleanup is necessary to remove supports and assemble the extruder. Some additional metal hardware is required for the extruder, mostly a M3 (or #4-40) bolt that is 30mm long. I designed this project using OpenSCAD, taking measurements off the STL file from a slightly different sized reel to create a completely parametric hanging filament guide. Unfortunately, the extruder and yoke were only available as STL files, so I had to use OpenSCAD as a "chop shop" to import STL files and slice them into functional units that can be stretched or compressed to fit.