Before Ultimaker community member Andres Olsson created a new heating block for his Ultimaker 2, 3D printing users such as himself had to struggle with the tedious and limited process of having to switch nozzles for certain prints, which meant that the entire heating block also had to be replaced. But Olsson, an engineer researching neutron particles, overcame this issue by creating the Olsson Block, a heating block that allows different-sized nozzles to be easily detached from and attached to a single heating block. Olsson’s project was uploaded and received a warm reception from the Ultimaker community, so much so that Ultimaker has decided to package the Olsson Block with their Ultimaker 2 and Ultimaker 2 Extended 3D printers through the month of November.
Olsson developed this creation specifically for printing with boron carbide, which deteriorated his stock heating block during experimentation. Dissatisfied with having to continuously change out the heating block of his Ultimaker 2, Olsson had the idea to design a heating block that would allow different nozzles to be replaced and changed in a matter of seconds. Although most Makers are not performing the intensive material work that Olsson has undertaken, they oftentimes deal with the same time-consuming problem of changing out heating blocks and nozzles. Ultimaker recognizes the usefulness of Olsson’s invention, and is using his community-renowned heating block to make their 3D printers a bit more lucrative to consumers.
The Olsson Block is compatible with 0.25mm, 0.4mm, 0.6mm, and 0.8mm nozzles, giving users the option to print in fine details (0.25mm) or to print quickly (0.8mm). The heating block will also assist Makers who are constantly changing materials as well, since they will now be able to quickly switch nozzles for new material prints. Ultimaker took note of Olsson’s creation almost immediately, and this additional component for the Ultimaker 2 is evidence of how important having a strong 3D printing community is.
“We work closely together with our community to innovate our products,” says Siert Wijnia, founder and CTO of Ultimaker. “Many innovations at Ultimaker are community powered, ensuring it’s not just about what we believe is important, but also what our users want to see and use.”
The Olsson Block will accompany any Ultimaker 2 or Ultimaker 2 Extended that is purchased from the company during the month of November, giving prospective customers a good reason to take a close look at Ultimaker’s 3D printers. Whether you are trying to print baron carbide or just trying to switch your nozzle for detail purposes, the Olsson Block has made this previously strenuous and time-consuming process of replacing nozzles into an afterthought.
