---
description: Lessons by Mickey van Zeijl
---

# Understanding the 3D Printer

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## Understanding the 3D Printer - Ultimaker 2+

_Tip: Before you start spray the glass plate of the printer in with hairspray to make the plastic stick better to the ground (glass plate)._

![Tutorial images](https://2472482582-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LzaCPWnWmmX17D0w0O3%2F-M44JoACkK-Nx5D5XjNy%2F-M44K4zNuxrJ6EBI1udo%2Fweek5kimsinke3dprinter2.jpg?alt=media\&token=78b1b5f7-1aed-4283-b296-b992fc883dcf)

First you pick a nice PLA color you want to use and put it on the back of the printer.

You put ont the printer, wait a little while and then click on material. You’ll have to remove the old material that is still left in the printer. So you click on remove material. Then the machine starts to warm up that material and will remove it out with the same input hole you’ll use to put the new materials in. That’s why you can’t put the new material in yet.

If you think the material has been removed you can click on ready. You can now start to insert the PLA material you want to use. Push the button which is displayed on the picture to move the material up better.&#x20;

Insert the material. Push a little at the start until the machine it self will suck it up.If there comes little plastic out of the 3D printer ‘pen’ you can click stop.

![](https://2472482582-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LzaCPWnWmmX17D0w0O3%2F-M44JoACkK-Nx5D5XjNy%2F-M44KfSYU-ochse4V2Th%2Fweek5kimsinke3dprinter3.mp4?alt=media\&token=cbdad32d-6490-4020-8776-fc37783c5924)

&#x20;Insert your SD cart en select the right file.&#x20;

Start printing if you don’t have to change any settings.

![](https://2472482582-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LzaCPWnWmmX17D0w0O3%2F-M44JoACkK-Nx5D5XjNy%2F-M44KrwGV0-uXaCyKFtx%2Fweek5kimsinke3dprinter4.mp4?alt=media\&token=d6b997db-5216-46ae-a5ad-edf322a9cc26)

## Outcome first test

![](https://2472482582-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LzaCPWnWmmX17D0w0O3%2F-M44MnoRsWthB2zZCcqd%2F-M44Okcqhwpvqua1TQ9s%2Fweek5kimsinkeoutcome1.jpg?alt=media\&token=c5d4e0ce-ba83-46b1-b2e9-2aa82555f189)

So the whole class was divided in 3 groups, each group had a 3D printer and printed the same file with different materials.

![](https://2472482582-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LzaCPWnWmmX17D0w0O3%2F-M44MnoRsWthB2zZCcqd%2F-M44Ot3Ds9y7-4rQ6KUu%2Fweek5kimsinkeoutcome2.jpg?alt=media\&token=e3dfa532-f7c6-441e-8bbf-8fa6272103df)

Each material is different. We had 2 pLA materials and one wood based material. The two PLA materials went pretty alright. Only the woody material didn’t survived the printing process.&#x20;

![](https://2472482582-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LzaCPWnWmmX17D0w0O3%2F-M44MnoRsWthB2zZCcqd%2F-M44P6cOeSqUwItLKOtW%2Fweek5kimsinkeoutcome4.jpg?alt=media\&token=77a6a642-61da-4579-86f5-a97a77efeb8b)

It became messy and the design didn’t really attached to itself.&#x20;

![](https://2472482582-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LzaCPWnWmmX17D0w0O3%2F-M44MnoRsWthB2zZCcqd%2F-M44P0FrImfo4VXqSLOl%2Fweek5kimsinkeoutcome5.jpg?alt=media\&token=e3fdaa1a-485a-4bdb-88a2-5e1de97f01eb)

But I did a little eye measuring and the measurements didn’t really divert from each other. Maybe one mm.
