Dutch manufacturers have released open source blueprints for the two newest printers in their range, Ultimaker 2 Go and Ultimaker Extended.

Since they opened for business in 2011, Ultimaker have been vocal about their commitment to open source hardware and software. They believe in sharing ideas to inspire their customers and community, and this philosophy extends to the design of their 3D printers.

The source files for Ultimaker 2, Ultimaker Original, Ultimaker Original+ and the Heated Bed Upgrade add-on were first released to the github repository over 2 years ago.

This tradition now continues with the remainder of the Ultimaker 2 family, with the release of the source files for the Ultimaker 2 Go and the Ultimaker 2 Extended. In a statement on their website, Sander van Geelen said:

“To everyone who has ever contributed to any of our printers, there is a little piece of you inside each of them. And with these files available to the world, who knows where it will take us – but that’s the excitement of open source, it’s an adventure we can take together.”

Ultimaker Spotlight on Creative Professionals

The benefits of Ultimaker’s inclusive approach can be seen on multiple case studies on their blog, which showcases brilliant creations from creative professionals using 3D printers.

Leo Haslam is one example, a freelance 3D artist who first got into 3D printing when it was mainly for industrial manufacturing. He explains: “Up until this point, 3D printing was a little crude and couldn’t give me the finish I wanted.”

He creates models inspired by monsters, comic books and films such as Alien, Terminator and Predator. Speaking about the Ultimaker community, Leo said:

“Occasionally I’ll run into a small problem like a blocked nozzle or something but these kind of issues are really easy to solve, especially with the help of their online community which is second to none. Seriously, the online community is awesome and there’s always someone who has the answer to your question.”

FYI, Ultimaker have made a selection of Haslam’s models available to download and print. They look amazing, as though they are from a distant future where shady private military corporations run their own genetic experiments.

What do you think about the latest release of the Ultimaker source files? Do you plan to build any of their machines yourself?