So for people coming to this topic, and perhaps wondering the heritage in the Flex3Drive design. There is far more to it than meets the eye.
My own background is automotive design and engineering. I got into 3D printing for a design project and got somewhat distracted improving the machine, this was back in 2011. Since then my focus has been 3D printing. What a curse
After a couple of iterations and thousands of hours testing and running time on flex3Drive in the early days, Ultimaker approached me after Erik vdZalm bought a standard unit which he modified as an initial design for the UM2. UM asked me to complete two designs for them, a UM2 and UMO variant. It was a 6 month project that was very rewarding from an end result perspective. I got the chance to work directly with the awesome Bas, went over to the Netherlands twice, and saw first hand and close up the company that is Ultimaker. Meeting with Seirt and Erik de Brujn, Harma and the rest of the team was also a great pleasure.
As we all know, when one revisits a design, they can see improvements missed the first time around. The UM2 F3D is now on its fourth iteration since, with subtle changes to how things assemble, clearances, layout, firmware etc.
Torsionally rigid shafts are specially made for the Flex3Drive range, and are included in the UM2 version, along with a modified teflon coupler enabling temps upto 270 reliably on the hotend. The design is also fully compatible with the Olsson block. I am also looking at a quick release tension arm design which will soon be ready for release. at which point the designs will be published on youmagine as a full major release.
My own UM2 runs 24/7, and over time where failure modes or issues might become apparent, root and cause are identified and fixes implemented. The version that exists today and is supplied to customers is a major leap over the original version, and includes several key improvements.
Gears are made from a very durable polymer, used in our own injection mould tools, and these should last a lifetime. The driveline comes with a full warranty for peace of mind. Bearings are high quality IEC brand bearings, not chinesium. Steel internal shafts are all cnc'd. Filament drive gears are of the best quality production on the market and provide a solid traction on the filament without chewing or shredding filament.
With the combination of settings and hardware, the most retract intensive prints are completed with absolute reliability and quality. The most complex prints become routine and even the softest materials can be printed at respectable speeds. Semi flex at 80mms without any concerns, voronoi prints in flexible materials? No problem!!
Currently looking at a dual drive secret sauce design, but this wont be released for some time. Also ahead of this in the pipeline is a 1.75mm version to bring the Ultimaker range into line with all the other Flex3Drives that are available in both 3mm and 1.75mm flavours. I get a lot of encouraging and positive feedback which keeps me motiviated to continue development and iterate the design on an ongoing basis.
Not to mention there are several other designs for the Flex3Drive and where any improvements are found in one variant, if the improvement can be applied to other versions, it is duely done so. It is hard work, and takes a lot of time and effort, especially alongside order fulfilment.
A great thread here, and an awesome forum aswell. Keep it up. Thanks for reading and happy to answer any questions whether technical or general.
J