What makes a 3D printer reliable? Key factors to consider

A failed print can mean hours of lost productivity, wasted material and delayed projects. This is especially critical in business or professional environments that rely on 3D printing where setbacks can prove costly especially when compounded over the service life of a 3D printer.

In this article we’ll break down the key factors that define what makes a 3D printer reliable, from durable hardware, design engineering, software security and ecosystem integration. Whether you’re scaling production or streamlining prototyping, here’s what to look for and how UltiMaker stands out.

What does reliability mean for 3D printers?

For 3D printers, reliability means consistent repeatable performance, the ability to deliver quality results with minimal downtime or intervention.

While there is a lot to be said on what impacts the lifespan of a 3D printer and how that ties into the reliability of the machine, we can distill the main factors that factor into the reliability of a printer into 5 main points:

Mechanical reliability

Referring to the physical robustness of the printer, its frame, motion components, extruders and material feeders, all of which must endure hours of operation without any degradation in quality. This includes precision and wear resistance over time.

UltiMaker has the background and history to prove its worth, the dual-material architecture has been proven since 2016 (when the UltiMaker 3 was launched) with the life expectancy of the various printer parts running high into thousands of hours.

It’s not just rigorous testing and years of engineering expertise, our clients have validated the reliability of our machines time and time again, clients like IMES3D who provide expert support for industry level 3D printing.

Operational uptime

A reliable printer minimizes unplanned downtime. Maintenance is predictable, serviceable components should be easy to access, repeatability and wear resistance over time.

Every facet of an UltiMaker 3D printer is designed to maximize operational uptime, from the tool-free swappable print cores rated for 2000+ hrs to our Digital Factory integration that lets users queue, pause or restart jobs remotely and aggregate maintenance alerts, keeping fleets printing while operators are off-site.

The reliability and longevity of UltiMaker 3D printers is one of the key factors that made ERIKS adopt UltiMaker as the platform of choice for their FDM 3D printing needs.

Software security and ecosystem integration

While there are multiple key factors to consider, it is clear that in business and professional environments system security is paramount. From protection against data breaches to ensuring that your IP is protected against theft, a secure software architecture ensures that you are protected from cybersecurity threats.

Additionally, you would also want the 3D printer to be able to benefit from consistent firmware updates and seamlessly connect within its ecosystem.

ISO/IEC 27001 certified platform covering UltiMaker Cura, firmware, and UltiMaker Digital Factory with security features (role-based access, offline mode, printer firewall) baked into every firmware release ensure that both our client’s data and printers operate securely.

Print consistency

Layer after layer, job after job, a reliable printer produces parts accurately, consistently, without print artifacts like warping, layer shifting or adhesion issues while maintaining this performance across various materials and environmental conditions.

With over 300+ validated material profiles and automatic bed-leveling, UltiMaker printers deliver repeatable accuracy across a wide range of polymers.

Our new Cheetah motion planner ensures that not only will prints will consistently print within specs but also at the highest possible speeds, especially in multi-material setups.

If you’re looking to enhance the quality of your 3D prints, we also recommend checking out our 3D printing quality factors article.

Warranty

In the event your printer does suffer a critical malfunction you would ideally want to be able to service it in the fastest time possible in order to minimize downtime. To this extent the level of warranty offered by a manufacturer and the support chain that accompanies it past its warranty lifetime, will indicate the level of reliability you can expect from your 3D printers

Aside from the standard 12-month manufacturer’s warranty on all printers, or the 24 month warranty that the S6 has, optional UltiMaker Care plans extended cover to 2-5 years (parts, labour, advanced swap) which coupled with our global reseller and service partner network that spans 50+ countries ensures that you will never have to worry about getting timely service for your printer.

Our legacy commitment to support is backed up by hisotry, considering that the UltiMaker 2 (launched 12 years ago in 2013) was service-supported up until the 1st of January this year (2025) with many replacements parts still available through our partner network, we challenge the conventional market approach towards planned obsolescence.

Ready for reliable speed? Meet the new UltiMaker S6

S5 legacy, S8 power, up to 4x productivity, now more accessible.

The S6 keeps everything our customers love about the S5 versatility and modular print-core system and adds next-generation muscle:

• UltiMaker Cheetah motion planner
• Improved bed leveling
• New dual-drive gripper-wheel feeders
• Flex plate, wiht optional glass plate

Backed by Cura Cloud, UltiMaker Digital Factory and hundreds of validated materials, the S6 is the easiest gateway into the full UltiMaker ecosystem, delivering S8-class productivity without compromising the rock-solid reliability your workflow demands. Unlock 3x faster innovation today.

Request a quote or contact your local UltiMaker partner to be the first in line.