ESD safety
ESD stands for Electrostatic Discharge, in other words, it is the flow of electricity between two charged objects.
The human body builds up such an electrostatic charge under normal circumstances (walking, getting up from
your chair, etc). You probably know this from getting an electric shock from the door knob or another person.
ESD can damage sensitive electronic components. The Ultimaker 3 contains many pcbs. Some small, some larger.
Some accessible, some safely tucked away. To make sure that you don’t damage any of these pcbs it is important
to work in an ESD safe way when handling them.
When working with the Ultimaker 3 in a normal way, you don’t have to worry about ESD. Any charge that you
may have built up is dispersed through the metal parts of the frame.
However, the print cores, for example, have a pcb at the back. When handling the print core, make sure to only
hold it in the proper way (by the lever) and don’t directly touch the pcb at the back.
For the other electronics, they are concealed by the covers. These only need to be exposed for repair or replace-
ment. This should be done in an ESD safe environment, with additional precautions taken. Never remove the
covers without contacting your local service provider first. Repair of replacement of the electronics should only be
performed by a certified Ultimaker service provider.
32
