Multi color mod kit?

[athapa]

Is there a kit to convert v3 into multi color? I see mixing extrusion head like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/3D-Printer-RepR ... SwGIRXbDOO

Thanks,
AT

[morgandc]

If you dig around you will find that the Rostock Max Rambo card can only handle 2 extruders. There are provisions for adding a 2nd, but I haven't seen any hot ends setup around any of the mixing hot ends yet. So you would have to replace both the electronics, as well as most of the hot end.

[mhackney]

There are no plug and play "kits" but there are several multi extruder options available. There are two different classes of multi extrusion and each has its advantages and disadvantages. Many of us have spent a lot of time on this and you can find lots of information here. The two classes are:

Multi nozzle hot ends: these have a separate heaters and nozzle for each filament. The E3D Kraken is the granddaddy of these. I've had one since its beta. The advantages are: having a unique heater supports printing with several materials that require different temperatures (and some day. slicing parameters). The disadvantages are: the nozzles, since they are all at the same print height, frequently snag and drag your print, ruining it. The unused nozzle(s) also have a tendency to ooze filament on your print.

Single nozzle out, multi-filament in: the Diamond and E3D Cyclops are examples of this. The link you posted is a copy of the Diamond. Save yourself the headache and get a REAL Diamond. It might look the same on the OUTSIDE but the finish of the INSIDE is what counts and these (I have one) are very poorly machined. Anyway, advantages are: no filament oozing and you can actually mix colors to create new colors and transitions. Disadvantages are: all filaments must have similar melt characteristics and because of the melt path design, some of these require really perfect extruders like the Bondtech to work well. I use 2 Bondtechs with the Cyclops and until I did, I never had perfectly reliable prints. Now I can do stuff like this with relative "ease":

[athapa]

Thanks for the reply morgandc and mhackney.

mhackney,
The stuff you made looks cool!

Could you please point me in right direction on where I can find any info/direction on how I can go about adding additional extruders and mixers? Do I need special things to replace the existing hotend with cyplops? Could you please share picture of your printer?

Regards,
AT

[mhackney]

AT, there is plenty of info in this forum, use the search to find it or browse through my looongggg V1 build thread. I've gone through multiple iterations of extruders and hot ends and controllers. Lots of pictures there but I also keep an album:

http://mhackney.zenfolio.com/p694116148

[TwoTone]

There is also
https://www.distechautomation.com/produ ... eus-system

My son purchased his when it was on Kickstarter

[mhackney]

It is not a shipping product yet so I didn't mention it. There are a couple of other mixing hot ends out there though.

[athapa]

This is the hotend I currently have https://www.seemecnc.com/collections/pa ... eter-probe . I was thinking about adding one more extruder like this https://www.seemecnc.com/collections/pa ... ezrstruder and replacing just the hotend but I guess it is not that easy

Thanks TwoTone and mhackney. I'll continue to search.

[mhackney]

No, it will not be easy if even possible to reuse all/most of the HE280.

[Xenocrates]

You could add another EZRstruder and then use a hotend like the Chimera, or dual V6's (I know it's been done for the V2, and that designs are out there, but it is more complicated than just a Chimera mount for minimal benefit). However, I am somewhat doubtful that the EZR-struder would have the force required to feed a Cyclops, and the Prometheus system is currently being sold as an integrated set, so no luck there. Prusa research has something similar for 4 colors, and I believe it may have a clever drive solution and should be Rambo compatible (Although firmware hacking will probably be needed to combine the various different changes from mainline if it's even possible), but it too is pre-order for a hotend+extruders, and you'd need to put longer bowden tubes on it.

[mhackney]

You are right about the Cyclops. The only extruder that works 100% reliably to feed that beast is the Bondtech QR. It can push a filament through a brick wall!

Do you have a link to the Prusa extruder, I haven't been able to find anything on it.

[Xenocrates]

I've got little more than a spotlight from Tom Sandaler, and the product page on Prusa's website. It looks like a version of the Prometheus system using a V6 and mostly printed extruders, but I've not been seriously interested in multi-extrusion, at least on the Max, If I need that, I would probably build a large envelope cartesian (Or make use of one of the Taz's or Dimension's at the college), so I've done little more than about an hour of googling.

[mhackney]

Thanks Xenocrates, I found the overview on the quad extruder. This is a concept that has been kicking around for awhile but I think Prusa pulled it off with a combination of using a proven hot end and custom firmware. The switching speed - which is a function of the switching volume - looks pretty small but there is no data anywhere on it. That said, I've had my eye on an i3 MK2 printer with its cool geometry auto correction and grid leveling so I pulled the trigger on the printer and pre-ordered the quad extruder.

[adarcher]

If you find more info on the prusa extruder, I've been looking for it as well. I was thinking about making one of these and testing it out: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1680034

[mhackney]

I actually preordered one and oread the I3 Mk2. I'm a sucker for auto calibration, auto compensation and multi extrusion. This machine has all three.

[adarcher]

I actually preordered one and oread the I3 Mk2. I'm a sucker for auto calibration, auto compensation and multi extrusion. This machine has all three.

I just talked to support about the extruders, and they say it's the exact same one they already have, just mounted on the frame. I don't believe them :/

[mhackney]

The word extruder might be lost in translation. I spent time with someone too who knew his stuff. Basically, the extruder is mounted on the carriage as stock. That is moved with a new mount to the frame and replaced by the filament splitter. 1 or 3 additional extruders are added to the frame depending on if you do the 2 or 4 upgrade. I'm doing 4.

[morgandc]

Have you received the upgrade kit yet and tested it out?

[mhackney]

They start shipping next week I understand and mine goes out in the first batch of shippings. I also learned that one of the reasons for the delay is that Prusa changed the design of he extruder to use the Bondtech dual drive gear and Bondtech is supplying those. That is a fantastic development and certainly worth the extra wait. The dual drive Bondtech extruder is the best there is and will go a long way to making this quad extrusion reliable. Stay tuned.