2015 I started a tool changer project and have been silent about it way too long. Since then, I had sooo many other projects going on and didn’t focus on this like I should have. For now, I want to share some of my progress videos I did last year. End of 2016 I designed a new printer around the tool changer with even the last little screw needed, to fit the tool changer better and called it ‘weP’ (for well-engineered Printer). Up until now, I never found the time to publish this like it deserves it and I probably won’t have the time for it long time from now on.
This printer runs on a Cohesion3D Remix, capable of 3 independent printheads. Direkt or bowden, different hotends, nozzle sizes or materials, it can do it all simultaneously. Smoothieware and S3D are needed with S3Ds scripting capabilities to make the tool change independent from the print itself. I can tell, that switching to Smoothieware made my testing and prototyping way easier then the RADDS/Due I had before.
Hotends are my own design with E3D-V6 heatsinks. They do heat up from 130degC to 235degC in less then 10 sec to keep the tool change short. The inactive hotends are cooled down to 130deg when in standby.
Repeatability is perfect with zero issues after hours of endurance tests and all the printing tests.
The printheads are hold in place by cones and strong magnets, nothing fancy needed.
Different nozzle-heights for every hotend are no problem at all, the bed is adjusted during the tool change automatically to fit the corresponding tool.
For now, this is all tested to the very end and supported by Smoothieware and S3D natively, no special coding or hacks required.
great work, but why use the purge tower? instead wont it be better just to use a purge bucket like the e3d bigbox ? wont it save the time spent printing the box? purging would be much faster.
I’m a bit surprised at there being four cones, and all of them full diameters. This could lead to repeatability problems for machines that aren’t printed with very high quality.
@ekaggrat_singh_kalsi You could even have purge holes where the tool heads sit, so you wouldn’t have extra movements. That said, amazing work man, this is fantastic!
That looks pretty familiar https://youtu.be/unsQ9i-nBNc However I made some changes to my early design with 4 cones and magnets. First, I went for 3 cones as 4 is overconstrianed for defiing a plane -> kinematic coupling. Second, as mentioned, printing cones precisely is not easy and you have to decide if you want the magnets touch or the cones interlock. So I ditched the cones. And lastly, we replaced the wedge with a rail. We have been using this setup for the Ultimaker Mark2 magnetic tool changer for almost a year now with several 10.000 hrs printing.
Would a thin sheet of stainless steel with a bend down towards the loading/unloading direction with a little spring to it that would lightly cap the nozel when parked be useful? There could be a brush after the plate to wipe. Just an idea.
@Daniel_Kruger I have that, it doesn’t work like expected, pressure in the nozzle is just forcing down the sheetmetall and filament will ooze out. A wiper + bucket is more reliable.
