Dual Print Y for SmartrapCore V.2 by BrunoBellamy

Last crawled date: 3 years ago

After having spent a huge amount of time and many prototypes on a Twin Head support for the SmartrapCore (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:995640), which is one of the most complex and difficult designs I've ever made, I realized that some people were successfully experimenting with a much simpler design : a Y-shaped piece that would lead the filament from two sources to a unique hot end, with a filament switching process that would only need a longer retract.
Here are the already functionnal designs :
Prometheus : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/811909269/the-prometheus-system-intuitive-multi-filament-3d?token=7d9207f0
3Dator Y-piece : http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1680034
Prusa i3 MK2 dual/quad extrusion : http://prusaprinters.org/original-prusa-i3-mk2-multi-material-upgrade-release/
So… Of course, it was kind of depressing to think that my long and hard work on the TwinHead design might become useless in the end but, hey, that's life, and I learned a lot in the process, anyway. If there's a better (and most of all much simpler) idea, I guess it's worth a try. :)
Here's my own attempt at using this idea : a quite simple Y piece, specifically designed to fit the SmartrapCore.
Which means you just need a second extruder (with the exact same specs as the first one), a second bowden, and of course a second filament spool.
I didn't make any print with this yet, it's really a work in progress. Of course, it will need a lot of tweaking to get the perfect Start code and head switch code to have this make a dual print as needed, but it's a start. So far, setting this part on the hot end and installing pneufits works perfectly. If you feel like trying to actually experimenting dual extrusion with it, be my guest. :)
Update (dec.14th 2016) : this a 2nd version. Didn't fully test it yet, but the filament goes much more easily to the hot end with this new one, because the filament path has a smoother angle, so I guess it has much better chances to be a good candidate. Also, the pneufit threads on top are the same size as the one that goes into the cooling metalic radiator part on the top of the hot end, so you won't have to change the pneufit to try this device, and you'll only have to install another one on the second extruder's bowden.