Hello Guys, I got my ToolChanger just before XMAS and managed to succesfully assemble it (no magic white smoke), the setup is 4x Hemeras (YAY) I played with slicers as well and developed a working profile for Cura (no underextrusions etc.) and also did a deep dive into the CuraEngine source code to develop a patch/fix for an issue with their Prime towers (skipping layers/priming happening mid-air) so now it's working I have submitted the fix upstream but in meantime you can download it from my GitHub repo (4.4.1 code if you want to build it or a pre-compiled patch for Win64) The new strategy for building prime towers is: - on tool change, check if the previous extruder has been primed, if not prime into the Prime Tower (avoid gaps) - prime the new extruder (as before) - at end of layer processing, check which extruders that have minimum prime tower volume, have not been primed - use the last active extruder to plug the missing gaps in the prime tower This means prime tower bands are always populated, there is also no extra tool changes! The repo is here https://github.com/mkudzia84/e3d-toolchanger-profiles Within it you can find: - Pre-compiled patch for CuraEngine with description - E3D TC Cura profiles * currently 0.2mm layer height, will be updating - * my setup is 1st and second extruder 0.4 nozzle, 3rd extruder 0.6 nozzle and 4th extruder 0.25 nozzle Idea for my setup is: - For some models, do outer shell in 0.25 nozzle for max detail, do inner shell with 0.6 nozzle with high-temp - CF enhanced material (same for infill), use 0.4 nozzle for breakaway/solluable material Already had successful prints
Fantastic! Your setup is quite similar to mine: I have a nozzle x 0.4, copper plated 0.4, 0.25 nozzle x and a 0.6 nozzle x on a volcano. All copper blocks, HT heaters and titanium heatbrakes (apart from one tool, which is a hemera). All the tools are now dual geared direct drive, as the bowden drove me insane. I'd be really interested in picking your brains about how to use the various nozzle sizes within a print, align them, setup your profiles, split meshes etc.... Jai
I thought the point of prime towers is because most printers do not have a dedicated prime and wipe spot.....The tool changer does, so why use prime towers? Am I missing some benefit of prime towers (I guess they are slightly closer to the print, so a little less time to ooze)
This is why I use prime pillars, they can be very close (in time and distance) to the print. Still working on my prime/ooze management (putting brushes right in front of each dock) and if that is good enough I may lose the prime pillars. It may also vary by filament, we'll see.
I see you are using hemera's too, the added weight will require slowing down the rapids/accelerations, so that makes more sense. You could move your prints closer to the prime/purge/brush station too, and force your start and stop points to be on the closer side, but of course that is not always possible.
I don't have a single prime station. I'm mounting a silicone basting brush under each tool dock, and working on my 'tpost' gcode to scrub, the prime behind the brush, then scrub again, maybe 2cm in front of the docked position. That means that for four color prints there is no good place on the bed that is "close to the prime/purge/brush" station. To be clear: as soon as I have my prime/brush dialed in, I'm going to try with no pillar and see how it goes.
Prime pilar is used not just to 'wipe' the ooze, it's also about extruding some material to get a consistent nozzle pressure. I wipe the ooze with a brushing section as well - and then move onto the prime pilar.
