E3D's answer for dual extrusion printing is the Cyclops?

[gestalt73]

http://e3d-online.com/index.php?route=e ... blog_id=25

It's only a teaser page for now, but here's one of the photos:

[img]http://files.e3d-online.com/cyclops/20141021_212057.jpg[/img]

[Generic Default]

That's a nice print for dual extrusion. I'm guessing that the cyclops will be a single nozzle hotend with two filament inputs; there are a few threads with similar designs. But it will be nice to have a hotend that's optimized for dual input from the start. It's a good solution for using two colors, but if you want to use different filaments with substantially different extrusion temperatures (ie ABS and PC, ABS and nylon, PLA and ABS, ect) there needs to be more than one heater block. Otherwise you will have to wait for the nozzle to heat to the correct temperature every time you switch materials, which takes a lot of time.

I think it would be cool to merge three or more filaments inside of a hexagon block, with the nozzle close to the mixing area. It will be interesting to see what the cyclops looks like.

And now we know that all future E3D products will be named after mythical creatures!

[Polygonhell]

if you want to use different filaments with substantially different extrusion temperatures (ie ABS and PC, ABS and nylon, PLA and ABS, ect) there needs to be more than one heater block

I used to think that as well, but it turns out at least for the experiments I've done that for the most part you can't practically print two plastics with drastically different extrusion temperatures and have them stick to each other. I tried printing combinations of PLA, Nylon and ABS and they simply will not adhere to each other.
I could see something like printing embedded flexible parts with some sort of hard material.

The more I mess with dual extrusion the more convinced I am 1 nozzle is the right solution, and if you do need 2 different materials with significantly different temperature requirements then a better solution is something more like a tool-changer where one nozzle is parked while the other is printing.

[nitewatchman]

I am guessing that the square column in the background is a printed purge column. I would thik that the purge column would have to print every layer also. Have to think about how to do that.

[rpress]

Interesting, can't wait to see a pic of the hotend. Seems like a great way to get two color prints.

I'm playing around with the upsilon here: http://forum.seemecnc.com/viewtopic.php?f=77&t=6081

[Nylocke]

Nitewatchman;

That tower is a prime and wipe tower, part of the Cura slicer. Its automatically generated (check box) so I don't think you have to worry about thinking about it.

[Flateric]

Different plastics and temps use aside, I feel that using one hot end for multiple streams of plastic is the way to go.

Far less issue with calibration issues and less weight on the effector to be moved around.

Obviously this will not work for different temperature plastics through the same hotend.

But for the same plastics but in different colours it is ideal.

[nitewatchman]

Nitewatchman;

That tower is a prime and wipe tower, part of the Cura slicer. Its automatically generated (check box) so I don't think you have to worry about thinking about it.

Neat!!

Did not know that!

[geneb]

Kisslicer generates those as well. I think Slic3r does too.

I've been avoiding looking into dual extruders due to the hassle involved in setting them up, but if they've got a dual input, single output hotend working well, I might look into it. It would be handy for two color models.

g.

[gestalt73]

The consensus from the web is that it's a single nozzle solution. If you look at the pics with the prime tower, you can see an uneven transition between the yellow and the blue for every layer.

The ooze on the model threw me off for a minute, but that could be from the nozzle moving from one blue side to the other across the yellow egg.

Every time I check their website for more details, I throw my credit card at the screen, but nothing happens.

[Nylocke]

One day gestalt, one day...

[critical_limit]

Every time I check their website for more details, I throw my credit card at the screen, but nothing happens.

Have you seen the link where you can ask for a Beta Cyclops? Havn´t ask, because I´m in Israel for the next weeks, but maybe you have luck and they send you one....

[gestalt73]

Yep, I've left a comment on the thread indicating my interest. There were about 55 comments total last time I checked.

Have you seen the link where you can ask for a Beta Cyclops? Havn´t ask, because I´m in Israel for the next weeks, but maybe you have luck and they send you one....

[0110-m-p]

Yep, I've left a comment on the thread indicating my interest. There were about 55 comments total last time I checked.

You and me both. Don't expect to hear anything back, but if they did give me one I'd try and have it up and running within the first couple of days of receiving it.