The technology behind dual nozzle desktop FFF printers has been developing over the last few years, with clear pros and cons. Though the advantages are certain, equally as present are the disadvantages of this technology. Thus, these printers have not yet been commonly adopted.
The advantages of dual nozzle desktop FFF printers are clear to see. Combining two different filaments in one print eliminates the need to use supporters in single nozzle prints. And this dual nozzle technology that can print the support separately is particularly needed for more precise, delicate prints. Plus, being able to print with two materials, each with differing characteristics, seamlessly without edges bleeding into each other, gives limitless printing possibilities.
But, there also exists a clear disadvantage to this technology: inconvenience. FFF melts plastic resin with heat, causing slight oozing and the altering of characteristics to occur in the resting nozzle, even if the heat is lower than the print temperature. Purging this ooze is one of the key reasons why so many people find dual printing to be such a troublesome experience.
Wipe towers were made as a solution to this issue. Wipe towers print the purge as a separate structure. If the tower is sturdy, then this doesn’t pose much a problem. But a sturdy tower takes much more time and filament to make, wasting valuable resources. If you want to reduce the time and filament needed to make your tower, you could make a thinner tower, but that comes with the risk of the tower collapsing during your print.
However, if you use a non-tower method, you can avoid these issues entirely. More specifically, on the issue of time, the 30-50 seconds needed for the purge tower are dramatically reduced to just 10 seconds. Plus, when compared to building up a tower from the bottom up, only 3mm of filament are consumed per layer of dual-printing, vastly changing the amount of waste in 3D printing.
This new purge technology is found in the LUGO G3 printer, whose Kickstarter campaign is currently in progress. The LUGO G3 printer uses both innovative purge and DCH-Head dual nozzle technologies, reducing the time needed for dual printing and presenting a new, innovative way to adjust nozzle temperatures. The DCH head works hand-in-hand with the purge system, giving you the best possible prints.
LUGO G3’s campaign will last through the month of April, and can be shipped anywhere in the world.