Dual hot ends
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I am currently using a Chimera + clone.
Leaving out the debate of clone vs real thing, I have heard one too many times that the Chimera has all kinds of issues.
I like it because it can put the two hot ends into real close proximity so that a minimum of X axis travel is lost. I also appreciate the fact that the x offset of one vs the other hot end is fixed and the y offset is always zero.
My eventual goal will be a tool changer arrangement but that is way down the line so I am wondering if there is something better out there for me to use before I get a tool changer working (possibly several years down the road). -
One alternative is a multi-input single-output hot end, such as the Diamond or the Cyclops+.
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No, I don't want to go that route because it limits me in terms of material. If I use petg as support for pla, I don't think that would work for a single hot end.
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@jens55 said in Dual hot ends:
No, I don't want to go that route because it limits me in terms of material. If I use petg as support for pla, I don't think that would work for a single hot end.
That's true, mixing hot ends are in general not suitable for using with two or more different materials.
Another popular dual extrusion architecture is IDEX.
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A Y splitter is another option.
I have printed both PET-G and PLA concurrently using a Diamond hot end. The low end of what you can print PET-G doesn't seem to cause anything nasty to happen to PLA other than it gets less viscous. So a purge of about 30mm when changing between them is needed.