THE PROJECT
Mechanical design, electronics, controls, and fabrication come together differently in every build. This record describes the work documented for this project.
What was developed
The first version was designed and built from scratch, including a three-way diamond mixing nozzle. That approach exposed reliability issues, so the next version returned to a standard single-nozzle setup to establish a more dependable baseline.
The redesign improved Z-axis stability, increased print volume without increasing the overall footprint, reduced noise, and made maintenance easier. A later Y-splitter produced dual-colour parts, but longer prints clogged. The current version uses a heavily customized open-source base with a belt-driven four-motor Z-axis, direct-drive extruder, 32-bit electronics, enclosure, spool scale, and automatic shut-off. A servo- and lead-screw-based filament selector is in development.
PROJECT NOTE
The current development focus is a scalable filament selector using servo engagement and stepper-driven path selection.