Open Source Tool Changer for FDM 3D Printers | Hacker News Reader

Open Source Tool Changer for FDM 3D Printers

github.com

52 pointsFloatArtifact17 comments

There is also:

* StealthChanger: https://github.com/DraftShift/StealthChanger

* TapChanger: https://github.com/viesturz/tapchanger

Looking forward to when I can just buy an LDO kit of one of these :D I'm not a fan of mmu/ercf.

Would love to see an open source AMS in the meantime. Just something where i can store multiple rolls of filament and autofeed a single roll before the print. For convenience.

It's worth noting that both TapChanger and StealthChanger both require a flying gantry and won't work on a Trident style machine (and thus aren't suitable to a lot of CoreXY type machines).

DAKSH V2 3D Printed Tool Changer is a fully 3D printed mechanical tool changer compatible with different CoreXY platforms like the Voron Trident, 1.8, 2.4 and RatRig VCore 3. The servo less mechanical locking mechanism is inspired by the Prusa XL - but is fully 3d printed with metal inserts in the critical areas for rigidity and reliability.

I love seeing new tool changer designs but the space. It truly seems to be the future of printing, rather than filament changers like mmu/ams/ercf. I've been working on my own tool changer for a spare bedslinger I have laying around, I can't wait until I have something to show for it.

Interesting, I'm curious if anyone will add support for milling. Being able to lay down coarse layers and refine just the external surfaces seems like a path to fast prints with fine surface finish all on one machine.

I wonder if that's possible, it means your print need to be very sturdy even when not finished. Also need to have an excellent bed adhesion.

Also milling plastic is complicated.

And your frame must be much stiffer, as now your tool is being used to apply force vs just lay down plastic.

Hmm, milling is complicated, milling hot plastic is almost impossible, but maybe a head with heated rod to gently iron the plastic? Like ironing with printhead, but specifically shaped to also iron laterally?

> milling hot plastic is almost impossible

Automatic pause time of (say) 5 mins before starting the mill process? Or even some kind of thermal measurement (laser?) instead of using a fixed time.

Perhaps even fan forced cooling? The milling tool would need some kind of vacuum near it anyway for debris clearance.

If it was done after the print, you could use water (mist) cooling, would probably help a lot with preventing plastic sticking to your endmill. If it's done mid print, you would probably like to do it for each layer, so no long cool times and it should be hot anyway for next layer. Using printhead for this (like for ironing top layers) would create a lot of blobs from dripping plastic.

I can imagine a tool head for ironing. Small metal sphere on a rod, like those touch probes, attached to a heating block.

Every couple layers you could iron all the walls, fix those layer lines and overhangs you get on shallow angles.

Tool changers are awesome, I can't wait!

And probably needs good clearance of milled debris (aka vacuum), otherwise it could muck things up for subsequent printing.

You would be better off using multiple nozzle sizes with large nozzles inside the print and fine nozzles for the outside perimeter.

Is the motivation for tool changing to print multiple filaments? Nozzle size would seem to complicate slicing but interested to hear the use case

It's a shame I can't be used for commercial use

I am not a lawyer but it looks like the creator of the project / repo did not put the appropriate license if they didn't want the designs to be used for commercial purposes.

https://github.com/ankurv2k6/daksh-toolchanger-v2/blob/main/...

"The design is open source and can be used freely for non commercial purposes."

The site's text matches the license, IMO. I'm not sure why the other guy said otherwise.

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