MakerBot Replicator 2X Users, Finally there is A Fantastic Solutions which make the R2X A Reliable 3D Printer

[Malek Kabariti]

MakerBot Replicator 2X Users, Finally there is A Fantastic Solutions which make the R2X A Reliable 3D Printer.

The reason why I purchased the MakerBot Replicator 2X  in Mid 2014 is to be able to print in One/Two colors using ABS and PLA filaments. I paid almost 3000$ for the MakerBot Replicator 2X 3D printer and more than 2500$ for ABS and PLA filaments.

Unfortunately, I had a Very Hard Frustrating time in getting good quality prints and the PLA filaments Never Worked.

MakerBot customer service at that time was extremely unhelpful and unprofessional. Nevertheless, recently the customer service has Improved by a Million Folds where they did their best to assist me in resolving problems with the R2X printer. They even sent me a new extruders unit (for FREE), but I still faced problems with the printer " the Extruders".

Through searching the net, I found a British based company "Robosavvy" that manufacture a modified and improved extruder for the R2X " MM2X Extruder Kit, a Makerbot Replicator 2X Extruder upgrade", (https://robosavvy.com/store/mm2x-extruder-kit.html),With the claim that you can print using ABS and PLA filaments.

After receipt of the MM2X Extruder Kit, I was Astonished with how easy it was to print One/Two colors using either ABS or PLA, Spatially Printing PLA.

I wonder why MakerBot did not modify or improve their extruders to work as good as the MM2 extruder or purchased the British based company to upgrade the R2X that they have sold and still selling.

I Strongly Recommend the MM2X Extruder Upgrade Kit for All MakerBot Replicator 2X Users, It Will Make Your 3D Printing Life a lot More Enjoyable.

Other Excellent MakerBot Replicator 2X upgrade Kits and Software that I am using are:

A- Simplify3d Software (The Best 3D Printing Software I Ever Used),                         

     "https://www.simplify3d.com/"

B- The Aluminum Arm Upgrade from BC Technological Solutions.

    "http://www.bctechnologicalsolutions.com/arm-upgrade/index.html"

C- The Removable Heated Build Plate Upgrade from BC Technological Solutions.

      " http://www.bctechnologicalsolutions.com/HBP/index.html"

D- Fleks 3D Build Plate, Excellent for PLA, No More Need for Tape.

     "http://www.fleks3d.com/the-products/20x20-508x508mm-simple",  

     Which I cut the Plate to fit my Heated Build Plate Upgrade from BC Technological Solutions,

     Using CNC Machine, and added the required Magnets.

For more than Two Months, after I have installed the MM2X Extruder Kit, I have been Printing 24/7 without any problem using ABS and PLA filaments, Except for one time where I had a problem with Right Extruder Thermocouple connector, which was Resolved Quickly with the help and support of  Mr. Scott Heppell, Technical Support Manager of  Robosavvy.

 

Malek Kabariti

  

[TobyCWood]

Thanks for sharing info. I wonder... have you ever looked into the Carl Raffle upgrades?:

http://shop.raffle.ch/shop/

He sells cool block/hot block sub assemblies and I think the total cost is less, as well as ALL metal filament path. The Robosavvy parts you show in your links are PEEK barrels with teflon liners (!) which work fine for PLA and ABS however, they do wear out and they cannot stand up to increased temps for Nylon and PC and possible PETG. I have 3 Rep2s filled with Raffle upgrades. They are da best.

Also.. I too love the BC tech solutions stuff... However... the Fleksplate...? Looks like it would not do well over time with the heated build plate. If you are in the U.S., The BC heated build plate works a treat with just a layer or 2 of Aquanet. $2-$3 a can and it lasts more then 6 months.

Look up the gobs of posts about using Aquanet.

[Ryan Carlyle]

Yep, the reason why MBI doesn't do this sort of mod is that the R2x is designed to print higher-temp materials, and PEEK/PTFE style hot ends have issues over 240C or so. For example, I print ABS, nylon, PETG, and PC on my R2x. A PTFE-lined hot end would rapidly decay and require frequent replacement with many of the nicer printing materials. 

Now, the stock R2x extruder DOES have some issues. 

• The injection-molded "Superstruder" extruder drive tended to slowly warp over time as thermal cycling from motor heat causes the residual injection-molding stresses to shake out. The newer Rep2 style spring-arm drive they're selling in the R2x now is a lot better.
  
• The stock "smooth" thermal barrier tube and clamp-style cooling bar has severe trouble with PLA because the cold zone isn't cooled aggressively enough. The older Rep1/Rep2 threaded thermal barrier tube is MUCH more reliable with PLA. The change to the R2x made factory assembly and hot end leveling easier, but it messed up the "special sauce" heat flux required to reliably print PLA with all-metal extruders.

You can fix these with a printed extruder upgrade and Carl's cooling bar package, and retain the all-metal hot end that lets you print high-temp filaments. It's a much better route than the PEEK+PTFE approach that adds maintenance requirements and keeps you from printing lots of cool filaments.

Honestly, PLA is a pretty crummy material... it's brittle, it can't withstand any kind of heat, and it creeps under load at room temp. You're not missing much by not being able to print PLA in an unmodified R2x. Being able to print ABS well (with the chamber sealed up tight) basically makes PLA pointless. 

[adam paul]

“Will there be a loss of Z height build volume when installing the MM2X ?
No."

Then why the need for a customer printed z spacer?



Also wouldn't insulating the thermal barrier from the cooling bar, with the peek, be counter productive?

[Ryan Carlyle]

Adam, with PTFE, you don't need aggressive cooling of the cold zone. Jams don't stick. That's why PTFE-lined hot ends can print PLA with simple insulators like PEEK.

Also, the stock Z stage has some safety margin before hitting a hard stop, so you can add a LITTLE bit of height and not need to reduce the Z axis length.