Considerations in adding a second extruder to a replicator 2

[Paul Sisneros]

I use a replicator 2 at work and they've asked me if I can upgrade it to dual extrusion. I can't find any examples of this having been done. So here's what I'm trying to figure out:

 

Electronics:

I've opened it up and seen that there is a socket for a driver for a second extruder, if one is plugged in, is it supported?

 

Firmware:

It seems like changing the onboard settings make the machine think it has a second extruder, but I haven't tried it

 

Software:

If you change the configuration file will it let you do dual color on a replicator 2?

 

Extruder:

What would work best? QU-BD dual, Sunwin - a brand that popped up recently on amazon, some other model?

 

I found the sunwin and the design looks sound, but there are few reviews and it's hard to tell if there would be much trouble using it with the makerbot

 

Beyond all this, has anyone found an example of adding a second extruder to a replicator 2?

[Erik Mendoza]

Although I don't have specifics, I was told that the board on the Rep2 and the Rep2X were the same. Maybe someone else can shed some light or has personal experience of doing this. On the software side, it seems that you would only have to change the settings to specify how the gcode is generated, and change the setting on the bot to let it know it has 2 extruders.

[DHeadrick]

One thing to consider is that the extruder that is in a Replicator 2 is typically the right extruder in a dual setup.  However, the Replicator 2 has a cooling fan and duct on the left side so that it prints well with PLA.  This duct will get in the way of mounting a left extruder next to the right one at the same distance as a Replicator1 or Replicator 2X.  If you are planning to print in ABS only, then you could remove this fan and duct, but then you don't have the heated build platform.

Just a few hurdles to think about.  :)

[Paul Sisneros]

I wonder if it would be better to configure it as a replicator 2 with 2 extruders, or to just load the firmware of an X2.

[Paul Sisneros]

I was actually thinking of just replacing it with a paired dual extruder. But I haven't found many that are well documented, there is QU-BD and then several from china.

[3DwannaB]

The boards are the same, but the power supplies are not. To add a second extruder you may need the better PS. Dual extruders tend to be a better use with ABS since you would need to also add a downward fan back for PLA (yes, you will lose the current fan).

However, I would recommend NOT changing to a dual extruder using a Rep2. Dual extrusion adds a level of difficulty you may not fully appreciate. Dual extruders make for a much more challenges to print success such as when support structures in the object stick up just enough to get hit by the tip that is not printing. Also.. dual extrusion is very problematic with PLA thanks to PLA's drooling... so assume you are using ABS... then you will need a heated build plate and you will need to enclose the bot. 

Look carefully at the cost for this conversion then consider buying a Flashforge Creator for $1200. This way you have both dual extrusion  for ABS... it will also do PLA better then most other dual extrusion machines... you can use all the same FW and SW you use with the Rep2 and your Rep2 is not so modified that it is no longer a Rep2.

[Paul Sisneros]

I'm familiar with better 3D printer options, when my department wanted a 3D printer I sugested we build a mendelmax, $900 instead of $2200 and you get to pick a nice hot end, and build it as big as you want. They wanted off the shelf, and didnt like the wood frame on the rep 1. But now they want to upgrade it, so wheres the off the shelf advantage?

 

Anyway, enough complaining about that. I guess my question should have been more about replacing the extruder. But I'll start a separate thread for that.

[Dan Newman]

On 31 Jul 2013 , at 9:56 AM, Paul Sisneros wrote:

> I'm familiar with better 3D printer options, when my department wanted a 3D
> printer I sugested we build a mendelmax, $900 instead of $2200 and you get
> to pick a nice hot end, and build it as big as you want. They wanted off
> the shelf, and didnt like the wood frame on the rep 1. But now they want to
> upgrade it, so wheres the off the shelf advantage?
>
> Anyway, enough complaining about that. I guess my question should have been
> more about replacing the extruder. But I'll start a separate thread for
> that.

And you need to keep the nozzle spacing between the two nozzles at either
33 or 35 mm. While you can then calibrate for deviations from that spacing,
MBI's firmware generally assumes that the deviations won't exceed +/- 0.6 mm.

And, 33 mm if you use the Rep 1 firmware. But 35 mm if you use the Rep 2
firmware. And upgrade the platform arms to Bottlework's Al arms while you're
at it. (And use his HBP if this is a Rep 2, especially since you want to
use ABS for dualstrusion.)

Dan