Any info on the Prusa XL?  

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

Do not forget that Prusa said they will unveal a printer with no belts, it'll be ballscrew and that cannot be cheap unless he's able to get good QC done on chinese ones.

if that's the XL and it's probably going to be because belts simply aren't good for size 350*3, then the price point will likely be around the 2k mark.

I'm pretty sure I would pre-order it, but it's still a smaller market for sure, and I feel like there will be plenty of options to reduce the entry point.

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

Posted by: @henryhbk

personally before I want a monster printer they need to fix the heat-creep in the extruder to prevent clogs in the PTFE, I have enough heat sink bolted onto the stepper to keep it cool but it looks silly; but given how horrible PTFE clogs are to deal with I was happy to do it, as that machine prints for days on end without problem.

Look into a geared extruder like the Bondtech or Skelestruder. I put my switch off way too long waiting for Prusa to fix the problem. I agree that Prusa themselves need to fix this and I don't think it would add significantly to the cost of the printer, but given that they still haven't bothered with the MK3S+ I think it's safe to say they don't care 😡

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

I completely understand why having an automatic toolchanger for a CNC is compelling, but it's less clear to me what the compelling benefits are for a 3D printer.  I mean, you could change nozzles, hotends, and filaments, I suppose, but the filament changing seems well in hand with current designs already.  What's compelling about automatic changing of nozzles and/or hotends?  I'm not understanding the need.

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

@dimprov

Google provides the answer:

The benefits of having a 3D printer with multiple extruders are numerous: you can print soluble support material for easy removal, print a combination of flexible and rigid filament, or simply print in different colors.  It can allow you to print with multiple-size nozzles in the same print.  It can allow for a laser cutter or CNC addition.  The possibilities are limited only by your own imagination.  

Unfortunately, traditional multi-extruder setups have some serious drawbacks, even aside from the cost.  It forces you to lose space on the print bed.  The tool changer avoids this loss but adds even more cost.  

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

I'd be happy with a quick change capability. For all its faults, I can remove the entire extruder and hotend off my Sidewinder with 3 screws and a ribbon cable. It makes maintenance and repairs a hell of a lot easier!

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

@bobstro

agree , multi-tool is just fine for me. if i have to swap tools and rehome that is fine with me. 

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

Posted by: @cwbullet

@dimprov

Google provides the answer:

The benefits of having a 3D printer with multiple extruders are numerous: you can print soluble support material for easy removal, print a combination of flexible and rigid filament, or simply print in different colors.  It can allow you to print with multiple-size nozzles in the same print.  It can allow for a laser cutter or CNC addition.  The possibilities are limited only by your own imagination.  

Chuck, I'm glad you acknowledge this benefit, but I think you are entirely too hung-up on the loss of build space that comes with a dual extruder. Look at it this way: You are apparently able to print your model parts OK now on the MK3/S (250 x 210mm bed). The old dual extruder MakerBot I have spaces the nozzles (aligned with the X axis)  33mm apart, so you "lose" 33 x 210 or 6930 sq. mm, which is a 13% reduction over the original 52,500 sq. mm "real estate. (Nothing is lost in the Y direction.) If the XL is going to weigh in at 400 x 400mm (160,000 sq. mm!) you give up a 33 x 400 mm strip which is only a 8% reduction and you still have 367 x 400mm to work with. I'll take that trade-off every day to be able to print soluble supports and everything else that comes with a dual extruder. 

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

Posted by: @bobstro

I'd be happy with a quick change capability. For all its faults, I can remove the entire extruder and hotend off my Sidewinder with 3 screws and a ribbon cable. It makes maintenance and repairs a hell of a lot easier!

It is indeed attractive too be able to rapidly swap hotends and while printing doing maintenance on the original hotend.

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

@reddawg

You are mistaken.  For what I print reestate is everything.  I need true 400mm x 400mm and not 400mm with 25-50 lost on both sides.  

I have atleast a half a dozen collegeus with true dual extruders.  It is a gimmick that most do not use past the first month of purchase.  You might be different.  I persoanlly rarely need to print more than on color.  I can see a need for soluable filaments.  

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

With a tool changer, you can have your dual-head (sort of) without a loss of real estate.  It seems like the best of both worlds.  

Someone explain to me what a dual-extruder can do that a tool changer cannot?  

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

From what I've read, getting two nozzles adjusted for the right 1st layer gap is extremely frustrating.

I'm curious whether the 2-in 1-out hotend designs are really viable. If they worked well, I'd expect them to be widely used. I suppose they're a simpler approach to the MMU.

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

@bobstro

That is what my friends have experienced.  Extreme frustration getting the printer dialed in.  Near all those, I know, regret the purchase.  Maybe Prusa can get past that.  

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

Posted by: @cwbullet

[...] That is what my friends have experienced.  Extreme frustration getting the printer dialed in.  Near all those, I know, regret the purchase.  Maybe Prusa can get past that.  

I'm having to (manually) re-level my Sidewinder bed any time I swap filament or do anything that might nudge the gantry. I can only imagine the added joy of having to do so for two nozzles!

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

Posted by: @bobstro

I'm having to (manually) re-level my Sidewinder bed any time I swap filament or do anything that might nudge the gantry. I can only imagine the added joy of having to do so for two nozzles!

If that is your problem, I'd think you have a serious frame/structural/alignment/stiffness issue. Either that or it has a design issue, which seems less likely.

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

Posted by: @reddawg

If that is your problem, I'd think you have a serious frame/structural/alignment/stiffness issue. Either that or it has a design issue, which seems less likely.

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

I saw this one from E3D a while ago, and it's sort of the ultimate version of IDEX: If I recall E3D was getting around $1500 for the changer?

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

Posted by: @cwbullet

With a tool changer, you can have your dual-head (sort of) without a loss of real estate.  It seems like the best of both worlds.  

Someone explain to me what a dual-extruder can do that a tool changer cannot?  

You answered your own question (earlier):

 "I can see a need for soluable filaments."  

IF one of the tools IS a dual extruder, Q.E.D.

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

@reddawg

That is the only reason?  You are willing to give up real-estate and fight with bed leveling to nozzles for that?  There has to be a better option.  

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

Excellent topic war. 😎

My first printer was a Monoprice Dual Extruder based on the Inventor I.   I nearly lost my mind losing prints trying to level the two extruders with each other and a 3 point manually leveling print bed and oooooze.   Printing shields to reduce the impact of the oozing dormant extruder.  Eventually I just removed the second extruder completely from the printer.   It originally sold for over $1k and it was a pain in the rear.    My second printer was a i3 Mk3s....  The monoprice is still in perfect working order, gathering dust... happy to sell you that Monoprice for a song, Reddawg.

RE: Any info on the Prusa XL?

Posted by: @christopher72

Excellent topic war. 😎

My first printer was a Monoprice Dual Extruder based on the Inventor I.   I nearly lost my mind losing prints trying to level the two extruders with each other and a 3 point manually leveling print bed and oooooze.   Printing shields to reduce the impact of the oozing dormant extruder.  Eventually I just removed the second extruder completely from the printer.   It originally sold for over $1k and it was a pain in the rear.    My second printer was a i3 Mk3s....  The monoprice is still in perfect working order, gathering dust... happy to sell you that Monoprice for a song, Reddawg.

Bed size? Location? $?