MMU 2 printing times increase for supports
How does this work when e.g. using (PVA for) supports?
for every layer the filament needs to be swapped between build material (say PLA) and the support material (e.g. PVA). So every layer the MMU needs to unload and load filament which takes what, 30 sec at best? So adding 30 sec to every layer would result in quite lengthy print sessions...
Can anyone comment on / compare the print time with and without MMU 2 in a support structure situation?
Re: MMU 2 printing times increase for supports
When using PVA or BVOH (better!) for supports you should not print all supports with these materials but only the top few support layers. By doing so you don't have to swap filaments every layer but only on the few support layers below the actual printed part - do a google search for soluble interface layers!
This is much faster and saves a lot of the expensive soluble stuff.
See here: https://www.prusaprinters.org/printing-soluble-interface-supports-prusa-i3-mk2-multi-material/
Re: MMU 2 printing times increase for supports
When using PVA or BVOH (better!) for supports you should not print all supports with these materials but only the top few support layers. By doing so you don't have to swap filaments every layer but only on the few support layers below the actual printed part - do a google search for soluble interface layers!
This is much faster and saves a lot of the expensive soluble stuff.
See here: https://www.prusaprinters.org/printing-soluble-interface-supports-prusa-i3-mk2-multi-material/
But it would still have to happen if you have some print that has a near horizontal plane...
Re: MMU 2 printing times increase for supports
Right, it always depends on the model you're printing.
Re: MMU 2 printing times increase for supports
Changing filaments is always going to be slow. So yes, printing with soluble support will significantly increase print time. As will printing with multiple colors.
Re: MMU 2 printing times increase for supports
Slow yes, but is it slooooow?
E.g. normal print time: 40 mins for object X, now, even with only the interface layers printed with Natural PVA: 4 hours??
Im not saying it is not worth it... Ive destroyed so many delicate models by trying to remove the normal supports 🙁
But any time indication would be nice 😉
Re: MMU 2 printing times increase for supports
Slow yes, but is it slooooow?
E.g. normal print time: 40 mins for object X, now, even with only the interface layers printed with Natural PVA: 4 hours??
Im not saying it is not worth it... Ive destroyed so many delicate models by trying to remove the normal supports 🙁
But any time indication would be nice 😉
How many layers?
At a minimum, using soluble support will require one material change per layer for every layer where there's support interface. Each material change will take a more or less fixed amount of time.
One thing to try: check to make sure "Synchronize with object layers" is selected under the "Support" settings. I haven't played around with this much yet, but it's possible that if you don't choose that option then Slic3r may insert a lot more material changes than you really need.
Re: MMU 2 printing times increase for supports
wouldn't "Synchronize with object layers" make it change more often? I could be wrong but I think having that off lets it take the last color it used for say layer 1 and start printing it on layer 2 then do a change. I could be wrong. but I thought that's what it did with it off.
I have a Prusa,therefore I research.
Re: MMU 2 printing times increase for supports
wouldn't "Synchronize with object layers" make it change more often? I could be wrong but I think having that off lets it take the last color it used for say layer 1 and start printing it on layer 2 then do a change. I could be wrong. but I thought that's what it did with it off.
"Synchronize with object layers" forces the support layers to be at exactly the same height as the object layers. Otherwise, Slic3r puts the support layers at Z heights in between the object layers so it can precisely control the distance between the interface layer and the object.
But with soluble support you should have zero distance between the interface and object. So there's no reason to not use "Synchronize with object layers," and it might save you a ton of time if Slic3r isn't being smart about changing materials.
Re: MMU 2 printing times increase for supports
thank you sir. I stand corrected. too much messing around with slicer settings and being my own mmu. makes a person got CrAzY 😀
I have a Prusa,therefore I research.