Is the buffer necessary?
I've got an mk4 and i'm.thinking about getting an mmu unit but i do not have much space so the idea is to have the printer and on it's back a little higher hang the spools using the printer dry boxes. This way the filament goes almost directly to the mmu unit and has space for the retraction it's still the buffer mandatory?
RE: Is the buffer necessary?
Take a look at this,
MK4/MMU3 - VORON 2.4 350 Stealthburner
RE: Is the buffer necessary?
Great! Thanks
I can see not everybody uses the buffer so i guess there shouldn't be a problem with the setup i'm thinking 🙂
RE: Is the buffer necessary?
Seems like the buffer is necessary to prevent filament tangles and provide reliability, but it can also be setup differently so that it is there but out of the way.
X marks the spot.
RE: Is the buffer necessary?
I use the buffer, but with the spools up on the wall above it and the printer, so I'm using vertical space in place of the horizontal space Prusa expects. A vast saga about my setup can be found here (good for curing insomnia if nothing else).
RE: Is the buffer necessary?
Great question! The buffer can seem like an optional accessory, but it’s actually a pretty nifty little piece of kit, especially for your setup.
Picture this: Your filament is like a rockstar on tour, and the buffer is its tour bus. Without the tour bus, your rockstar filament might arrive late, get tangled, or not show up at all (you know how rockstars are). The buffer helps manage that crazy retraction and keeps everything smooth, even if your spools are hanging out in dry boxes.
Now, technically speaking, the buffer helps maintain consistent filament tension and prevents the dreaded “filament spaghetti” that can happen with rapid retractions. Without it, your filament might struggle to feed correctly, causing jams or inconsistent printing. This is especially crucial with the MMU unit because it switches filaments like a DJ switches tracks, and you need that transition to be as smooth as possible.
But hey, if you’re tight on space and feeling adventurous, you can try running without the buffer. Just keep an eye out for any hiccups. If you notice issues like tangled filament or feed problems, you might want to reconsider. Your rockstar filament might just need its tour bus after all.
RE: Is the buffer necessary?
I’ve never used the buffer, either with my MK3S+ with MMU2S, or now my MK4 with MMU3. I’ve never had the filament tangle despite having 10s of thousands of filament changes. On retract the filament simply reverts to its memory position of making a small 3 or 4 turn coil at the end of the MMU PTFE input tube. This has always opened itself back up as soon as it’s loaded in the next filament change.
RE: Is the buffer necessary?
I never used the buffer. I use the integrated auto rewinders modded for my use.
RE: Is the buffer necessary?
I'll receive the mmu today and i'm finally printing the dry boxes witch auto rewind system. Hope It works good enough 😁
RE: Is the buffer necessary?
I seldom use the MMU since I got a printer with dual extruders a few years ago, but when I do/did I took the printer out of the enclosure, set it up on the spare bedroom floor placed the spools well behind the printer on the spool holders, and let the space between the spools and the printer act as a buffer.
RE: Is the buffer necessary?
Ok, i have it running and so far so good 😀
Finally i got it with dryboxes with auto rewind inside Ikea's Platsa drawer as "enclousure" with it's working pretty good.
I'm happy with the results, now testing it with a 3 color print with 198 tool changes... hope it works and i can mark this as a success 🙃