Is there any benefit to replacing the stock PTFE tubing on the MMU3 with Capricorn/Tough Tube or any other "premium" tubing?
That's pretty much the whole question, honestly.
Since the MMU3, as I understand it, is sensitive to friction in the tubes and that was part of why the release was delayed - is there any benefit to upgrading the PTFE tubing? Has anyone done this with their MMU3, and if so, how did it go?
RE: Is there any benefit to replacing the stock PTFE tubing on the MMU3 with Capricorn/Tough Tube or any other "premium" tubing?
The premium tubing isn't the primary fix, first check the system. I had problems printing flouresent and some filled filaments. These have a rougher exterior and tend to drag more. They would hang and bind. The MMU and even the nextruder couldn't pull them correctly at times. In a couple of cases the PTFE tube collapsed.
1. Make sure there is no drag/catch in the buffer. I manually pulled filament through the buffer wheels after assembling the system to check for drag. In some cases I found slight burs/catches that I had to file down in the entrance/exit holes of the buffer cartridge. It made a big difference on 2 of the cartridges.
2. Do the spools have the tight bend/crimp on the end made when loading on the spool? That tends to get caught in the tubes or buffer no matter how good they are. Cutting it off or straitening it before the end is all you can do. That is part of the reason some people rewind spools so they can cut it off and know there is nothing to hang it up going through the MMU. Depends of the supplier.
3. PTFE tubing Minimize feeding tube length while having large curves and assure the last 100 mm go into the MMU3 straight. I am removing the buffer now and using the Filamentalist rewinders. The less distance, curves and bending you do, the better.
4. On the more hydroscopic filament, it can get brittle if not dried. It can break. Also avoid cheap filament for the same reason. I even put the spools and buffer in a dry box so the first few feet are kept dry also.
Fix all this first, then consider the premium PTFE tubing. While I did get premium tubing I still had to fix the other problems. I kept the original tube from the MMU to the Extruder.
RE: Is there any benefit to replacing the stock PTFE tubing on the MMU3 with Capricorn/Tough Tube or any other "premium" tubing?
I don't think that the question was answered... I too am curious if there's any real difference between Capricorn, Tough Tube, and generic PTFE on Amazon if they are all 2.5 ID 4.0 OD. Is one of these brands less Kinky at the same ID/OD?
I'm running stock length 2.5/4 on the MMU3 to Nextruder, fairly short to the buffer, and as short as possible to the spools