Nextruder Main Plate
Im to a point where Im need to do some maintenance on the MMU3. Currently the next step for me is to replace the Nextruder main plate. I have one ordered and its on its way. But in the mean time I've been doing some thinking about this part. According to Prusa this part gets worn by filament traveling through it. I do understand that this part is printed in PETG with multi jet fusion. but why not make it stronger? Tell me if I'm wrong here but couldn't this be make from metal and have it polished so there's minimal wear. And to throw this out there as an option but glass or even porcelain?? Maybe somehow have the part even coated with Teflon or another friction eliminating coating. I really think the engineers at Prusa should look at this instead of us having to replace this part frequently. Just my 2 cents.
RE: Nextruder Main Plate
There's always the desire for engineers to make something as strong and tough as possible. But there is always a trade-off. Usually it's cost. Car frames aren't made out of titanium because that would be stupidly expensive. I bet Prusa decided not to make the main plate out of something harder (metal or glass) due to cost and added mass. The Nextruder needs to be as light as possible to have low print times. So, is more than 80,000 filament changes on a single part more important than low print time and cost?
Also, where did you read that the main plate is PETG? The blog post just says it is "printed with Multi Jet Fusion."
RE: Nextruder Main Plate
Excerpt from the blog:
The part we include with the MMU has been printed with Multi Jet Fusion to make it longer-lasting. However, it still needs to be treated as a consumable as it will wear out over time. The printer keeps track of filament changes and will notify you when the expected lifespan of this part is near the end, or if the filament loading procedure became less reliable due to excessive wear. According to our in-house testing, the MJF part lasts about 80.000 filament changes and then needs replacing (it takes about 10 minutes to replace it). We’ve tested this part extensively in-house and if you experience issues sooner than expected, it’s probably caused by something else. Please feel free to contact our support team for assistance.
As a short-term solution, you can print the part from PETG – the STL file is available at Printables.com. However, the lifespan will be noticeably shorter.
MK4S/MMU3
RE: Nextruder Main Plate
I read that too.
It doesn't say the MJF part is PETG. It says you can print a replacement out of PETG.
RE: Nextruder Main Plate
Yes, you guys are correct. Somehow I did get the 2 confused. I still think the part should be made of a better material.
RE: Nextruder Main Plate
I still think the part should be made of a better material.
Perhaps a main plate printed out of nylon hits that sweet spot for you. It's wear resistant and can withstand the high temperatures.