Feature Request: Automatic Filament Failover  

RE:

You could add to prusa mmu github I'm guessing that's how spool join is ment to work never got to test spooljoin before I came on holiday 

Posted by: @seattledavid

On any printer that has multiple tools (XL, MMU3, etc) a very simple and straightforward feature would add tremendous value to multi-tool capability:

• Each tool would have an in-printer setting  for each tool that would specify a filament-out alternate tool.

When a tool ran out of filament, the alternate tool specified for that tool would be used for all subsequent commands.

Since each tool could specify an alternate to be used as a failover, it would be possible to specify one or more tools to be used as a "pool".

Example:

• Tool 1 could be set of failover to Tool 3, Tool 3 could be set to failover to Tool 4, and Tool 4 could be set to failover to Tool 1.
• The GCODE would specify Tool 1 to be used, and printing would continue for this tool until the filament was empty.
• When Tool 1 was empty, it would be unloaded and all commands for Tool 1 would get executed by Tool 3. Printing would not need to stop.
• Tool 3 would be used until empty. Then, when it was empty, printing would resume on Tool 4.

The benefits of this include:

1. Reduce waste by using up 100% of all filament.
2. Increase productivity because printing would never stop just because a filament ran out.
3. Eliminate weighing, calculating, and choosing roll-ends that had "enough" filament for a job. Never worry about how much filament is on a spool.

This seems like a high-payback, high value and easy to implement feature.

It would add significant value to having multiple tools.

 

 

RE: Feature Request: Automatic Filament Failover

It'd be cool if you could specify an alternate extruder in Prusa Slicer. When the bed stops, it stays hot until you change or fix the filament issue, especially if you're printing something big. Maybe you could set up two spools of the same filament and just keep going with the other extruder.

I've had it where the bed stayed hot for like 4 hours before.

Posted by: @seattledavid

On any printer that has multiple tools (XL, MMU3, etc) a very simple and straightforward feature would add tremendous value to multi-tool capability:

• Each tool would have an in-printer setting  for each tool that would specify a filament-out alternate tool.

When a tool ran out of filament, the alternate tool specified for that tool would be used for all subsequent commands.

Since each tool could specify an alternate to be used as a failover, it would be possible to specify one or more tools to be used as a "pool".

Example:

• Tool 1 could be set of failover to Tool 3, Tool 3 could be set to failover to Tool 4, and Tool 4 could be set to failover to Tool 1.
• The GCODE would specify Tool 1 to be used, and printing would continue for this tool until the filament was empty.
• When Tool 1 was empty, it would be unloaded and all commands for Tool 1 would get executed by Tool 3. Printing would not need to stop.
• Tool 3 would be used until empty. Then, when it was empty, printing would resume on Tool 4.

The benefits of this include:

1. Reduce waste by using up 100% of all filament.
2. Increase productivity because printing would never stop just because a filament ran out.
3. Eliminate weighing, calculating, and choosing roll-ends that had "enough" filament for a job. Never worry about how much filament is on a spool.

This seems like a high-payback, high value and easy to implement feature.

It would add significant value to having multiple tools.

 

 

RE:

It'd be cool if you could set up an alternate extruder in Prusa Slicer. When the filament stops, the bed stays hot until you fix or change the issue. If you're printing something big, it's a big problem. You could have two spools of the same filament and just switch to the other extruder.

I've had it where the bed stayed hot for 4 hours because of a filament rewind issue.

RE: Feature Request: Automatic Filament Failover

Probably worth checking to see if there's not already a GitHub issue on the XL firmware repo: https://github.com/prusa3d/Prusa-Firmware-Buddy/issues

If not, go ahead and create one for this, these forums are allegedly not read by the dev team as much.

The spooljoin function was standard on the MMU2, I would expect it to be carried over.

https://help.prusa3d.com/article/spooljoin-mmu2s_134252

Cheerio,

RE: Feature Request: Automatic Filament Failover

It seems so straightforward to implement, and like such a basic, universally needed feature.

I am printing a lot of items with 275 to 350 gram weights. I have a LOT of filament rolls with 100 to 200 grams of filament I would like to be able to use.

Having the printer fail over to another tool when the filament is empty would mean zero waste and would mean using up filament right to the end.

Proposed implementation: For each tool there is an failover tool. If anything goes wrong with the tool then all commands go to the backup. The backup could have a backup, forming a chain.

Thus, in theory, all five tools could have the same filament and the printer could do massive builds non-stop, all night, without attention.