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Prometheus System coming to Kickstarter to give dual color extrusion with single hotend

Discussion in 'Off Topic' started by danzca6, Aug 30, 2016.

  1. danzca6

    danzca6 Well-Known Member

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    @RP Iron Man and his team are coming out with a new Kickstarter campaign that will either upgrade existing users of the Prometheus V2 hotend or supply a whole new system that will allow you to print with dual color/types of filament using a single Prometheus V2 hotend. A couple write-ups have already come out today about the campaign that is starting September 6th (see links below). The pictures and videos in those articles look pretty interesting. They are using a system that adds a tower to your print for it to use to get a crisp color transition and keep from color blending or blobbing on the actual part. Clever idea. Now looking at the pictures it looks to me that it would need to turn your system into a Bowden style setup where the two extruders would be mounted somewhere off of the x carriage plate and feed into the combiner/adapter that plugs into the Prometheus. That will be an interesting redesign for the robo. I wonder how much Z height will be affected by adding the adapter to stick so far off of the hotend like that. I can see there would be ample space on the side of the lid to mount the two motors. Maybe one on each side with a stock filament holder mounted to each side as well to hold the spools?

    multi-filament-extruder-system-the-prometheus-set-to-launch-on-kickstarter-01.jpg

    Eric is currently having a sale on the V2 hotend prior to the 9/6 go live of this campaign where you get 15% off of the hotend (or possible anything in the store) by using coupon code DTA15OFF. Now looking at reported prices to upgrade the V2 to the multi color system and just buying the full system is about a $54 difference US early bird or $64 US for non early bird prices. Both of those make it a bit cheaper to wait for the kickstarter to get the full system instead of taking advantage of the 15% deal if you are looking at getting the full system. @Geof has already given a great review of the V2 and it looks to be a work horse of a hotend on its own. So if you aren't looking at getting this new system but are in the market for a new hotend, I would suggest taking advantage of the 15% off.

    So what do you guys think? Is this something that you see as an upgrade you would be interested in? Possible better than messing with dual hotends? I for one think it is an intriguing design and idea. I may not have the extra funds to take advantage of the early bird specials before they are gone, but would love to try this system on my Robo. Designing a way to install and mount this system to the Robo would make for a great project. Not sure how this system would do with other filaments like flexibles, It seems to have a similar style of extruder block as the Titan. So maybe having a fully supported path through PTFE tubes would work for flex, but the length of tube will be a factor in that I would presume. Eric is an impressive guy being so young and already coming out with these great products. Whatever your decision is about his latest Kickstarter, I would encourage you to keep him in your sites. I feel like he has more exciting ideas yet to come.

    Read more about it here:
    https://3dprint.com/147493/prometheus-system-kickstarter/

    http://www.3ders.org//articles/2016...-prometheus-set-to-launch-on-kickstarter.html
     
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  2. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    Ill be an early bird :). Going to utilize my dual spool wall mount for the bowden motor mounting. :) should be real fun. Ive seen some prints with the system and they look amazing. Very excited to compare between the sigma :)
     
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  3. danzca6

    danzca6 Well-Known Member

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    I'm sure you will end up using more filament with this system over the sigma since it brings the Tower of Ooze into each print that will take more filament than the ooze swipes (these are all technical terms :) ) that the SIgma utilizes. But for a retro fit, it is impressive. And you don't have to worry about calibrating two separate hotends and alignments since it uses just one. The pics in the articles are great. I like the ones that mix glow in the dark filament or use of supports. Like I said I would be all over this day one if I had the extra $200 sitting around. Would be a great system to review. Maybe I'll have to take a road trip to your place and check it out when you get it installed. Now I read about Cura being able to support this, will S3D be supported as well? I'm sure MC won't be, but maybe I'll be surprised.
     
    #3 danzca6, Aug 30, 2016
    Last edited: Aug 30, 2016
  4. KTMDirtFace

    KTMDirtFace Well-Known Member

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    Looks cool, I like the slicing that does the tower next to it. I wonder if the slicing would work with the Cyclops?

    I don't really understand whats going on with the contraption there in the pictures.
     
  5. danzca6

    danzca6 Well-Known Member

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    I know. I suspect they will have a detailed video released with the campaign that shows it all hooked up and printing. Pretty much a Bowden setup. How it combines in the adapter is still a bit of a mystery to get accurate details, but maybe that is why they have the tower so they can retract the one filament and push the new through enough to ooze to make a clean transition.
     
  6. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    Sigma uses a ooze shield or prime tower as well if needed. All part of the additions in simplify 3d and other slicers (where brim and raft are).

    I imagine if s3d is contacted they would help out. Cura is what sigma used initially too
     
  7. Printed Solid

    Printed Solid Volunteer Admin
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    Cool. Always good to see innovation, especially in dual.

    The tower is a prime tower and is a standard option in dual. Also standard is a ooze shield. Using the prime tower alone would indicate that it is able to go a bit cleanly. I do think that the dump bins is really the way to go though.

    It looks like they are using an approach where the extruder pulls the filament entirely out of the hot end to swap in another filament? I'm skeptical about this for sure, but interested in seeing how it plays out. It would have to essentially do an automatic cold pull between filament changes, which is probably not feasible unless you're waiting for the hot end to change temperature between filaments and that would be crazy unless they have super fast temperature transitions. The other option would be a ram purge, but I think that would require a dump bucket. Either option potentially leaves you with a deformed end to your filament strand that could be a real challenge to reliable dual printing.
     
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  8. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    Remind me, I will probably hop on that bandwagon too
     
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  9. danzca6

    danzca6 Well-Known Member

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    I like the Tower of Ooze better...trademarking that now :) haha.

    [​IMG]

    Good to hear both methods are standard so that maybe S3D will work with this setup as well. Yeah the magic seems to be in the Y adapter. Very curious to see how that all works. Your concerns are similar to mine about how that all works and long term reliability.
     
    #9 danzca6, Aug 30, 2016
    Last edited: Aug 30, 2016
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  10. danzca6

    danzca6 Well-Known Member

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  11. danzca6

    danzca6 Well-Known Member

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    Depending on the magic sauce required for this system to work, I wonder if Eric will come out with an option to get the hotend Y filament adapter that would work with other hotends and using a Titan or Bondtech extruder setup?
     
  12. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    Im sure he will be along shortly but ill shoot.him a message with a link to this new thread.
     
  13. danzca6

    danzca6 Well-Known Member

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    Hahaha....don't make me tag him 3 times. :)

    Thanks Geof. I can't wait to hear more about this, but I am sure he is holding off on some of the details until the launch. Kinda geeking out about his tech. That never fares well for my wallet. :(
     
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  14. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    Ill shoot you a reminder when i send in my order Mark :) looks fun
     
  15. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    I am too buddy. Better order that promethius :)
     
  16. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    Anytime @danzca6 :)
     
  17. danzca6

    danzca6 Well-Known Member

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    Another question would be were to add an oiler to this system if printing with PLA? Ideally you could hook it up just prior to the hotend, but there is a lot going on there with the adapter. And I don't think you would want to attach at the beginning of the feed because of getting oil in the PTFE tubes. Maybe right before entering the "Y" adapter bracket? Not sure what all is going on in there yet to know if adding a light oil film on the filament prior to going in would interfere with the design.

    See...can't stop thinking about this now.
     
  18. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    Everything ive heard is the promethius doesnt need ab oiler for pla. @RP Iron Man can verify when he jumps on.
     
  19. danzca6

    danzca6 Well-Known Member

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    Then that would make things easier. I'm sure they have thought about all of this.
     
    #19 danzca6, Aug 30, 2016
    Last edited: Aug 30, 2016
  20. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    Yea man. Eric is a smart dude his system works well. He tests and inspects all his products very thoroughly. Amazing guy to work with.
     

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