dual extruder robo r 1+

Has anyone figured out a good way to setup dual extrusion on the r1+?

 

what is your suggestion? I will have to order a normal ramps board right?

 

this may sound like a stupid question but would I need a second stepper motor for the chimera dual extruder setup?

 

then if I counted right I should need in total 5 motor controllers?

 

in that video I didn't see any stepper motor mounts or gears of any kind

 

Yes. The one Robo uses in the R1+ is modified so that you cannot use the 5th stepper driver location the way you could on a normal ramps setup.

Also modifying the R1* for dual extruders is a tremendous headache if you aren't fully aware of every step you have to take before you start.

I did it to a circa 2015 R1 after a long string of warranty issues basically had things at the point that I was just experimenting with the mechanical/electrical bits of 3d printers before buying another one (detailed in a bunch of other posts elsewhere in the forum prior to said thread conveniently going missing during one of the forum updates).

It worked great for about a week as far as actual function goes, but I never really had any practical need for the second extruder after setting it up (and then a flaw in the acrylic foundation plate in the Robo expanded into a full-on crack and the entire setup caved in on itself inside the white shell while attempting to print that two-color dragon model as a proof-of-concept print).

Simplify3D does an awesome job generating breakaway supports, and modeling for a 2-color print is stupid when you can just paint an object after printing it.

Lots of material is wasted during extruder/hotend changeovers with the priming tower/shell/whatever, plus the heatup/cooldown times on said changeovers (don't want to leave the inactive hotend at temperature with some materials, as that is a good way to get a nasty clog).

You will have a much easier time of it if you wait until the Prometheus system is finished/fully bug tested and just buy and set that up. Fewer carriage parts to replace and you will mainly just be removing the Wade extruder on the carriage so the Prometheus can mount and then mounting two Bowden setup extruders on the outside of the Robo somewhere to feed the hotend (it will also eliminate an awful lot of the issues you'll have with two separate nozzles to calibrate).

 

I was personally looking at this like a challenge to see if I can do it. I also want it so I can on occasion do two colors or different materials together.

 

It's not really that much of a challenge, though, once you've read all of the published materials about the pros/cons of the various approaches to dual-extruding on 3d printers.

More tedious once you get down to actually doing it than any kind of actual challenge.

A better challenge would be keeping your R1 in it's stock configuration and getting it to reliably print objects until the warranty on it expires. Spend that time learning 3d modeling and how to fine-tune your slicer of choice to get the best prints for your particular machine.

Believe me, you'll learn a lot more and face a lot more challenges than you expect just mastering printing in the various filament materials (like ABS and Nylon).

 

My warranty is already up. I got the printer December of 2015. I have pretty much figured out modeling. I'm certified to teach autodesk inventor. I'm not saying that I know everything about 3d printing but I do know a lot about it. But I still have stuff to learn.

 

Well, then, design up a project that requires 3d printed parts and use your Robo to build it. Don't make the Robo itself the project.

Check out the Mostly-Printed CNC machine project for an example. Or the Farmbot.

It's fairly easy to wreck (in terms of having to buy expensive replacement parts if you buy them from the manufacturer instead of 3d party vendors) your 3d printer if you dive into modifying it without having a very good idea what you're doing before you get started.

 

Does anyone know what filament drive gear is being used on the robo 3d r1+?

 

It's just a generic hobbed bolt, not a drive gear. Mounted in a Greg's Wade extruder.

Here is a slightly better quality one to get if you're looking to replace it. https://www.filastruder.com/products/hobb-goblin-8mm-hobbed-shaft-kit

 

does the polarity for the heating element for the extruders matter?