JD Duallie Belt Driven Dual Extruder for Ord Hadron, others

thingiverse

This is a belt-reduced non-bowden dual extruder engineered to facilitate the use of flexible filament with careful attention to detail. It boasts an impressively tight 17mm nozzle interval and can probably be constructed at under 500g. Initially designed to pair seamlessly with the Ord Hadron X carriage, but forthcoming mounts should make it compatible with a range of machines. With dedication to minimizing the weight penalty relative to many non-bowden single extruders, I'm confident that I can produce a functioning unit weighing less than 500g. My first working prototype tips the scales at 600g, inclusive of hot ends and motors - this puts it firmly in line with many direct drive single extruders, making the added weight of a second direct drive extruder practically negligible. Every precaution has been taken to enable smooth, hassle-free flexible filament use, incorporating a straight path that minimizes seams and joints, and absolutely no room for filament buckle. Flexible material use hasn't yet undergone thorough testing. Filament idler pressure is straightforward to adjust on this design, thanks to the integrated "bird nose" quick release - granting direct access to the hobbed pulley or effortless material switching. Initial development was centered around the Ord Hadron carriage; nonetheless, by implementing a simple mount plate, the dual extruder should also fit effortlessly onto the MendelMax 2 carriage shortly. Notwithstanding that this is a still-evolving project, some 40 hours of continuous successful operation have been accumulated so far - illustrated via photos are initial prototype outcomes while the attached drawings show the modifications incorporated as a result of ongoing testing. Recordings of the device in action are posted online for reference: https://www.flickr.com/photos/34962649@N00/14809349302/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/34962649@N00/14576061370/in/photostream/ While integrated into an Ord Hadron, no modifications to the carriage itself are necessary, although a minor X limit endstop adjustment may be required - leaving room for full 196mm dual extrusion across the width. Upcoming design adaptations will bring mounting compatibility with a wide array of machines - detailed in separate posts soon to come. Instructions for construction can be accessed in the downloadable section in Open Office file format. An updated STEP Assembly file has also been included in this project as of March 18, 2015.