Skadis Filament Buffer V18

thingiverse

I've been working on the design of my Skadis filament buffer for nearly six months, and with version 18, I believe I've finally reached the perfect balance between ease of use and functionality. The Prusa "buffer" never impressed me - in fact, I disliked it so much that I couldn't even get past threading a filament through it the first time. Since then, I've been trying to come up with a better solution. This journey started with standalone buffers, but lately, I've been using the Ikea Skadis system, which allows for modular designs. Version 18 of the buffer is a simple two-piece design that uses magnets to hold the parts together. In my photos, you'll see the version 17 buffers behind them, which worked just as well but used plastic tags instead of magnets. The magnets make all the difference. All of my components use 10mm Festo connectors - you'll need two for each buffer. You'll also require two 602 bearings and two lengths of 6/4 Teflon tubing. I've found that 6/4 tubing works better than any 4/2 tubing, which is why I now use it exclusively in my Prusa Mk3. Additionally, you'll need two 8mm strong magnets. Once assembled, the filament flows smoothly through the buffer while feeding, and when the MMU unloads, the filament spools up inside, keeping it out of the way of other filaments. The fusion file is included if you'd like to adapt the design for your own purposes. Keep in mind that this has been a work-in-progress, so the file isn't as optimized as it could be.