We’ve all seen 3D printed templates that use a permanent marker to color the filament as it enters the hot end. [Sakati84] has a completely different idea. A holder on the print head can take one of several pens and use it to color the layer that the hot end just placed. In the video below, it appears to work well, and while we imagine it will be difficult to calibrate the height, it looks like something that could be replicated with almost any conventional printer.
Logically, you print a layer without a pen on the support and when you pick up a pen, it will have to be a little lower than the print nozzle or else it will drag the new plastic.
You have to 3D print a shelf and some pen holders depending on the brand of pen you want to use. There is also the bracket that fits on the hot end. You can see in the video how the head picks up and releases the pens from the holder. The rack can hold up to six pens.
Changing pens requires a lot of Z-axis movement, so we expect the print speed to be relatively slow overall. There is talk on the project wiki about increasing Z speed and tips for calibration, but it still won’t be that fast.
For the software, there is a Cura post-processing script. The software thinks there are seven extruders, the first being for unpainted filament. Extruders 2-7 are virtual and will color the print after each layer is printed.
Overall, it looks like a fun project even if we worry about the health of our Z-axis rods. We’ll be interested to see if anyone takes up the challenge of adapting it for other printers.
We have played with virtual extruders in a more manual way before. Or just bite the bullet and add some more real extruders.
Leave a Reply