Simplify3D User Forum

Hey guys, I'm new to using simplified and doing ok figuring out the basics. I just had an idea, and perhaps it's been done or discussed. I'll try my best to describe in detail what I'm wondering about.

I'd like to use both of my E3D volcano extruders on the same print job, both being heated up and ready, or at least in standby slightly lower when not in use. I'd like my 1st extruder that has a .4 tip to print the exterior layers, and the 2nd extruder that has .8(or .6/1.2) to do the infill.


The 1st extruder would need to lay down multiple layers that has to equal one layer extruder from extruder 2 with the larger diameter nozzle.
So if Ext2 has .8, then Ext1 would need to lay down two layers of the exterior to match the one layer from Ext2 on the infill. Or Ext2 using a 1.2 would need Ext1 to lay down 3 layers on the exterior if using .4 nozzle.

The idea is that I can get a decent print cosmetically on the outside and instead of printing in fine layers on the inside I can lay down some bulk fill, saving a tone of time , also have some filament I don't use that could be great for infill.

Summary
Print job A

Use extruder 1
-- .4
-- print 2 ext layers(or more depending on extruder 2 nozzle diameter)

Switch extruders

Use extruder 2
-- .8
-- infill
-- print one layer that's the equal to the extrude from the 1st extruder

I'm wondering if it's possible, and how would you go about it

Sure. Setup both extruders with the different nozzle diameters, then set the primary extruder to the 0.4mm one so that will be used for the outlines, and set the infill extruder to the 0.8mm one. So now the outlines will be printed with the smaller nozzle, and the infill with the thick one.

If you want to do something like print 2 layers of the 0.4mm outlines for each 1 layer of the 0.8mm infill, then just set the "print infill every X layers" option to 2, so that infill is printed every other layer.

brian442 wrote:Sure. Setup both extruders with the different nozzle diameters, then set the primary extruder to the 0.4mm one so that will be used for the outlines, and set the infill extruder to the 0.8mm one. So now the outlines will be printed with the smaller nozzle, and the infill with the thick one.

If you want to do something like print 2 layers of the 0.4mm outlines for each 1 layer of the 0.8mm infill, then just set the "print infill every X layers" option to 2, so that infill is printed every other layer.

Awesome, I look forward to trying out. I feel like this would probably be one of the biggest reasons to use two extruders.

Thanks for the help!

Ok tomorrow we will attempt some more but didn't go as planned so far. Yesterday we added the second extruder in the fff settings. set diam etc. Set the second extruder to do the infill and the support material. Attempted to print and immediately saw it wasn't heating(which has been figured out why) and the first extruder was also still doing the infill.

So we stopped the print, fixed the second extruder
not heating, and went thru the settings again. Before trying to print again we watched the preview of the print instead. not matter the changes all we could see in the preview was the second extruder ONLY working to do the support material, not the infill.

Tomorrow we will be on duty at the fire station and will work on it some more. Hopefully it's one of those "Jesus how did we miss this" moments.

Every extruder must have checked ON the Wait-For ... field in the Temperature-tab.
And also clear, in the Infill-tab you must change the active extruder to the 2nd however it is named.
And it is recommended to set the Auto-Configure-Extruder-field in the Process-window to BothExtruders; that will change the Start-Script to the new requirements.

Regards
horst.w, GER

Is it also possible to print only the outer line of the outline/top layers/bottom layers with a 0.4 nozzle, and print the inner outlines, top layers, bottom layers and infill with 0.8?
It concerns a very large part. This way I can achieve a nicer finish without an excessive amount of extra print time.