Yeah I hadn’t considered the issue of small extrusions being a pain to deal with and static causing them to stick to everything. It might be mitigated by making them thicker and wider, but it sounds like even if it did all work perfectly there would be little benefit, at least on the U1’s style of tool attachment.
My whole thought process started a while back when I was making my own tool changer before there were affordable off the shelf options. Mechanically it was capable of faster tool changes than the U1, as it used a rotating disk of magnets moved by a bowden cable and servo.
Mechanically the tool change speed was only limited by the maximum speed of the XY motion system — the tool could be unlocked before it was fully inserted onto its holder, and kind of the opposite when picking a tool up — so I always intended to design a system to do all nozzle prep while docked. (I don’t think purging or prime towers were a thing yet.)
He clearly has, as hardware modification is physically required to enable purging from a docked tool. In the stock hardware, when the tool head is docked the nozzle is blocked by a silicone pad.
I don’t recall that being highlighted prior to this. All those people queueing up to buy might well not realise that internal modification is required, expecting purely an add-on.
There is no machine ‘modifications” like cutting/drilling or invasive disassembly, I specifically designed it to be easy to install. All you need to do is remove the factory nozzle wiper brackets (2 screws) and install the Quickpurge ones. You only need to replace the ones you want the color changing on, so if you just want 1 MMU on 1 toolhead, it’s literally 2 screws. The wire harness/bracket for the servos just attaches to the rear right corner of the machine, where the plug that covers the top screw goes, and you plug in the servo(s) to the harness. The hub holder arms also just replace the spool holders, so there’s nothing more to installing them than removing the spool holder and inserting the hub holder into its hole.
Besides that, the only other installation is just plugging things in.
Sidecar-U1 cable
Hub-Sidecar cable
24VDC power brick-Sidecar cable
That’s it. I would say it takes less than 15 minutes.
What really surprises me is the lack of curiosity. It’s a real pity he’s so excited about using a U1 as a coffee machine.
“I’m at the show, pretending to be eyes and ears for viewers, and there’s the exciting new U1… but what are these external units, looking rather like AMS? Not heard anything about that! Wow!! Hey Snapmaker, when are these getting to market?”
(Hey, wow, I just discovered I can pause the video and pan around not just by swiping but by turning my iPad!)
Why run four separate outputs from the Sidecar units, to be multiplexed just before going into the U1? I can understand it decreases the retraction length, but does that really matter? Or is it too difficult to multiplex them within the Sidecar because of tight bends or something?
