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Dual 3d printer extruder


The Best Dual Extruder 3D Printers in 2022 (for Dual 3D Printing and Multicolor 3D Printing)

Welcome to the Thomas guide to the best dual extruder 3D printers 2022. Thomas has been connecting North American industrial buyers and suppliers for more than 120 years. When you purchase products through our independent recommendations, we may earn an affiliate commission.

3D printing in itself is a progressive technology that is extremely useful in many businesses, but it's also a fun activity for DIY hobbyists too. With rapid advancements taking place in the sector regularly, we have seen a lot of impressive things from this industry and can expect to see a lot more in the near future.

Dual extruder 3D printers can produce colorful and creative projects with two different filaments

Image credit: Shutterstock/Alex_Traksel

Although it's been around for a long time in the professional 3D printing world, one of the newer technologies introduced to at-home 3D printers is dual extrusion which allows users to print with two filaments at the same time, meaning you can mix colors and multiple materials—from PETG, ABS, PLA, and carbon, to metal, wood fill, and multicolor printing filaments—to produce extremely creative projects that can even be created simultaneously.

What is a Dual Extruder 3D Printer?

Dual extrusion in 3D printing refers to the art of printing using different materials, whether you choose different colors or different types of filaments with various effects, such as plastic filaments with metallic, or wooden effects. 

This gives you the ability to make superior and more impressive products, and many professionals, as well as 3D printing enthusiasts, and those who own small businesses, i.e. Etsy shops selling 3D printed creations, swear by it. 

Dual Extruder Printer—Buying Guide

3D printers with dual extruding capacity are, understandably, slightly pricier than single extruders, but it is a major upgrade from the single types, and there are many dual extruder 3D printers on the market at reasonable prices of around US$300-US$400. Since you’ll be spending quite a bit on this impressive piece of equipment, you want to make sure you’re buying the best one for your needs.

Types of Dual Extruder 3D Printers

Though most dual printing machines allow for multi-color printing with different materials, there are two main types of dual extruder 3D printers available:

Independent dual extruder system

IDEX printers have two print heads and two nozzles with each print head able to either mirror the other in mirror mode, duplicate items with duplication mode, or print two completely separate objects.

Dependant dual extruders

These dual extruders have two extruders that are connected and move together to create one object using two different filaments. Two spools are loaded on the 3D printer and the printer alternates using them. These printers have the key advantage of reducing printing time since more print material can be produced than with just a single print head.

Dual Extrusion Printers—Considerations

Here are some other factors to consider why trying to find the best dual extruder 3D printers for your needs.

Print bed

As with regular 3D printers, print beds in dual extruder printers come in heated or non-heated options. A 3D printer with a heated print bed is, understandably, usually more expensive than a non-heated option but a heating plate can offer better print quality by keeping the bottom layers warm and reduce the chances of your prints warping during the printing process.

Print heads

Whereas a regular 3D printer just has one print head, a dual extruder printer will have more than one print head, with either two extruders, and sometimes even three. Some dual extruder 3D printers might have just one print head but a dual nozzle that can use two separate filaments on one print. A dual nozzle is great for printing an object in several materials or colors.

Print volume

Print volume, also referred to as the printing volume or the build volume, is how big an object you can build on any given printer. For an at-home printer, projects that would need a huge build volume would likely involve a printing process that would see the object printed off in separate parts and then stuck together afterward. The average size of a 3D printer with a larger build plate would be around 300 x 300 x 400mm.

Calibration

If you’re a beginner to the world of 3D printing, a printer with automatic calibration is highly recommended. As with most aspects in 3D printing, calibrating a 3D printer has a learning curve and an automatic calibration feature can save you time and hassle and do the hard work for you.

Other factors

Another consideration you may want to keep in mind is cost. A dual extruding printer will be priced higher than a regular single head printer, plus maintenance costs will be higher, too, because there are more parts to this machine. In addition, if you’ll be working with various filaments at the same time (or even the same filament but with two extruders), factoring in higher costs for different materials is also a must.

Some machines even come with an added laser engraver feature or you could buy a compatible laser engraver to use with it. Whatever you’re after in a dual extruding 3D printer, our below list has some of the best models on the market to suit an array of styles, needs, and budgets.

Thomas’ Top Picks for the Best Dual Extruder 3D Printers 2022

We've scoured around and found some of the best 3D dual extruders worth taking a look at.

Best-Rated Dual Extruder 3D Printer: BIBO 3D Dual Extruder Printer | Buy Now

Best Dual Independent Extruder 3D Printer: TENLOG TL-D3 Pro Dual Extruder 3D Printer | Buy Now

Best Enclosed Dual Extruder 3D Printer: FlashForge Dreamer Dual Extruder 3D Printer | Buy Now

Best Cheap Dual Extruder 3D Printer: Sovol SV02 3D Printer | Buy Now

Best Professional Dual Extruder 3D Printer: Raise3D E2 Desktop 3D Printer | Buy Now

Best Quiet Dual Extrusion Machine: JG AURORA Artist-D Pro IDEX 3D Printer | Buy Now

Scroll down to read more about our top picks for the best dual extruder 3D printers according to thousands of happy buyers.

*Prices listed in this article were as shown in US$ on Amazon.com (USA) as of April 2022

1. Best-Rated Dual Extruder 3D Printer—BIBO 3D Printer Dual Extrusion

A great printer well under the US$1000 mark, is this BIBO dual extruding 3D printer; a fully enclosed model with a very sturdy frame, full-color touch screen, WiFi capabilities, a demountable glass bed, and a low filament detector to let you know when you need to replace it before it's too late. 

You can operate it via your phone or tablet if you so wish, and, in addition to printing two colors, it also has the ability to print two objects at the same time. This printer can print in two colors or filament materials, and can also print the dissolvable filament for support material.

One five-star review reads, "The dual extruder function is great, I'm able to use PLA filament and a soluble filament to print out some gears that impressed my friends and coworkers. .. Customer support is AMAZING. Every problem I had is solved very promptly and professionally, even though my printer is well out of their warranty."

Specifications

Build volume: 8.4 x 7.3 x 6.3 inches

Layer resolution: 0.05-0.3mm

Filament compatibility: multiple filaments including ABS, PLA, HIPS, TPU, PETG, nylon, PC, carbon fiber

BUY NOW:

US$579, Amazon

2. Best Independent Dual Extruder 3D Printer—TENLOG Independent Dual Extrusion 3D Printer with Dual Nozzle

Whereas other dual extruding printers have one nozzle that can print from two pre-loaded filament spools, a 3D printer with independent dual extruding capabilities, like this model from TENLOG, has two separate nozzles, each with its own spool, that print at the same time but independently from each other. 

This dual nozzle printer can print a duplicate in one go with its duplication or mirroring print modes, in the same or multiple colors, and many customers were left impressed with the high print quality this printer offers.

One happy buyer who described himself as a "3D printing veteran", wrote that the printer is "amazing" and that its print quality is "gorgeous", while another reviewer added "the touch screen and print quality are excellent."

Specifications

Build volume: 11.8 x 11.8 x 13.8 inches

Print speed: 10-150mm/s

Layer thickness: 0.1-0.4mm

Filament compatibility: PVA, TPU, ABS, PLA, nylon

BUY NOW:

US$499.99, Amazon

3. Best Enclosed Dual Extruder 3D Printer—FlashForge Dreamer Dual Extruder 3D Printer

The Dreamer by FlashForge is a fan favorite for many reasons; its fully enclosed design and sleek look, WiFi connectivity, user-friendly and high-res color touch screen, built-in 4G memory, full manufacturer's warranty, FlashForge's superior customer service, and, of course, it's dual extruder capabilities.

In addition, some consider this dual extrusion printer to be a professional piece of kit at the price of more beginner-level 3D printers and its large printing volume helps users get creative. 

"This printer is the best bang for your buck to create large, very high-quality prints," one happy buyer reviewed. "[It] has a very high quality, well planned/built enclosure, which you won't find in many printers at this price. It even has two filament spool holders inside the enclosure."

Specifications

Build volume: 230 x 150 x 150 mm

Print speed: “100 micron and can really go to 75 micron at slower printing speed” (as per one customer)

Resolution: 0.1-0.2mm

Filament compatibility: ABS, PVA, PLA, 

BUY NOW:

US$699, Amazon

4. Best Cheap Dual Extruder 3D Printer—Sovol SV02 3D Printer

Great for beginners, this dual extrusion 3D printer from Sovol with large print volume capacity comes 95% pre-assembled so you can get to printing pretty much straight out of the box. Its full-metal body is stable and made to last, and the touch-screen is user-friendly. 

With an impressive build volume, and the ability to print in two colors (or two types of filament), you'd be hard-pressed to find another 3D printer with the same capabilities at this price. In addition, you could buy an extra kit that will turn this thing into a laser engraving machine too if you’d like to add that something special that laser engraving can bring to your projects.

"I purchased it for the dual extrusion capability, and the large build area," wrote one buyer. "I was very impressed with the smoothness of this printer. The only sound during operation is the sound from the fans." Another happy purchaser helpfully added that the "dual extrusion is awesome, but for most prints, you will waste a lot of filament with the purge tower due to the shared hot end. It is a necessary evil."

Specifications

Build volume: 240 x 280 x 300 mm

Print precision: ±0. 1mm

Layer thickness: 0.1-0.4mm

Filament compatibility: can support material including PLA, ABS, PETG, WOOD, TPU

BUY NOW:

US$359, Amazon

5. Best Professional Dual Extruder 3D Printer—Raise3D E2 3D Printer

For a professional 3D printing matching (with a price tag to match), the Raise3D is actually rather simple to use and even easier to set up. It has an auto bed leveling system and will guide you through the offset calibration system via a video.

It has an intuitive user interface with a large 7-inch touchscreen, and also many other features such as independent dual direct-drive extruders, a filament run-out sensor, resume-printing function, WiFi connectivity, and a live, built-in camera so you can monitor your prints remotely. 

There's even a HEPA filter to clear any harmful and annoying fumes. It's compatible with almost any filament available. "This is my second dual-extruder printer," wrote one thrilled customer, "and compared to all of the less expensive units, the difference is night and day... Where the less expensive printers leave you feeling like the printer itself is more of a prototype, this one screams quality polished product."

Specifications

Build volume: 11.6 x 9.4 x 9.4 inches

Minimum layer height: 20 microns (0.02 – 0.25 mm)

Precision: 0.78125, 0.78125, 0.078125 micron

Filament compatibility: practically all of them (PLA, ABS, HIPS, PC, TPU, TPE, Nylon, PETG, ASA, PP, PVA, glass fiber infused, carbon fiber infused, metal fill, wood fill)

BUY NOW:

US$3,499, Amazon

6. Best Quiet Dual Extrusion Machine—JG AURORA Artist-D Pro IDEX 3D Printer

With super quiet functioning so that you can leave it printing all night if needed without waking up the whole household, the Artist-D Pro 3D printer by JG AURORA has an IDEX system, an ejectable nozzle for easy replacement, changes, and maintenance, and an industrial-grade linear rail for smooth and practically friction-free precision.

It provides the option to change to an optical limit switch, and, as a step up from the Artist-D, has a color touch screen. There are power-resume and filament runout detector functions and duplicate as well as mirror printing options.

One customer with a lot of experience in 3D printing with industrial printers felt that this printer is “the best desktop printer I have ever purchased,” and added, “it has features that my more expensive desktop printers do not have… It has been printing since it showed up at my door, well-needed production parts.” 

Specifications

Build volume: 300 x 300 x 340mm build plate

Precision: up to 0.001 mm 

Filament compatibility: PLA, TPU, PETG, PVA

BUY NOW:

US$599, Amazon

The BIBO 3D Printer (US$579, Amazon) is a great foray into the world of dual extruding, but for something a bit more economical, the price-performance ratio of the Sovol SV02 3D printer (US$359, Amazon) is impressive too.  

We hope our review of the best dual Extruder 3D printers has been helpful and you found the best dual extrusion printer for your needs to get creative and print objects in multiple colors, shapes, and sizes, and perhaps even add laser engraving to the mix too. For more 3D printers and other 3D printing suppliers, including 3D printer filaments suppliers, additive manufacturing suppliers, 3D photographic printing services, and 3D sand printing additive manufacturing, consult our additional guides, or visit the Thomas Supplier Discovery Platform.

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Twin turret extruder.

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Before that, I made and tested a double extruder of the "rocker" type. I also used a 'Y' extruder before. As you know, each of these extruders has its pros and cons. As a rule, 'Y' extruders have a large consumption of plastic and time, and "rocker" - a loss of printed volume. Then I thought about combining these two types into one, or rather their positive aspects. And so the 'revolver' type extruder was born. nine0003

Its uniqueness is that it allows you to print with two plastics from different nozzles, but the nozzles are positioned after switching at one point and the printed volume is not lost. Also, the unused nozzle rises, which prevents the model from touching.

In this type of extruder, it was possible to achieve better repeatability compared to the same "rocker". It is easier to maintain it, for its seemingly large dimensions, it actually takes up less space. The locking system I invented eliminates false switching, everything is securely locked. nine0003

This prototype does not yet have enough shutters to cover the unused nozzle, but it is quite suitable for printing in this state. There are still a few mechanic modifications to come and more printing tests to come.

As they say, there is no limit to perfection and flight of fancy!

Well, a few photos of the printout.

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Why 2 extruders in a 3D printer? / Habr

Good afternoon everyone! In this article, we would like to talk about the issue that torments many customers when choosing a 3D printer with 2 extruders. Namely, which is better? What is more stable? Which 3D printer to choose? Why do dual extruder 3D printers alone cost significantly less, and what is the difference between them? nine0003

A bit of theory

First of all, let's start with the fact that by printing with 2 extruders (or 2-component printing), we mean the ability to print with 2 materials, for example, PLA (base material) and PVA (temporary support material removed chemically, using water in this case ).

It is possible to print in two different colors. But in practice this has not received any great distribution. The printing of complex models with dissolvable supports is in demand. nine0115
Therefore, you need to decide for yourself why you need a 3D printer with two extruders? For most tasks, it is enough to use a 3D printer with 1 extruder.

The use of a dual extruder 3D printer is a must when printing complex 3D models with dissolvable supports. Usually such 3D printers are chosen by manufacturing companies for printing geometrically complex prototypes or owners of 3D printers with 1 extruder who understand that they cannot realize with a 3D printer with 1 extruder. nine0003

But do all 3D printers with 2 extruders have the same capabilities? Or is it that differences in design, and, accordingly, in price, are of decisive importance?

Consider different solutions for 3D printing with 2 materials on the 3D equipment market.

To implement this function, manufacturers use the following solutions:

Solution No. 1

Use of 2 static extruders. As a rule, these are 2 hot-ends with two independent material feed motors. There are many options. But all of them, to one degree or another, repeat the decisions on the Makerbot Replicator 2, released in 2012. nine0003

There are several technical solutions, but they all have a common list of disadvantages and features.

Disadvantages :

1) Be sure to align both nozzles horizontally with respect to the 3D printer desktop. In other words, the nozzles of each hotend should be at the same height, ideally with an error of no more than 0.1 mm.

2) Using a utility tower (or similar) to clean the inactive nozzle from plastic drips (drop formation) before switching to the active mode for printing. Consider an example: if nozzle #1 prints a model with blue plastic, then in order for nozzle #2 to start printing white, the printer first needs to print the 1st layer of the tower with nozzle #2 to remove the remaining plastic, and only then move it to print the base model ( see picture). And so every switch. This greatly (at times) slows down the print speed, relative to the same model but when printing in 1 color. Moreover, there is a possibility of the collapse of the utilitarian tower (the layer did not fit well, or peeled off from the desktop) and, as a result, the marriage of the entire project. nine0003

3) No guaranteed result. Due to the complexity and imperfection of the extruder architecture. Large marriage rate. A nozzle that is currently inactive can leak plastic and ruin the part.

Advantages:

1) Low cost solution
2) Simplicity of design, as a result - high maintainability.

This variant has the lowest price and the lowest overall performance. The complexity of the settings, to obtain a high-quality result, makes this implementation option a testing ground for experiments at home. In a more or less intensive implementation of projects, this option is quite problematic. nine0003

Decision No. 2

Using a Diamond type extruder. This type of extruder uses a single nozzle, and a radiator(s) (or cooling module) with multiple internal plastic passages.

Basically, this extruder is used to print different colors. But this, as we already know, has not received much distribution in reality. Printing with solvent material will be somewhat difficult. Firstly, the base material and support material have different operating temperatures. This will cause some difficulties for quality printing. nine0003

And in any case, this design has almost the entire list of disadvantages, like the first option.
Only there is no point about the alignment of the nozzles - here it is one.

Disadvantages :

1) There remains the need to use a utility tower (or equivalents) to clean the nozzle from plastic drips (drop formation) before switching to another material. This "tower" is visible in the photo. This greatly (at times) slows down the print speed, relative to the same model, but when printing in 1 color. Here, it may still take time to change the temperature of the nozzle, when changing the base material to supports. Or the possibility of poor-quality printing will greatly increase. nine0115 2) There is no guaranteed result. Due to the complexity and imperfection of the extruder architecture. Large marriage rate.
3) This type of extruder is equipped with Bowden-scheme plastic feeding. This entails difficulties (more often even the impossibility of printing with flexible plastics)

The advantages have also disappeared.
Such a solution is quite expensive. And it has a complex structure.

Advantages:

1) Better print quality than #1. nine0003

As a result, in the variant of printing with two materials with dissolvable supports, there are no special advantages over the first solution. But this option has a higher price.

Solution #3

Extruder designs where the currently inactive nozzle rises to avoid problems. The most famous today, among serial printers, is the JetSwitch circuit.

Rotary nozzle system from PICASO 3D. There is one plastic feed motor, which facilitates the design. nine0003

The main feature is that one of the nozzles, which is active at the moment, is lowered to the working level with the help of a rotary mechanism. The second is closed at this time, and no molten plastic flows out of it.

Advantages:

1) High print quality
2) There is no need to build a utilitarian "tower". Therefore, the switching time between extruders is short. The speed of printing with two materials is MUCH faster than that of options 1.2. Below is a comparison table from PICASO 3D. nine0003

Disadvantages :

1) A rather complicated design, and as a result, a high price.

There are several other options for extruders with lifting nozzles. All of them are united by one thing - a much higher print quality with two materials than the "classic" option No. 1. Yes, they all have a higher price, but the print quality is drastically different.

Terminals

The conclusions are as follows - by purchasing an inexpensive design, you save money, but spend many times more time on setup and printing itself. With the remaining risk of marriage, which reduces all efforts to zero.

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