Large format dual PH working in tandem?
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I am wondering if it is possible to build a large format machine along the lines of x = 4ft y = 4 ft and z = 2 ft I have a duet wifi now that i love in my FT5 chassis. I am wondering if it is capable of driving the 2 print heads to work on the same part together? If so, any limits to # of concurrent print heads +- expansion boards is my guess.
just saw this and wow but no idea what hardware or software they are running. did notice they are using encoders on the motors too… question is, can the duet wifi run something like this on a smaller scale?
https://www.youtube.com/embed/TkEOMQ6rQ6s -
Is there an open source multi-head slicer yet, and if so, what output does it produce? That's the key part.
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The building blocks are there in RepRapFirmware already. It is possible to configure multiple independent axis, and multiple extruders and have a single line of gcode drive both sets of independent axis, and both extruders at once. e.g.:
G1 X100 Y100 U200 V200 E5:3
As David says the issue is generating g code that:
a) Works
b) Is collision safeFun job!
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The smaller you get, the more likely you are to get a collision as well. Its possible that each gantry in that machine simply has its own print space. When you slice the file, you simply slice 4 different sections.
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Yes that would work, add something in the slicer that varied those print spaces by layer so they took the same time to complete for each print head (or you would end up with idle print heads)