3D printing is cool, but most basic fused deposition printers just print in a single color. This means that if you want a prettier, more vibrant print, you need to paint or perform some other kind of finishing process. Multimaterial printers that can switch filaments on the fly exist, but they often have an issue with waste. [3DMN] decided to attempt building a purge bucket as a solution.

[3DMN] was previously familiar with using a purge block when running multimaterial prints. A basic block model is printed along side the actual desired part. The block is printed so that it is at the same layer height as the desired part, so the nozzle can purge cleanly without stringing plastic all over the print bed.

Tired of the waste, [3DMN] designed a purge bucket which moves with the Z-axis of his Geeetech A20M printer. The bucket attaches to the Z-axis with lock nuts and is always at the same height relative to the nozzle, regardless of the stage of printing. When a material change is required, the nozzle moves to the bucket, purges the filament, and then moves back to the print. The bucket features a 3mm silicone wiper to help ensure there is no material left clinging to the nozzle after the purge is complete, and aluminium tape which helps prevent the purged filament sticking to the walls of the bucket.

[3DMN] notes there’s also a speed increase for some prints, due to no longer needing to print purge objects along with the main part. The parts are available on Thingiverse for those of you wishing to experiment with your own setup.

Multimaterial printing can have some great visual results, and it’s great to see the community providing solutions to improve the process and reduce the waste involved.  We’ve also seen filament splicing, which is another unique approach to multimaterial prints. Video after the break.

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