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Tips and Tricks: LulzBot TAZ Dual Extruder v3 Tool Head

2024-04-04 | By Lulzbot

License: See Original Project 3D Printing

Courtesy of LulzBot

Guide by LulzBot

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Geometric freedom is at your command with soluble support material and the LulzBot ‎TAZ v3 Dual Extruder Tool Head! Break-away or same-material supports can be difficult ‎to remove without damage to the model, tend to leave artifacts on the print surface, and ‎can be downright impossible to remove from enclosed cavities. Soluble supports, ‎however, dissolve in liquid (usually water) so they can be removed from difficult to reach ‎areas without potential for damage the print. They can also be printed more densely ‎against the model surface, leaving little to no trace behind. Check out these 3D printing ‎tips and tricks for an optimal printing experience:‎

Setup:‎‎ ‎

Proper setup is crucial to the functionality of your LulzBot TAZ Dual Extruder v3 and is ‎important for optimum print quality. Select your LulzBot TAZ from the options below ‎and follow the steps as outlined:‎‎

‎LulzBot TAZ 5    LulzBot TAZ 6‎

Materials and Profiles‎ ‎

The materials included in Cura LE have been thoroughly tested with water soluble ‎support materials. Use materials with the same temperature requirements for best ‎results. Enjoy your freedom to create by 3D printing with filament from many additional ‎vendors. The materials in the Experimental category have been developed by filament ‎manufacturers and members of the 3D printing community. Note: These experimental ‎profiles may require setting changes for improved finish or reliability.‎

  • ABS (Chroma Strand Labs): Nozzle:240 Bed:110

  • ABS (IC3D): Nozzle: 240 Bed:105

  • ABS (Village Plastics): Nozzle:240 Bed:110

  • PLA (Verbatim): Nozzle:205 Bed:70

  • PLA (Village Plastics): Nozzle:205 Bed:70

  • PolyLite PLA (Polymaker): Nozzle:205 Bed:70‎

  • Alloy 910 (Taulman): Nozzle:225 Bed:100

  • Bridge Nylon (Taulman): Nozzle:240 Bed:70

  • HIPS (Village Plastics): Nozzle:240 b:85

  • PCTPE (Taulman): Nozzle:240 Bed:70

  • PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker): Nozzle:220 Bed:70‎

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Support for ABS‎ ‎

It can be a challenge to get ABS to bond consistently to PVA-based support materials. If ‎you print a lot of ABS filament, you may want to try out using natural (non-‎pigmented) HIPS as a support material. HIPS has very similar mechanical and melt ‎properties to ABS and bonds well to it when printing. Unlike PVA, HIPS do not dissolve ‎in water. Instead, it can be dissolved in D-limonene, a natural solvent derived from ‎orange peels and used in cleaning products. D-limonene dissolves HIPS but simply leaves ‎ABS with a fresh orange scent.‎

Storing Water Soluble Filament‎

Most soluble filaments are Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based. PVA filaments are hygroscopic, ‎which means they attract and absorb moisture from the air. To mitigate this, store your ‎soluble support material in a sealed bag or container, ideally with a fresh desiccant pack ‎for moisture absorption. ‎

Moving the Prime Tower‎ ‎

The prime tower serves to ensure consistent extrusion when switching between ‎materials. It loads in a default location on the print bed, but by moving it closer to the ‎model it is possible to significantly reduce printing time. ‎ ‎

1. In “Print Setup,” select Custom.‎

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2. From the menu, select Dual Extrusion.‎

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3. In this menu, Prime Tower X Position and Prime Tower Y Position are visible. This ‎value tells Cura where to put the prime tower along the X and Y axes.‎

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‎4. The smaller the value in both fields, the closer the prime tower will be to the front left ‎corner of the print bed. Be sure not to load the prime tower into the model, as Cura LE ‎will not slice if this happens.‎

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Prime Tower Bed Adhesion‎ ‎

If you are having difficulty with your prime tower and bed adhesion, we recommend ‎adding a brim as opposed to the default skirt. To add a brim, select Build Plate ‎Adhesion, and in the drop-down menu, select Brim. This will also add a brim to your ‎print, but it will provide more surface area for bed adhesion.‎

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Increasing the thickness of the prime tower by 2 or 3 millimeters is another method to ‎ensure better adhesion to the print surface, but it will also slightly increase your print ‎time and material use. In the Dual Extrusion menu, enter the desired value into the Prime ‎Tower Thickness field.‎

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Soluble Support Removal‎ ‎

Most soluble support materials take about 24 hours to completely dissolve, but there are ‎a few things you can do to reduce cleanup time:‎

  1. ‎Keep the support density at the default 20% or lower. ‎ ‎

  2. Manually remove as much of the support material as possible before soaking, using ‎care not to damage your model. ‎

  3. Soak the print in an agitated bath. This can be done with a pump to ensure constant ‎water movement over the print, or with an ultrasonic tank. ‎

  4. Use hot water. For this method to be most effective, the water will need to be ‎changed as it cools. Be sure not to use water that is hotter than the softening ‎temperature of your model. Hot tap water can be too hot for PLA!‎

Other Helpful Tips:‎‎ ‎

Make sure that the Z-offset is set correctly by following the steps outlined here.‎

Periodically cleaning the extruder hobbing with the dental pick (from your TAZ's tool kit) ‎will help prevent filament jamming and stripping. First, remove the two thumb screws at ‎the top of the tool head to gain access. Then, while slowly turning the drive gear, gently ‎scrape away any debris that has collected in the hobbing until the entire circumference ‎is clean. It is helpful to have compressed air handy during this process to clear away the ‎bits of filament. Remember to use the included spacer to ensure proper tension when ‎you replace the thumb screws.‎

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The Dual Extruder v3 is recommended for advanced users and is only for the LulzBot ‎TAZ 6 and is not compatible with the LulzBot Mini. ‎

Show off your victories now that you're armed with the knowledge of how to vanquish ‎monotony as a dual-wielding champion of creativity. Share your victories in the LulzBot ‎User forum, and on social media! (Links below).‎‎ ‎

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