The printer combines a hybrid Independent Dual Extruder system, automated calibration, and open-source hardware to support multi-material printing with minimal filament waste.
The desktop three-dimensional (3D) printer M1D from Sovol uses a hybrid Independent Dual Extruder (IDEX) system with a fixed and tool changing extruders to print multicoloured and multi-materials using fused deposition modelling (FDM) technology.
This technology allows printing with up to seven colours without wasting filament by eliminating the purge cycles required in conventional multicolour systems. Tool changing means that each print head has its own dedicated filament and does not require purges during material changing. Automatic metal gripping system allows toolhead changes within five seconds and preheating each toolhead prior printing to reduce downtime. The printer supports several operating modes, including multicolour printing, copy mode, mirror mode for symmetrical parts and standard single-colour printing.
For better print quality, the printer is equipped with automated calibration and monitoring functions. Vision-based calibration aligns the print heads automatically, whereas the automatic Z-offset adjustment continuously corrects nozzle height during the whole process of printing. A non-contact eddy current sensor is used for bed levelling, which helps to reduce the mechanical stress compared to the traditional contact probing.
Furthermore, the printer is equipped with an integrated monitoring system capable of detecting filament tangles, filament run-out, nozzle clogging and foreign objects on the print bed. A multi-channel automatic filament management system handles filament feeding and error detection, whereas the touchscreen interface makes it possible to control and monitor the printer.
The whole system, including both hardware and software, is open-source. It means that the design files, schematics and source code is available via GitHub. As an open-source device, the printer can be modified by users to suit their own requirements.
