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Dual Extrusion Splitter v2

The Dual Extrusion Splitter for the Axis 3d printer has been updated.

The new design reduces the likelihood of jamming and provides a straighter path for the filament. We've also removed the need for the short PTFE tubes inside the splitter.

It uses the same hardware already included with the original splitter however you will also need three M3 x 10mm or longer bolts and three M3 nyloc nuts to secure the two halves of the splitter together.

The new splitter is available for download here:

Axis Dual Splitter v2_Front

Axis Dual Splitter v2_Back

In addition to the updated splitter the instruction for dual extrusion have been updated too. Specifically with the addition of step 9 of stage 4:

https://makertech-3d.dozuki.com/Guide/Stage+04:+First+Dual+Print/64?lang=en#s796

By adding the post processing step it removes the pauses that Cura inserts between switches.

Time-lapse of printing, both approx. 6 hours. (unfortunately we ran out of daylight before the cat print finished):

21 comments

21 Comments

Jay M

Oct 31, 2020

I could not get v2 splitter to hand feed out of one side even. Printed in PETG on a Prusa i3 MK3S... twice, once at .2 layers and then again at .1. Second one worked a little better but still couldn’t feed past the entry for the E2 side. E1 would work. I gave up with those and went back to the one that shipped with it.

Wrong size embedded nut for one screw on the hot end side, so could never fully close, had a crack. Wrong size screw sent for middle or maybe I lost it and that was just the extra small screw they sent (though directions i don’t think even mention the middle). I had 2.5mm screw so used that to mostly get tight.

was able to feed by hand so got my hopes up! and crushed. Whenever I extracted E2 after extruding a test, the stringing and blob at the end prevented it from coming back in.

thinking about it, there just seems to be too many variables for dual extrusion to ever be very reliable for like this. Going back to single.

kevin bogart

Oct 22, 2020

The crap filament from Makertech, the red and the blue came in packages that were punctured before I even got them. The red and blue has always been brittle.

Yeah, the new splitter is junk. I thought I was doing well asking someone else to print me one with a better printer. I was wrong.

Im done with dual extrusion until my Prusa gets here.

Jay M

Oct 22, 2020

Replying to

Agree. I tossed the red and blue half rolls that were part of the kickstarter, both punctured and brittle as heck. I did buy additiona rolls of Makertech PLA+ and they are all vacuum sealed from what I can tell. Only opened and used the Yellow so far, and it has been fine. Have red, blue, white, orange at least. And a couple of ABS+ that I am not sure about.

kevin bogart

Oct 21, 2020

So I had a friend that can print, print me one of these new designs. I will have to say that it is worse than the original. My filament, the red and the blue that came with the machine keep breaking off inside. I didnt have this bad of a problem using the original design once I got it figured out.

Man this is just a bad design.

Sinspin

Oct 21, 2020

Replying to

What do you mean with breaking off? I guess that is not from the new splitter. If you store PLA at an humid place, it can loose its strength. Whenever it goes thru the extruder, it gets a slight crack every few millimeter. I had that with cheap PLA. But so far not with the PLA from Makertech.

Or is the path for the filament inside too tight? If you move the filament by hand, is it smooth or stuck it? Maybe the print have no good quality or is not even enough.

Johannes Helm

Oct 12, 2020

Nice... Thanks for that updaye... it makes dualprinting worthy again :). Just one tiny problem after replacing the "M" codes in gcode the printer wants to start the print before nozzle temp is reached, but i guess its not that hard to pre heat the nozzle or pause the print...yingyang print ia printed with dualextruder v1 only code is altered... No gloggs/ absolute no problems duri g print (ca 45min) :)

Sinspin

Oct 06, 2020

If that solution is working well... would it mean that there is no more problem to print even with 3 or 4 colors. As long they are same material (same temperature).

But, as far as i know is the extruder amount in marlin still limited. And also the slicer have to support it.

kevin bogart

Oct 06, 2020

Wow, a replacement part that needs to be printed. How the hell am I going to get this to work when I cant even print a cube? I cant get anything to stick to the bed anymore. I have cleaned it with alcohol and I have put tape down. The 50°C just isnt working. I got my replacement parts in the mail, but having to tear this apart and put it back together and with everything tight, aligned, it is just not working.

Sinspin

Oct 10, 2020

Replying to

@kevin bogart Are you really sure that you want do that? JGMaker is not from USA. They are at least dump enough to show that they are in real from China. But KS is not restricted in China! Why then the fake project location at USA?

I have learned to give a s*** on all that nice pictures and animations the chinese are able to produce. I know, they send some real test samples to "Tester". But who knows if they get also some money to say what JGMaker want hear?

They tell to be in the market since 2009!

At their KS page : "Thanks for your continuing trust over the past 11 years."

So? How? Its their first project at KS! There was not a single project before at KS. There is no reference to another funding platform or some other funded projects. Yes, they have some more pictures at their website, but i count them as scam.

Even China, but for sure active and known as an acceptable quality, is Creality. Their Ender series is widely used. They operate with warehouses in USA / Europe.

I will stick to Makertech at least for while, to give them a chance to grow above usual china quality. However, i bought the Proforge S2 from them, which is by far a better quality than the Axis.

So, at the end its your decission, to go again into KS risk, wait a long time for a magic product und just buy from some other producer and have it in hand withing a few weeks.

Jay M

Oct 10, 2020

Replying to

I am also backing them. Explanation was good enough for me on the Texas location; bulk ship to there pay the import duties one time and then ship out from there. Like you said it yourself, same as Creality does with warehouses in US and EMEA.

That said, I am pretty worried it is a scam too. :-) I will take the chance though and back them and see what they can produce (if anything). I got the Axis going eventually... if they send a bucket of parts - maybe can figure out something to do with them.

Johannes Helm

Oct 12, 2020

Replying to

Turn the flexplate upside town with the sticker pointing townwards and use pva gluestick... I do that and i have the bedheat @25c°... After 3-4 prints i remove the old glue with water and apply new :)

Makertech 3D

Oct 06, 2020

A top tip to prevent the hotend from leaking is to tighten the nozzle when the hotend is hot - this should give you a better seal.

Jay M

Oct 06, 2020

Replying to

Thanks. Will try that as well. Should I still use the tape? Or just use that on the heat break?

Sinspin

Oct 06, 2020

Replying to

@Jay M It increase at least the chance to get it tight. But keep in mind that tape do not allow later adjustment. Turning back and forth scratches the tape and let it leak again. The tape is not easy to handle and for my opinion is the tape which Makertech added to the set a bit to thin. I use the yellow roll. Its made for water pipes up to two inch.

Next, the nozzle head should not have more than 1 mm distance to the heater block. If you come not closer, the heat sink at the other side is too deep. So, fix first the nozzle and then insert the heat sink. Make sure they are tight connected at the end.