Co Print Makes Multi-Material 3D Printing a Snap

Most FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) 3D printers are only capable of printing a single material during a print job. Dual extruder 3D printers let you print two filament types, such as different colors or soluble support material, but reduce print volume and introduce calibration difficulties. The Mosaic Palette is a product that provides automated filament swapping, but it is quite expensive. The new Co Print is a device that can switch between seven different filament spools and that is affordable.

The Co Print Kickstarter campaign launched recently and has already raised almost $170,000. It competes directly with the Mosaic Palette 3 Pro and resembles the Prusa MMU. The latter is only compatible with the Original Prusa MK3. But the Co Print is compatible with all FFF 3D printers equipped with a Bowden extruder. It can also work with direct drive printers, but that will require additional configuration.

Like the Prusa MMU, Co Print works by selecting filament from one of several spools. Unlike the Prusa MMU, Co Print also acts as a Bowden extruder and pushes the filament into the hot end. Bowden extruders aren't suitable for flexible filament, but this setup makes it much easier to retrofit a 3D printer with the Co Print device. In fact, Co Print doesn't need to communicate with your 3D printer at all. A limit switch mounted to the printer's X axis gantry tells Co Print when to initiate a filament swap. Co Print's own g-code handles the rest.

Co Print mounts onto the top of a 3D printer frame and accepts filament from up to seven different spools. All seven spools will feed into the same hot end, which means that you either need to use materials with the same hot end temperature requirements or wait for heating and cooling between swaps. During operation, Co Print will select the appropriate spool and feed the filament down a PTFE tube and into the hot end.

To setup a print, you start with the very capable Prusa Slicer software. That lets you choose the materials for your print. Then you feed the sliced g-code into the Co Print Gcode Editing App, which will make a few modifications and then provide you with files for your 3D printer and for the Co Print device. Then start your print. When it is time for a filament swap, the 3D printer's g-code will tell it to move to the limit switch which will trigger the Co Print.

If you're interested in a Co Print, the Kickstarter campaign is running until December 23rd. Early birds can get the device with a backing of £359 (about $479). Rewards are expected to be delivered in March of 2022.