Design and development of multi-nozzle extrusion system for 3D printer

Abstract

3D printing or additive manufacturing is a process of producing three-dimensional solid objects from a software design. Color and material limitations for simultaneous usage, and relatively low printing speeds are the major problems of fused filament fabrication (FFF). In this study, an extrusion model with five nozzles is proposed to address the current deficiencies. The proposed extrusion model enables printing with five different colors and materials simultaneously without stopping the operational process while switching the filaments. The major advantage of the proposed model is that, the tailor made lightweight hot-end extruder is driven by only two motors. The proposed extrusion model provides a novel technique for 3D printing with multi-color and multi-material.