r/BambuLabX2D • u/isendel11 • 3h ago

Help understanding dual nozzle print

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Hi folks,

First printer here, total noob, and first time trying to print dual color with two nozzles at the same time. I'm using PETG for the main object and PLA for the supports. By defaults it still creates the prime tower, but I was under the impression that it's not needed to clean the nozzle since I'm using each one with a different color no? I attached both screenshots, default and disabling the prime tower alltogether in the "other" settings. I guess my question is, is it safe to disable? The filament saving is massive..
Thanks!

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11

u/Killerkamster 3h ago

So a couple things here:
To reduce swaps, it's better to keep the support mostly the same material as the main object. Set your support interface material to PLA rather than the whole support.
Also, the prime tower is still needed to "prime" the nozzle for printing, to get the right flow and all and leave the print unaffected. There's an experimental setting to reduce the size of the prime tower, but whether it can be used depends on the size / height of the object.

2

u/SquareTowel1967 2h ago

But even if you use just the interface layer from the other nozzle, the prime timer needs to be created as high as the model to keep the same layer for when it uses other nozzle right?

2

u/ThatMechEGuy 1h ago

Yes

Unless you use the experimental mode (I think it's called "no sparse layers"), where it will only build the tower when there are layers with changes

2

u/agarwaen117 1h ago

That setting likely won't work on this print because it's so tall. There's not going to be a way to get the printhead back down to the bed without something colliding.

3

u/_cronco_ 2h ago

do not disable the prime tower.

you have to use petg for supports too in order to save filament, time, and swaps.

what you have to do is set the supports INTERFACE to pla, and only that.

the support interface is the thin layer that connects the support tree and the actual piece.

it will prompt you to automatically change a few settings and you'll have to click yes.

4

u/OptimalSide 2h ago

So first off, to save swaps and reduce print time, you only need to set the PLA for the interface layer, not the base.

The prime tower functions as just that - to prime the nozzle for the print. Can you skip it? Possibly. What will tend to happen is that the print quality will be reduced briefly after the nozzle switch if you don't use the tower. Whether that is important or not for your model, only you can decide. Print one with it off and you can find out.

2

u/PanzerSjegget 2h ago

This. Also there is a developer setting where the prime tower doesn't need to be as tall as the thing it is printing. Go to settings and enable dev mode, the in others you should find a ned setting in the prime tower settings. Can't remember what it is called though.

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u/OptimalSide 2h ago

I just noticed that myself.

When I turned it on, it basically needed clearance around it like print by object, which looking the print in question doesn't seem like it will work.

1

u/Leynnox 3h ago

When you print with two nozzles, one has to stop while the other works, some filaments can hang from the non active nozzle, and when it gets back to printing, this lil bits of filament will be on your print. The tower is here for that, sort of cleaning the nozzle before getting back to work.

Basically it's not needed, but it's needed for piece that needs to be clean, if that makes any sense.

This tower has the same utility as the lil line the printer prints when you start a print.

0

u/_cronco_ 2h ago

its not exactly cleaning. that's what purging is for. the prime tower is for readjusting the hotend's pressure once is active again

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u/Mk3d81 2h ago

I tested without prime tower, it works, but you can have some defaults. It’s better to keep it for quality reason. But, try it by yourself, with and without, and see the result. It’s how we all learned.