Dec 22, 2016 | By Benedict
3D printer company dddrop has added a filament detection module to the latest models in its 'Leader' line of 3D printers. The feature was requested by dddrop customers, and the company has now fulfilled those wishes.
dddrop's new 3D printer filament detector module
Given just how useful they are, it is surprising that 3D printers with filament detection modules are still the exception rather than the rule. Such devices are favored by many 3D printer users because they can automatically detect when a 3D printer is out of filament or when the spool has jammed, prompting users to reload their 3D printing material before printing is resumed. These modules will surely soon be as commonplace as heated print beds or remote monitoring, but their introduction has been a gradual process. Dutch company dddrop has become the latest 3D printer manufacturer to introduce filament monitoring as an integrated feature on its 3D printers, after announcing recently that its Leader 3D printers will now be fitted with a filament detection module as standard.
According to dddrop, a filament detection module for the Leader 3D printer was something that many customers had asked the company to introduce, and staff therefore made the feature a top priority for its latest models. The new feature will purportedly be able to recognize out-of-filament and filament-entanglement situations, and will also pause a print to allow users to change the filament while keeping printer temperatures at operational levels. (Users just need to address the problem within 24 hours, after which the print job cancels automatically.) This way users are not left printing air, destroying their unfinished print, or wasting energy.
The Leader TWIN, an €3,995 FDM machine with a 320 x 310 x 305 mm build volume and two independent print heads, will also be given an extra useful feature as part of the filament detection upgrade. Not only will the 3D printer now alert users when a spool of filament is used up or when the material has become jammed or tangled, it will also switch automatically to the 3D printer’s second print nozzle and filament spool (if available) and resume printing from that point without any manual supervision. This feature will only work on a dddrop Leader TWIN 3D printer, the only 3D printer in the range that features dual print heads. The standard, single-head Leader costs €3,495.
Leader TWIN 3D printer from dddrop
In addition to being implemented into new Leader 3D printers, the filament detection module is also available as a standalone device that users can install on existing models. This standalone device costs €250. “Start using up your old unfinished filament rolls and stop wasting money,” dddrop says. “It will be available in our webshop soon!”
The 3D printing community has, in recent times, indicated a willingness to purchase filament detection modules in order to improve the general 3D printing experience. Case in point: Last month, 3D printing startup Dyze Design launched a Kickstarter campaign for its $39 Sentinel filament detector and cleaner. With three days of the campaign still left to run, the startup has raised nearly three times its original CAD 5,000 goal from 222 individual backers.
Posted in 3D Printer Accessories
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