What is ChromaHead?
ChromaHead is a comprehensive toolhead that contains a direct drive extruder mechanism, a bed calibration sensor, a servo motor for filament cutting, a hotend, and various fans.
In the process of designing ChromaHead, our aim was to produce a toolhead compatible with multi-filament printing and rapid printing. It is a unique product that integrates the necessary filament cutting operation for multi-filament printing and the advanced hotend and cooling mechanism required for high-speed printing. Merely advancing 3D printers from a software perspective falls short for high-speed and multi-filament printing. ChromaHead is essential to realize the features offered by the ChromaSet products.
Multi-Filament Change Mechanism
ChromaHead features a well-designed filament exchange mechanism. The primary challenge in multi-filament printing is maintaining consistent stability during filament swaps. To achieve this, filament changes should be executed with simple and definitive steps. Issues arise with products like Co Print MFM and Prusa MMU2 - MMU3 where, post-use, the retracted filament tip might swell or unwanted filament strings form due to melting, leading to filament jamming. We've identified many users struggling with multi-filament printing because of this problem. After in-depth analysis, we determined that cutting the filament tip during the exchange was the optimal solution. To accomplish this, we employed a servo motor with a 20kg force capacity and sharp blades. Thus, during filament exchange, the used filament is retracted, and an 8mm segment from its tip is cut. The sliced filament is then advanced to the hotend's tip. After retracting the now straight-tipped old filament, the new filament is introduced. This process gets repeated hundreds of times during multi-filament printing and is executed seamlessly.
Chroma Hotend and Rapid Printing
The Chroma Hotend, developed in partnership with Phaetus, is designed specifically for high-speed printing, enabling the connected printer to achieve speeds of up to 300mm/s and a flow rate of 36.5mm³/s. Capable of reaching temperatures up to 350 degrees Celsius, the Chroma Hotend can handle various industrial materials. Its all-metal construction combined with a large cooling section ensures clog-free printing, even at higher temperatures. The ChromaHead houses two cooling fans, ensuring optimal cooling performance during high-speed prints.
Compatibility
ChromaHead is designed to play well with a variety of mechanical systems. Whether your setup relies on linear rails, sigma profiles, or shaft systems, ChromaHead is equipped to integrate seamlessly.
Direct Drive Extruder
ChromaHead incorporates an extruder mechanism within its design. This dual-gear extruder mechanism, boasting high gripping capabilities, has the proficiency to provide the necessary filament feed during high-speed printing.
Automatic Bed Calibration
With the BL Touch sensor integrated into ChromaHead, it offers effortless bed calibration capability when connected to a 3D printer.