Fully automatic multi-colour printing with the Ultimaker 2+

(Deutsche Version) As descirbed in my last post last november, I tackeled the topic of doing multi-colour printing with my Ultimaker 2+. Now, after several months I figured out a solution how to print multi-colour objects with an Ultimaker 2+. In this post, I want to describe the different components and then upload a post for every single component.

The basic principle is similar to my semi-automatic multi-colour printing, instead of having multiple nozzles like the Ultimaker 3, I onle use one nozzle and for every material change, the material gets pulled out and the next material is inserted into the nozzle. Therefore, I attached a Y-splitter behind the extruder to combine multiple bowden tubes. At the end of each bowden tube there is a filament feeder, meaning that for every colour I want to print simultaneously, I have to build up an own feeder. During the retraction of the material, the printer codes the next needed extruder in the movement so an external electronic can distinguish which motor has to be switched on next and then switches to this motor via a relais card. The whole project consists of the following parts:

1. Y-splitter for the bowden tubes
2. Multiple feeders
3. External electronics to swich the extruders
4. Scripts in Slic3r

The first thing is solved quite easily, therefore I created designs for 4, 8 and 16 bowden tubes and uploaded them to thingiverse. You probably have to tune the printing properties (horizontal expansion) so the adaptors fit.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3695457