Great question and short answer is yes! a fair few V2 users already have the IDEX kit installed (even some Ender 3 V2 Extenders too!). the only main differences are: >You need to replace the V2's screen, it doesn't play well with non-creality boards and loses tons of settings for IDEX specific features. Either a classic Ender 3 LCD or one of the BTT TFT touch screen work great. > The V2 does not have an XT60 power cable at the back so you need to screw the power cables directly into the power supply > The stock X-axis tensioner needs to be replaced as it's design blocks the mounting point for the X2's pulley arm If you're printing the kit yourself this is all quite easy to deal with and if you wish to buy a complete kit I have a V2 version that comes with a TFT35 and all the other chances needed to solve the above differences. Just check out the Alternative Kits section on the kit buy page here: 3d.plus/buy/ender-idex/#IDEX-alternative-kits 😁👍
I own another IDEX machines and so this is not aplicable for me, but i have to tell you, this is by far the coolest thing i’ve seen in a while. Very, very well executed. Great tutorial and great height adjustment mechanism for X2. Also, the whole thing looks like it’s well thought out. You have my sub now, hope to see more of such material. Keep the great work! Regards from Slovenia
Thank you so much marko2210, I really appreciate your kind words. What IDEX printer do you have? Do you use it for Duplicate printing or 2 material/colour prints more?
Kane i give credit where it’s due, and this is pretty pretty cool. Especially for wide ender audience. Anyhow, my IDEX of choice is Tenlog D3, run by DuetWifi+Duex5, with dual hemera. It’s pretty ok 😉 the other one is stock but currently on an operating table getting overhauled I mostly print dual color for work (architectural scaled models), dual material trials for some engineering weekend storming and duplication for stuff that get’s printed in volumes either for sale or for giveaways. So a lot of all i would say. In the works is a dual IDEX that will make quadruple and quad color/material available. Come join “MarX group” on facebook if interested. We could use a guy like you there 😉
@@marko2210 ah yes, the Tenlog D3 is probably the other main entry point IDEX printer out there. Sounds like you've given it a serious overhaul...but then that's half the fun right? 😂😉 I love your use cases, it's exactly the kind of thing I envisioned when I started working on the kit and when I think about the power of an IDEX printer overall. Quad-IDEX, now you really have my attention 😯 I will definitely join the group, I'd love to see the progress that is making and help in any way if I can.
Thank you for your kind words, I'm glad you like it 🤩 I agree, there are so many cool ideas and technology to come in the world of 3D. We've only just begun! 😲
Exactly, and even if you tend to switch from regular 0.4mm prints but every now and then like to blast out a 0.8mm or larger "rough" print...it ends the pain of frequent nozzle changes. I don't know anyone that actually enjoys changing out a nozzle, especially if you have ABL setup too 😅
You did a really great job and with perfection, i loved this upgrade and also want to do it with my Ender 3 model Q.1 = can i add 3-4 color printing heads? Q2. = if yes, could you please drop me the links for the upgrading additional parts to change ? Q.3 = do i need to change the firmware code along with hard ware, or not needed if the board is preloaded with the firmware? Q.4 = in addition of all extra hardwares, do i need to upgrade the power supply unit? if yes then please drop the voltage, amp & watt here. Q.5 = does changing such motherboard and other hardware components affect my printing quality ?
May I complement you on excellent production quality on: lighting, audio, audio levels camera angles, close ups and a clean well lite background. Thumbs up.
I found this an excellent option to get dual extrusion on a budget. You can print with soluble supports for a very reasonable price with this kit. I’m fighting with my self to buy it Excellent development!!! Congratulations!!
Thank you so much for your kind words, it really does mean so much to me. I'd love to have you join the growing community of "IDEX owners" soon but in the mean time your support is amazing. Reach out and let me know if I can answer any questions of help you with anything. 😁👍
its actually the best in the market because u will have both ender 3 and idex the only thing holding me is waiting for them to upgrade the kit because at the left side the original extruder don't go farther more which don't allow the new extruder to maximize the space to the edge force a smaller printing space for the dual color and i am waiting the kit for ender S1 extender size and idex
Love what you've done but is there a cheaper version of this I'm on a budget and don't have a lot of money at the moment if there is please let me know.
Thank you for your kind words. I am delighted you like the kit and it has inspired you. So there is a lot in the kit, SKR Pro board, complete wiring loom, 2 stepper motors, new carriage, hotend, X-axis extrusion, 10+ custom designed and produced parts. However, I also appreciate there are lots of different budgets for 3D printing enthusiasts. One of the best ways some people have bought the kit is to buy just the custom X-axis parts or let me know the parts they need and I can quote for that. You can then use existing stepper motors or other parts you might already have to complete the build. Obviously this will require a bit more hands on work for things like wiring up and installing it, but I'd still be happy to help. Drop me an email at kane@sen3d.com and let me know what you're thinking and I'll see what I can do to help you join team IDEX 😉
Wow i love it!! Went to your website to buy one.... you want $100 more for this than I paid for a whole new printer!!! Quite honestly for almost $300 I could tweak and geek on 2 printers and have one massive printer with two heads. Sorry mate. Great product but that price
Hey Darren, Thanks for the feedback, I think you make a fair point. Overall an IDEX printer is a complex piece of kit - a bit like going from a moped to a motorbike. You could buy 2 mopeds but it's still not a motorbike 😜 I realise the kit isn't for everyone but maybe one or two of my future products catch your eye too. And at the very least I hope I have sparked your imagination so you can come up with some innovative ideas too 😁
SEN 3D both work very well and reliable for me. Ender With bltouch, creality glass bed and all metal hot end performs as well as the MK3. I then added 32 bit board with latest marlin and hemera hot end and it is now even better. I use both printers for same kind of work. Both reliable. Both good.
@@gastondombiak1538 That's really interesting and good to get your view. It seems fairly rare to find owners of an Ender and a Prusa. The vast majority of printer people seems to live in one camp of the other :)
Hey Felix, Excellent question and on the face of it the Voxelab Aquila seems to have a very similar "Ender 3" style frame and components so I would expect it to work (obviously not a 100% guarantee). To be sure if the X-axis extrusion is 345mm long then it is identical to the Ender 3 and much more likely to work in exactly the same way. The only things that might be a tad different are the X-axis belt tensioner. To make space for the X2 pulley you may need to swap it for one that only attaches to the axis on one side. The screen may also need a bit of tinkering, does it work with stock Marlin? The kit uses a stick SKR Pro v1.2 so if the screen can work with that board then you should be fine. Otherwise it looks like it could be an excellent upgrade for sure! Maybe I'll have to get one soon to test it on 😉
I'm tempted. I'd like to know if this kit is compatible with any larger Crealilty printers, like the CR series? Also, the whole reason for me wanting IDEX as opposed to two-in-one-out style is the horrendous amount of waste with the prime tower. But I see you have a prime tower. Is that just to catch the ooze that happens while an extruder is at rest? Can that be made smaller or eliminated with a wiper or similar?
Hi there, Great questions, broadly yes the kit should be applicable to most of the CR series. However, as you'll know there are so many models and variations I am still working on ways to make it "guaranteed" on as many as possible. In most cases the changes are mainly for the X-axis extrusion length and cable lengths. But for example some old CR-10s use a 12v power supply instead of 24v and I like to ensure I catch as many of these issues as possible 😇 I will soon be launching an "official CR-10" version of the kit but some of my amazing customers have already started building their own CR-10 or Ender Extender IDEX versions from the kit. So as long as you don't mind tinkering nothing should be insurmountable. Excellent question on prime towers. You are correct a 2 in 1 out hotend will need much more purging on a purge tower. This is not only to prime the nozzle but importantly to purge the other material/colour out. With an IDEX it's very much up to you, in many cases I would use a very tiny purge tower but this acts more like a skirt for each layer getting the flow going before it starts to print. maybe like 1 or 2 hollow rings before it can crack on with the printing. It is absolutely not a necessity to use a purge tower with an IDEX. It will depend a lot on things like your chosen holding temperature, material, retraction settings etc. In many cases you could use a purge bucket, maybe an ooze shield or for a large model just print from the "infill" first and let the initial couple of mm act as that "flow starter". The other big benefit of IDEX is that each nozzle can print a different material and not just colour, so you can try PETG with PLA supports (as the 2 don't stick very well). Or PVA dissolvable filament or even TPU & ABS for example. These king of mixes would be almost impossible via a single hotend or require enormous purge towers. Let me know if I can provide any further information or support 😁
This is so impressive.. I think you filled a huge gap of quality dual extruder printing in this price range. What about shipment cost and customs to EU?
Thank you so much for your kind words Lumaxia. Shipping within the EU is not too bad and varies from country to country. If you check my website and go to checkout, when you input your country the shipping cost/options will show there. For customs again it can vary a lot from country to country but typically you will have to pay VAT on delivery to the courier. However, if you want to avoid all this my "file pack" option can give you a great alternative route. You can grab the hardware yourself and print the parts too, saving on the big heavy box coming into your country 😮 And of course I'll still be here and happy to help whichever option you chose 😇
Thank you so much for your kind words Luke 😊 I'm glad you like my kit and maybe one day you'll be an Ender IDEX owner too (you can also buy just the files now and print your own if you want a bigger project 😮) At the very least I hope I have inspired you to look into and try something new with your machine 😊
I like the product but could I use BL touch with this and is there any way to use this kit with a silent motherboard that I already hav on my ender 3 pro
Great questions, yes you can use a BL Touch no problem. It fits to hotend 1 and works in mostly the same way as normal. The only difference is for duplicate and mirror mode prints you still need a manually levelled bed as 2 hotends touch the bed at 2 points at the same time. Sadly, the challenge with using your existing board is that it cannot run enough stepper motors. The Ender IDEX has 6 stepper motors (X1, X2, Y, Z, E1 & E2). A majority of board only run 4 or 5 steppers. This is why I supply the kit with an SKR Pro board (it's also an excellent board). However, if you did want the Ender IDEX to be silent you are still able to install silent stepper drivers too and get the same noise output as you'd get from any other silent board 😇
Thank you for your kind words and interest Donald 😁 Dual Z is a great additional upgrade and certainly worth adding as well. The good news is that the typical dual Z kits (with a second Z stepper motor) are fully compatible with the Ender IDEX setup and many people have made that exact upgrade already 😮 Do let me know if I can provide any additional information or help 😇
Hi, good video on idex I already built one, now I want to upgrade to dual idex printer I want to use 4 extruders and 2 nozzles, I want to use 2 in 1 out hotend, is it possible?
Hey There, thank you for your comment and excellent question. The kit and parts I provide are only currently available in red. BUT...I do now offer the "files kit" too. So you could actually buy that for a lot less and print all of the parts yourself in any colour of material you like. If you have not seen the files kit take a look at my other video "Print your own Ender IDEX" 😊 I only supply red myself as I run the production across multiple machines and with each kit needing 10 to 15 parts even adding one additional colour would add a huge amount of time changing machines back and forth, as well as keeping ~20kg of another colour of filament in stock too 😇
Hey there, a quick question, would this work on the new Ender 3 V3 KE? It has a Sprite direct drive extruder, and is a bit different compared to the Ender 3. If it does not work, what suggestions might you have for a Dual Extrusion upgrade for my Ender 3 V3 KE? Thanks.
Thanks for your vote on the "next IDEX kit" 😁 I few people have mentioned the Anet A8 so hopefully it won't take me too long to get to. I will of course announce as soon as I make it available 🎉
Hey Batarn, Thank you for your comment and kind words 😁 I have not tested either of these printers directly but after a quick google I would say yes, probably 😇 The frame and brackets all seem to be identical to the Ender 3 ones and so should work in the same way (some people have tested the kit of other clone machines without issues). The main thing I would consider is they both seem to have custom LCD screen. These may be possible to transfer over to another motherboard/firmware but I cannot be sure. Worst case you may have to switch to a classic LCD or something like a TFT35 to control the printer. Let me know if you're interested in getting stuck into this, I would be delighted to help with any minor hiccups that may crop up compared to the classic Ender 3 version of the kit. And also I now offer the Files Pack so you might want to print and make everything yourself 😮 Video here: ua-cam.com/video/EbJffOkkdNA/v-deo.html&ab_channel=SEN3D File pack here: enderidex.com/files-pack/
What an amazing tool. I've been looking at the JGmaker Artist D because I want the idex. But I also want the large build volume of the cr-10. Is there any way in the world you could also fit the same setup on the cr-10 version 3. I would buy that in a heartbeat especially if it is direct drive.
Hi Adam, Thank you for your kind words, it's great to hear you're exploring what's available and also what's possible in the world of IDEX printing 😁 So in principle I believe the kit would work on a CR-10 (or even an Ender Extender kit) as the basic printer parts and structure are the same. I believe the only changes needed would be: - a longer x-axis extrusion to give the 2nd carriage somewhere to park as well as enable the X2 belt pulley to be mounted - longer belts for this new longer x-axis - Longer cables for the 2nd hotend Obviously other snags or hiccups may come up, but this is all I expect it would take. I am working on a more specific kit for the CR-10 but this will take a little longer before it's available 😇 Also, in terms of direct drive. The new 2nd hotend is bowden based but it is possible to have hotend 1 as a direct drive as long as the stepper motor placement does not interfere with the X2 belt path.
I assume this will work if I have the extender kit (400x400x400)? I also have a direct drive extruder so could the other hotend have another one of those equipped? Also could I have marlin or klipper installed with this? Are there any limitations to the motherboard, I have a bl touch, runout sensor, and octopi running
im consider the kit, but a few questions, the motherboard, how noizy is the motors? is it compare able to the ender 3 silence motherboard? and what version are the motherboard?
How's the noise on this kit? I'm very interested, but I have a silent motherboard on my current ender 3 and I'd like to keep it silent if possible. I'm not sure if the DRV8825 drivers will be noisier than the TMC2225 drivers that are on my current board.
Excellent question. The kit uses the SKR Pro V1.2 which is very easy to swap stepper drivers for. I have many customers that have done this without issue and I'd be happy to help if you did want to do this as a next mini project after setting the IDEX up. This is an excellent video showing what's involved in inserting TMCs in the SKR Pro board and I'd be happy to compile the firmware for you if you weren't comfortable doing it yourself: ua-cam.com/video/3Z4aAzuzu44/v-deo.html&ab_channel=EdwardBraiman
The instructions refer to a Z limit switch. I don't have one of those because that function is provided by my CR Touch, also used for bed level mesh generation.
Hiya, just stumbled upon this as I was looking to get into 3D printing and interested in getting Ender 3 V2 neo. Just wondering if this kit will work with that model? also, how does this work if I'm looking to get the extruder replaced with a double direct extruder? thirdly, can this be klippered? Thanks
I have Questions. How much wider does it make the ender 3? Can i have the files to the 3d printed parts, I need to make them out of nylon or polycarbonate? Can i have 2 direct drive extruders on it? Can one of those extruders be 450c and the other one at 220c? Can i have one print the shell while the other does the infill? Thank you to anyone that answers this.
Excellent questions. On the left side the mod adds 20mm and on the right side it adds ~30mm from the outer edge of the screen. I will soon be releasing the files for personal use/printing so you will be able to produce the kit yourself in any colour/material you like. Be sure to join my mailing list at EnderIDEX.com to find out as soon as the files are available. Hotend 1 can be direct drive. Most setups work but it has to be a version that mounts the motor over the front of the carriage. Those that put the motor over the back will collide with the path of the new X2 belt. For hotend 2, currently the hotend is a bowden setup and this is quite custom as it also needs to raise and lower independently to get it perfectly in line with hotend 2. When the files become available there will also be a beta of the direct drive version available too. So long story short, yes hotend 2 can be direct drive but the setup will initially be a beta so may have some room for improvement compared to the standard bowden setup. You certainly can have different hotends at different temperatures. As long as the hotend you choose/install can support the higher temperatures that is fine. And it is one of the many advantages of IDEX that you can print vastly different materials at the same time. Finally, yes you can choose the options in your file slicing to have infill printed with a different hotend from the overall print. I suggest Cura but as a standard Marlin based IDEX printer, any slicer than can slice a multi-extruder Gcode file should be compatible.
Say I converted my ender 3 into a direct drive, could this kit work for that ? And could I run both extenders on direct drive ? And would I be able to put a bl touch on each ?
Great questions, in answer: 1. Yes, you can run direct drive on the Ender IDEX. However for hotend 1 you need to select a carriage design that has the stepper motor over the front. If it's over the back like the MicroSwiss design this will collide with the X2 belt path directly above the existing X1 belt path. Many of the low cost and "print yourself" direct drive options work great. For hotend 2 the kit comes with a file for a direct drive option you can print and install yourself 😁 If you do go single or double direct drive I would also suggest you install a dual Z axis motor kit on the Ender 3. This is a good idea anyway for a direct drive ender 3, even without an additional IDEX carriage. The common dual Z-axis motor kits for the Ender 3 work great with the Ender IDEX parts too. 2. You can indeed install and use a BL Touch with an IDEX printer like the Ender IDEX. You would install it on the hotend 1 carriage and use the usual Gcode to create a mesh. Hotend 2 (provided it has been calibrated with X/Y offsets) will then just use the same mesh data during printing, so no need for a second sensor. The only time Auto Bed Levelling is not useful for an IDEX machine is when you run a duplicate or mirror mode print. This is because you have 2 hotends touching the bed at 2 points at the same time. This is the case for any IDEX machine, however you can still use the BL Touch mesh data to help you achieve a near perfect "manual level" too.
@@SEN3Dcom thank you for the response. I hate to be a pain but i did have a few more questions, given that I'm new to this. 1. Seeing that the whole board is replaced, would this mean that something like an SKR board is redundant? 2. Will an extension kit on my ender 3 say a 400X400X500 be compatible? 3. Will a Raspberry Pi be compatible? 4. Can i attach a blockhead fans to both hotends without them colliding? 5. Do you guys plan to make something similar for a CR30 for example? or any type of conveyor belt like printer? Thank you for your time
@@judontknow69 No problem at all 😁 1. yes, the new board replaces the existing one entirely. BUT you can always keep the existing board and use it for a future project (you'd be surprised how handy it is). 2. Yes indeed, many people have done it and I offer versions of my kit for the Ender Extender printers (and even the some CR-10 models). The main differences needed is longer cables, longer x-axis extrusion and a different firmware file. 3. Yes indeed, the firmware I provide is pretty close to "vanilla" Marlin so it's just as compatible as any other printer. However you will likely need to customise OctoPrint a little to account for the 2 hotends and some plugins may get a little confused, but nothing major. 4. Blockhead fans...so installing on hotend 1 is fine, hotend 2 is a bit more custom as it raises and lowers with a screw independently so may be harder to install. BUT if you are good with CAD you do get access to the parts files too so you could modify a custom fan setup too! In terms of collision, the min distance between the two carriages can be set in the firmware so if you did want to enlarge it to account for wider fan setups this is an easy edit to make 😁 5. I like the way you're thinking! So currently a few different models in the pipeline (admittedly not the CR-30 just yet). A small operation of just me 😢 means that I often have too many ideas to work on and not enough time for them all. So one day soon but I wouldn't want to promise a date. Also, with files access it may be possible if you wanted to get really stuck in to try it yourself...but this would certainly be a more advanced project for sure! Keep the questions coming if you have more! 😁👍
I have an Ender three pro and I’ve been looking for something like this or printer like this and this is exactly what I’m looking for as an upgrade for my enter three pro however. What I want to do is print models and use the water dissolving filming as support material.. is that configurable within the slicer or whatever slicer that supports idex?
Excellent question, in short it works great with a BL Touch! You attached the BL Touch to the hotend 1 like normal and use it in all the typical ways. The only drawback is that for a duplicate or mirror mode print you still need to manually level your bed. This is because 2 hotends touch the bed at 2 points at the same time. This is true of any IDEX printer, the Z axis cannot correct both hotends at once. Also, the SKR Pro motherboard I use in the kit has a port ready to accept the BL touch cable. Plus, I provide pre-compiled firmware for the BL Touch and an install guide so it couldn't be easier. 😁
Thank you so much for your kind feedback 😁 I am working on the next printers to bring the kit to so the more people request a printer the more likely it could be next. Your vote for the Lulzbot TAZ 6 has been registered 😉
@@SEN3Dcom I will then publish you video in a few TAZ forum and instruct them to comment here. There is a TON of interest in IDEX upgrades for the TAZ which is such a rock solid machine.
@@jeffrey-deitch That's awesome. As silly as it sounds I am keen to hear what people want. I use my own research and guessed but if there is big demand for the TAZ who am I to stand in their way 😁😇
I need one of these kits later this year for one if my Ender 3 Pros and I have a Lot of questions, lol... Here's a simple question to start with: can I request a specific filament/color of the printed plarts please...?
That is awesome, thank you for your kind comment 🙂 Currently the kit is available in a single colour as the 10+ parts in each kit are printed across multiple printers and so even a single additional colour would require multiple kg's of it and a lot of time to re-spool all the printers. However, once you do buy the kit all of the "non-critical" parts files like the spool holders, extruder holders & motherboard box will be made available to you. So you could re-print those parts at a later date if you wanted. I also have a private group for kit owners you'd be invited to join where you can see what everyone else is working on. There are also lots of additional modifications available in that group that have been created by the Ender IDEX community.
@@SEN3Dcom @SEN 3D Thank you for your response to my questions and all this useful information, I think you just sealed the deal on my future purchase, lol. I'm not going to post the rest of my questions here, unless you want me to of course, lol, as I have not seen the answers in your FAQs on your website either. I am also super excited to know that there is a support group for your setup as the Ender and Creality Facebook groups have been Super helpful for me and all the upgrades I have done to my printers over the last almost 2 years. 😁👍🏼
@@MoisFamilyTech You're very kind, that sounds great. I can't wait to have you join team IDEX 😉 If there is anything else at all I can help with just drop me an email: kane@sen3d.com and I'll be happy to help
Is the mother board version used at least a 4.2.2 or a 4.2.7 ? Because I would like to be able to use it with my Creality CR touch auto bed leveler on the primary extruder.
I'm probably going to order this. 1 question. My ender is stockish. I do have a micro swiss all metal hotend and I run the hero cooling duct. Do I need to put the stock cooling system back on? I just have a few questions before a purchase.
That's awesome, I'm so glad you like it! 😁 You can keep the micro Swiss hotend and hero cooling duct for hotend 1 no problem. All you'd need to do (and I'm happy to help with this) is adjust the size of carriage 1 in the firmware so the second carriage doesn't collide with it. I have a number of alternative firmware builds on my website too for larger carriages: enderidex.com/help/software/#marline-alternative-builds Let me know if there is anything else I can help with 😁
Fantastic, looking forward to have you join team IDEX! kits are shipped out within 7 days of ordering and depending where you're located are delivered as soon as 1-2 days for UK and USA but can be a couple of weeks for some locations.
Funny though because today I'll be getting the new skr wireless board because I was going to try rep rap on my ender but now I like this. I actually found this video by looking for the idex board for the skr board lok
You would need the SKR Pro board mainly as it can drive 6 stepper motors (X1, X2, Y, Z, E1 & E2). However I do sell just the X-axis for people that have the board or other setup they'd like to use it on. Drop me an email and I'd be happy to help: kane@sen3d.com
I like the way you think. In principle it should work, the main additional requirements would be: longer X-axis extrusion (so E2 can part on the right side), longer belts, longer bowden tubes & longer cable extensions for the reach. It might also be a good idea to look into dual z steppers as the extra span is a lot of load on a single motor. But, this is also true for the Ender Extender kit even without IDEX 🙂
Wow this is super cool! Didn't know there was a kit out there for Ender IDEX. We make a camera tool for doing the XY offset more accurately and easier. If you're curious there are some videos on our youtube channel showcasing it.
Will it come in other colors in the future? Not a big fan of the red unfortunately. Also, will new fan ducts such as the satsana work for the second extruder?
Different colours could be possible, for now I'm just trying to keep up with demand 😅 Any fan ducts would need to be customised to work with the second extruder. The reason for this is the new second hotend is quite custom. It has the hotend on the left of the carriage (rather than right) for maximum build plate coverage. It also raises and lowers independently with a screw to enable it to be perfectly levelled with the first extruder. Because of this the whole mount is quite different and is unlikely to work with an off the shelf duct.
Are these still available and valid ?? Could this be used on a mks robin nano board too ?? I have most of the stuff to do one except the expensive board and files....
Absolutely, that is a perfect use case for IDEX printing. Provided the dissolvable filament (PVA) you select is printable at ~240ºC or less then you should be fine. Also, materials like PLA and PETG do not adhere to each-other very well. So you could experiment with using one or the other as support material that should come away much easier. As you may know ABS also dissolves in acetone so using ABS as a support materials with another acetone resistant filament gives you another option. Finally, as dissolvable filament can be quite expensive you also have the option in most IDEX capable slicers to only print the interface layer in PVA. So your support towers would be PLA for example but the 2-3 layers that touch the finished part are in PVA and so dissolve away whilst also using a very small amount of the filament.
Wow that's crazy the kit cost more then the bambu lab a1. I rather buy the bambu lab then I'll have 4 colors and new printer. I only have ender 3 but I am considering upgrading.
I like the way you're thinking 😀 Ender IDEX XL. I am working on the CR-10 version at the moment so hopefully it will be available soon 😇 Make sure you join my mailing list at EnderIDEX.com to find out as soon as it's release. However, I also like your idea of taking the existing kit and transferring it across, it would be a great custom project. The core frame is obviously very similar just larger. And you'd have to be confident with opening the motherboard box. But if you did I'd be delighted to help you along the way. 👍
I have a CR10S that I'm looking to modify into something fancy. I was planning on going DIY but truth be told I wouldn't be able to match this bit of kit. I do think a double sided Z axis propulsion is the better way to go because of the added weight. Luckily the CR10S has that covered. If you manage to come up with a CR10S version, it may very well be this years Christmas gift I instruct my wife to get me 🤣
this is so awesome and I would love to get one for myself but I need to know... I have ordered for my normal ender 3 a cr touch sensor do I need some type of additional modification to use it or software or it would still work?
The main kit comes with a whole new controller board that you swap out, so that board will have different firmware installed on it to control both extruders.
Hello, It is a super project. Is it possible to use one, or two BLTouch to make the Z leveling? I would not upgrade my printer down with leveling feature.. I'm not sure that even the Marlin/SKR motherboard support it... Don't plan such a configuraton for Prusa? (The Prusa one nozzle Multicolor print not worked for us in the work+lot of material is wasted...) Edit: I just thinking and two BL Touch is not make sense, only one, because there is no dual Z azis/independent movement... That would a really-really awesome, but I guess it is definetly not supported by Marlin yet...
Hi Lajos, Thank you so much for your kind feedback :) So yes, a BL touch absolutely is supported. Many of my customers already use the BL Touch and I have pre-compiled versions of the firmware for use with the kit. The only thing to think about is when you run a Duplicate or Mirror mode print, in this instance you will still need to manually level the bed as 2 hotends will be touching the bed at different points at the same time. You could still use the probe data from the BL Touch to help get a super accurate and level bed. I am working on and thinking about which printers to expand the kit to next. Prusa printers are high on the list as they are among the most popular...so watch this space! I also agree, there is a huge difference between a dual independent hotend IDEX system and a multi-colour, single nozzle system :)
Absolutely, Cura is great for slicing prints for IDEX. I will be releasing a video very soon on slicing prints for an IDEX printer (2 colour, duplicate and mirror modes). Watch this space 😉
It certainly is! There are just a few differences compared to the Ender 3/Ender 3 Pro standard version: 1. You will need to use a different screen. the larger V2 screen Creality provide does not play well with non-creality motherboards and misses a lot of the settings needed for IDEX machines. You can use either a classic Ender 3 LCD or something like the TFT35 (or just manage the printer over USB with something like an OctoPi). The Ender 3 V2 version of the kit I sell comes with a TFT35 included. 2. The Ender 3 V2 does not have an XT60 plug for the power so you will have to screw the power cables directly into the power supply but this is very easy and adds no more than 5 minutes to the build. 3. You need to replace the X-axis belt tensioner as the large V2 version does not leave enough room for the X2 carriage and belt arm to fit on the axis. You can print or buy an alternative quite easily and as before my V2 version of the kit comes with everything you need. I hope this helps. You can see what is involved a little clearer by checking the "Alternative Kits" that I offer here: 3d.plus/buy/ender-idex/#IDEX-alternative-kits
It would not really work with an SKR 2, mainly as it does not have enough stepper motor ports. The SKR Pro has 6 for: X1, X2, Y, Z, E1 and E2. So broadly any mainstream board that can run 6 or more steppers independently should be possible but less and it won't really work. 😇
@@SEN3Dcom i see, sorry I missed the bit about needing to be able to run six drivers. My order for the skr pro from Banggood has been delayed for over 2 months so Im just gonna go with some overkill and get the octopus board.. outside of housing the board, there shouldn't be an issue with using that instead right?
@@cuttyb Awesome, the Octopus is a great board and very similar to the SKR Pro. It also gives you future options like dual independent Z-axis control. You'll need to make some tweaks to the firmware to account for the different board but it will be just as compatible. Many existing kit owners have made the same upgrade already!
I like your video. I think about upgrading a chiron to become an IDEX. If I understand right, you only need the second extruder to be adjustable in z if you want mirror or duplicate mode, for pure IDEX mode alternativly you can use z-offset value (if home of x0/x1 is outside the bed, so nozzle can not crash into it.). Is that right? I do not need duplicate or mirror anyway - I have for example 4 Prusa Mini, and 2 smal printers are faster than 1 bigger printer anyways (at least with y-moving bed, a smal one accelerating faster). I think about using an SKR 1.4 turbo. It has only 5 sockets for stepper drivers, but using exp2 (If you use a CR10 display, exp2 is free) you have 7 i/o free, so you can add at least two additional drivers - for example simply remap y and connect a closed loop driver there and remap former y-driver as second x driver. For printheads I want to use the Bondtech mk3s upgrades (in the Open source Thingiverse version) in Mosquito version. I definitly prefer direct extruders.
Hi Ole Urgast, Thank you for your kind feedback 😊 Yes, the Z adjustment of the second extruder is only necessary for duplicate and mirror mode prints (as 2 hotends touch the bed at different points at the same time). For a 2 colour/material print you are correct, you can just set a "Z offset" for extruder 2. Sounds like you have quite a farm - are you printing for fun or for business? Agreed, duplicate mode will be very useful for some people and unnecessary for others. I guess one advantage is that if you have limited space and print a typical medium sized model, with duplicate mode your print capacity can be significantly increased and then switched back to bigger "single extruder" models when necessary. Speaking to my customers it's amazing how different everyones needs, preferences and setups are 😁 It sounds like you have lots of ideas and a big project or two putting this all together. I'd love to see how it turns out and help if I can. Drop me an email once you get started 👍
@@SEN3Dcom It's just for fun. I have about 12 functional 3d printers and about 18 I am tinkering on. Actually my hobby is more about building/moddifying/improving 3d printers than actually 3d printing ;-) The printers I actually mostly use are my 4 Prusa mk3s and my 4 Prusa Minis (each one original and 3 clones). Sadly as always I have more ideas than time. For example I had an idea for a Real-Independend Multiple Extruder: 2 or more Deltas. Bed mounted on rails, moving from Delta to Delta. Would be a hell to do the calibration and transforming the gcode. But printing would look very funny. Think about 4 printers and 2 parking places in a cycle, organiced as a railway yard with 4 beds moving between the 4 printers. I am not sure how to build and program it. And If I ever find the time...
@@oleurgast730 If you have more printers in the tinkering phase than the printing phase you're definitely more into the modding and upgrading 😜For the Prusa's, how do you find the clones compare to the originals? is there much in it? I love this idea, this would be an epic machine. Somehow it reminds me of the revolving everlasting gum machine in Willy Wonka (ua-cam.com/video/7jF2uMUTZ44/v-deo.html) 😂- As always the hardest part is finding enough hours in the day to work on these projects, I can empathise with that for sure!
@@SEN3Dcom for the mk3s clones: I strictly recommend to replace the 4.1 bore heatbreak of the clone by an all metal one, as original firmware supports up to 295°C. Also the bearings are not good quality - at least change the 6 ones for x and y. Due to sensorless homing a bad bearing can lead to fails; both on starting a print and in case of crash detection. But everything else is quite as good as the original. For a price less than 250€ incl. shipping from EU (Fysetc Bear Clone on 11.11-sale using AliExpress, AliExpress select and shop coupons) even with this changes, some extra upgrades (like buing a 7€ "Dual Drive"(BMG Clone) to source the parts for the Thingiverse version of the Bondtech upgrade for mk3s, and add a second Fysetc part cooling fan, about 3€) and the PET-G for part printing, you can get a clone as good as (or even better than) the original for about 320€. Of course (like with the original) only one spring steel included (with PEI Sticker); but extra spring steels for different textures I mostly see as "consumables" anyway. The Fysetc Powder coated spring steel (about extra 20€) has a quite different texture than the Prusa one - but I like it a lot (even use one on my original Prusa) than printing with Silk filaments. The Pei powder coated spring steel from "energetic 3d Store" on AliExpress has quite the same structure as the original Prusa one. I intend to use XMas hollydays for a video on my chanel, showing the changes on my mk3s clones (sorry, only in german)
@@oleurgast730 This is awesome information and you've probably started me on another one of those 2 hours AliExpress browsing sessions - investigating what is available and how it compares. I feel like now I will be starting another round of print bed material testing as the Fysetc Powder coated one sounds like it's worth a try at least. A video of all of this would be great, I'd better start brushing up on my German 😉
Excellent question. Hotend 1 can certainly be direct drive. You just need to be sure that the setup you choose does not mount the stepper motor over the back of the carriage. This is because the X2 belt runs directly above the X1 belt. So make sure the direct drive does not cross the "belt line" and you should have no issues. You can actually get excellent results from the low cost brackets like this: www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001786191892.html Hotend 2 is not possible currently as Direct Drive as the carriage is bespoke to this setup and can raise or lower via a screw. However, if hotend 1 is direct drive keeping hotend 2 as a Bowden setup can present advantages too for mixing different materials and print modes. For example hotend 1 is TPU and hotend 2 is ABS or PETG.
FYI, I am actually currently in the process of trying to get a direct drive set up on E2 with this kit (or at least the core parts of this kit). I'm using a Biqu H2 direct drive unit which is very compact and light and won't interfere with the belt path above like a microswiss or similar would. I'm not currently using the adjustable carriage plate (mostly because I forgot to order it and shipping is $20 and a week to get to the US), but I'm trying to decide whether I should just design a custom plate for belt tension and drive mounting or buy the file pack and modify the existing design to my needs.
@@SEN3Dcom if I do modify the file pack version, I'll send you a copy of the file. Might be nice to have support for mounting alternate hardware options, if only in the file pack.
What are your thoughts on using this to print nylons with dissolvable supports? Is it compatible with microswiss metal hotends? Will it withstand the temperature if the unit is contained? What about flexibles? Is the custom extruder compatible with direct drives that fit stock ender 3s?
Great question. Obviously the stock hotend/bowden setup of the Ender 3 won't work for Nylons. But, temperatures is not an issue with dissolvable PVA filament though which is good! I have not tried the Micro Swiss myself but given its identical mounting points and form factor I cannot see why i would not be possible to swap it out. In the kit the second hotend is the same as the stock Ender 3 one and uses the conventional mounting holes. Currently the custom nature of the second carriage means it is not out of the box direct drive compatible. The reason is that the second hotend can be raised or lowered with a screw to keep it levelled with the first hotend. However, it would be possible for Extruder 1 to be setup with an off the shelf direct drive and Extruder 2 maintain the bowden. This way E1 could print in TPU with E2 printing an alternative material. The only thing to keep an eye on will be the weight on the X-axis given you're adding the motor on top of the additional carriage.
So the big challenge with the V2 is the screen, it really doesn't play well with non-creality board and a non-standard configuration like the IDEX. There are a few Ender 3 v2 IDEX kits in the wild already, but they use either an original Ender 3 LCD or a TFT35 screen. The only other changes need from the standard kit are a "one sided" belt tensions like this imgaz.staticbg.com/thumb/large/oaupload/ser1/banggood/images/4A/A7/0fa467a4-02d3-4589-9c82-576d352fd5e4.jpg And you'd have to be comfortable wiring up the power supply cables directly as the v2 doesn't come with an XT60 plug. If you were comfortable with this you could get the kit today and have it ready to install within about a week 😮😉 Let me know if I can be of any more help and thank you for your kind feedback.
@@dustojnikhummer Yes you're right. The motherboard is not a big issue as the kit replaces it anyway. It's the screen. So the customers that have the Ender 3 V2 version of the Ender IDEX just swap the screen out for either a stock Ender 3 LCD or something like the BTT TFT35. Basically any screen that can work with a BTT motherboard should be fine with the Ender IDEX. 😁
Absolutely, if you check out my buy page and scroll down there is an Ender 3 V2 Version of the kit: 3d.plus/buy/ender-idex/#IDEX-alternative-kits It has a few key differences from the standard kit: 1. It includes a TFT35 display as the bespoke Ender 3 V2 screen does not play well with non-creality motherboards and also misses a number of settings and menus for an IDEX setup. 2. The power cables come with fork crimp connectors to screw directing into the power supply as the V2 does not use an XT60 plug 3. It comes with the "lift box" and matching printer lets to lift the printer overall ~20mm. This gives you more space for all the cabling out the back as the Ender 3 V2 with its rear mounted power supply can become very compact and restricted with all this extra tech squashed in 😇 4. An alternative X-axis belt tensioner as the standard Ender 3 V2 one is too large and restricts the space for the X2 belt pulley part of the kit. If you did get the Ender 3 V2 version of my kit everything you need is included straight out of the box.
Hi Kane, this looks like a great product and I wish you every success with it before the Chinese start cloning! Just the other day I was thinking about the possibility of fitting a second nozzle on my Ender 3 Pro - then I saw your video - looks like a 'game changer'! I've just a few questions. Is the kit compatible with the Pro with its wider Y-axis aluminium extrusion? I'm also thinking of (later) upgrading it to a bigger print volume (something like 400mm x 400mm bed). For this, apart from the fact that I would need an even longer X-axis aluminium extrusion to accommodate the 2nd X-carriage together with longer X-carriage belts, bowden tubes, leads, etc., is there anything that might be a 'show stopper'? I realise that the longer X-axis would mean that a 2nd Z-axis screw (belt or stepper motor driven) may be needed. Is there a control board fan fitted and is it easy to access the control board within its case? Finally, being 'green' to IDEX operation, from your videos it looks like most of the control is by G-Code from the slicer. is it possible to still tweak the Marlin firmware if required? For example, I have an all-metal hot end (with bowden set up) and a 100k thermistor, so had to change the firmware to allow higher temperature printing (300 deg C) and select the correct thermistor. By the way, I think your instructional videos are among the best I've seen on 3D printing. ....Just one last thing: what is the lead time from purchase to delivery? Regards, Mick
Hey Mick, Thank you for your kind feedback and words, I really appreciate it 🙂 In answer to your questions: yes it does work with the Ender 3 Pro (the gap at the top of the motherboard box is wide enough for the 40x40 extrusion). Yes, in principle the Ender Extender should be compatible with the Ender IDEX kit. As you said you'd mainly need a wider X extrusion for the X-axis and longer belts for Carriage 1 and Carriage 2. If you did go ahead with this I'd be really keen to help you and make sure any problems are solved. Yes, the motherboard has a fan fitted inside the box with airflow exhausted at the opposite end of the box for good temperature control. The lid of the box is easily slid off after you remove a few screws, giving full access to the motherboard. The SKR Pro also have a second Z stepper socket so adding another Z-axis motor should not be too difficult. In terms of firmware, you can of course make as many changes as you like. I upload both the pre-compiled firmware and the raw files here so you can adapt it however you like and I'd be happy to help you too: enderidex.com/help/software/ Thank you, I'm so glad you like the instructional video. I agree that many product in this area can be a bit cryptic and leave you with lots of questions and no support 😅 Currently, the lead time is around 7 days to ship and delivery time will depend on your country but is rarely more than 2-3 days. If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to ask. All the best, Kane
Conceptually it should be possible. The main changes needed would be: longer cables for the E2 carriage, a longer extrusion and longer belts. However, I would suggest adding a second Z stepper too if you were to do this. I would probably recommend a second Z stepper anyway for the extender kits, even without my IDEX kit. Luckily the SKR Pro board has a second Z stepper port on the board so it's quite easy to add. Also some of my existing customers have already added one to their kits as well. If you were interested drop me an email and I'd be happy to work with you and get the first Ender Extender IDEX in the wild (kane@sen3d.com) 🙂👍
@@SEN3Dcom Does your kit use standard mounting holes on the X axis? Adding dual Z and extending the wires and belts would not be an issue, but I wonder if id would be necessary to drill some new holes in the extrusion from Ender extender kit.
Hey Ignis, great question and put simply yes (almost 😮)! 😁 The typical dual Z kit with 2 stepper motors and a new mirror back plate should fit fine and many existing IDEX customers have made that upgrade (it's a good one to do). Yes, BL touch works, you install it on hotend 1 and prob the bed like usual. The kit files that come with the kit also has multiple pre-compiled BL touch versions of the firmware. However, when running a duplicate or mirror mode print you still need to manually level the bed. This is because 2 hotends touch the bed at 2 points at the same time. So the Z axis cannot compensate for 2 at the same time (this is true of any IDEX printer). But you can still use the BL touch sensor to help you identify the bed level and adjust it too! Finally, the micro-swiss direct drive hotend is not as easy. You can install a direct drive of your choice on hotend 1 as long as the motor for it is mounted over the front of the carriage. Those that mount it over the back like the MicroSwiss will hit the new X2 belt path. For hotend 2 it is more complex as this hotend needs to be possible to raise and lower independent of hotend 2 to get them perfectly level. It also needs the new mounting points for the higher X2 belt path. However, in the file pack at the moment is a beta file for the hotend 2 direct drive which has been received very well by the community so far. And it is equally possible to print your own direct drive solution for hotend 1 as well! In both cases the same form factor of the MicroSwiss hotend means that is can be mounted and used fine, it's just the direct drive carriage that is the issue. Do let me know if I can provide any more details, information or support 😁 And thank you for your interest and support 👍
So in principle yes, I believe it will. I have not been able to test it yet in real life but my assumption is the only changes needed would be: - A longer x-axis extrusion (to give the extra 55mm for carriage 2 to park) - Longer belts - Longer cables for carriage 2 I'd also advise a second Z stepper but I would recommend this for the Ender Extender anyway, without the IDEX kit. The SKR Pro board the kit comes with does have a spare Z port anyway, so this should be easy. I have a few customers at the moment working on Ender IDEX Extenders so I shall be seeing how they get on and hopefully have something to share soon 😁
Hey Corporal McMuffin, Thanks for watching my video and your comment, I think I get the gist of it 😇 Currently the parts I print and sell are only available in red. This is because with 10+ parts in each kit printed across 20+ printers, even 1 additional colour would require many KGs of filament and a lot of time swapping machines over and increasing stock buffers etc. 😅 However, I think as you said, you can also get my files kit and print the parts in any colour or material you wish 🎉 To date I have seen the Ender IDEX in everything from Black to Blue, Orange and even Purple. So if there is something even crazier you'd like to print it in I'd love to see it 😁
You did alot of R&D on this and it shows.
Thank you so much for your kind words Will, I really appreciate your time watching my video and support 😁
This is such a brilliantly executed/engineered kit! Very well done.
Will this work on the v2?
Great question and short answer is yes! a fair few V2 users already have the IDEX kit installed (even some Ender 3 V2 Extenders too!).
the only main differences are:
>You need to replace the V2's screen, it doesn't play well with non-creality boards and loses tons of settings for IDEX specific features. Either a classic Ender 3 LCD or one of the BTT TFT touch screen work great.
> The V2 does not have an XT60 power cable at the back so you need to screw the power cables directly into the power supply
> The stock X-axis tensioner needs to be replaced as it's design blocks the mounting point for the X2's pulley arm
If you're printing the kit yourself this is all quite easy to deal with and if you wish to buy a complete kit I have a V2 version that comes with a TFT35 and all the other chances needed to solve the above differences.
Just check out the Alternative Kits section on the kit buy page here: 3d.plus/buy/ender-idex/#IDEX-alternative-kits
😁👍
I own another IDEX machines and so this is not aplicable for me, but i have to tell you, this is by far the coolest thing i’ve seen in a while. Very, very well executed.
Great tutorial and great height adjustment mechanism for X2. Also, the whole thing looks like it’s well thought out.
You have my sub now, hope to see more of such material.
Keep the great work!
Regards from Slovenia
Thank you so much marko2210, I really appreciate your kind words. What IDEX printer do you have? Do you use it for Duplicate printing or 2 material/colour prints more?
Kane i give credit where it’s due, and this is pretty pretty cool. Especially for wide ender audience.
Anyhow, my IDEX of choice is Tenlog D3, run by DuetWifi+Duex5, with dual hemera. It’s pretty ok 😉 the other one is stock but currently on an operating table getting overhauled
I mostly print dual color for work (architectural scaled models), dual material trials for some engineering weekend storming and duplication for stuff that get’s printed in volumes either for sale or for giveaways. So a lot of all i would say.
In the works is a dual IDEX that will make quadruple and quad color/material available. Come join “MarX group” on facebook if interested. We could use a guy like you there 😉
@@marko2210 ah yes, the Tenlog D3 is probably the other main entry point IDEX printer out there. Sounds like you've given it a serious overhaul...but then that's half the fun right? 😂😉
I love your use cases, it's exactly the kind of thing I envisioned when I started working on the kit and when I think about the power of an IDEX printer overall.
Quad-IDEX, now you really have my attention 😯 I will definitely join the group, I'd love to see the progress that is making and help in any way if I can.
Kane we are just makers, aren’t we 😉
@@marko2210 do you mind sharing your duet config files? :)
Love this, two heads are the 3d printing future, along with the high-speed resonance-sensing machines and real-time filament diameter sensing.
Thank you for your kind words, I'm glad you like it 🤩
I agree, there are so many cool ideas and technology to come in the world of 3D. We've only just begun! 😲
just wanted to say your video quality is awesome. Nice video
Thank you so much, I really appreciate your feedback and support. 😁
Two different nozzle sizes idea is cool. You can have nice and fine detail perimeters, top fills, inside could be filled quickly, sturdier.
Exactly, and even if you tend to switch from regular 0.4mm prints but every now and then like to blast out a 0.8mm or larger "rough" print...it ends the pain of frequent nozzle changes. I don't know anyone that actually enjoys changing out a nozzle, especially if you have ABL setup too 😅
Thorough, Clear, and concise video! Tough to get all three of those together!
You are very kind, thank you for your wonderful feedback 😊
I noticed you printed a purge block on your 2 color print. Is this required?
You did a really great job and with perfection, i loved this upgrade and also want to do it with my Ender 3 model
Q.1 = can i add 3-4 color printing heads?
Q2. = if yes, could you please drop me the links for the upgrading additional parts to change ?
Q.3 = do i need to change the firmware code along with hard ware, or not needed if the board is preloaded with the firmware?
Q.4 = in addition of all extra hardwares, do i need to upgrade the power supply unit? if yes then please drop the voltage, amp & watt here.
Q.5 = does changing such motherboard and other hardware components affect my printing quality ?
May I complement you on excellent production quality on: lighting, audio, audio levels camera angles, close ups and a clean well lite background. Thumbs up.
Thank you so much, you're very kind. It takes a lot of work to make a video like this and your kind feedback really means a lot 🙂
awesome video. clear in-depth without being patronising. Amazing kit too! very well thought out.
I found this an excellent option to get dual extrusion on a budget. You can print with soluble supports for a very reasonable price with this kit. I’m fighting with my self to buy it
Excellent development!!!
Congratulations!!
Thank you so much for your kind words, it really does mean so much to me. I'd love to have you join the growing community of "IDEX owners" soon but in the mean time your support is amazing. Reach out and let me know if I can answer any questions of help you with anything. 😁👍
its actually the best in the market because u will have both ender 3 and idex the only thing holding me is waiting for them to upgrade the kit because at the left side the original extruder don't go farther more which don't allow the new extruder to maximize the space to the edge force a smaller printing space for the dual color and i am waiting the kit for ender S1 extender size and idex
Love what you've done but is there a cheaper version of this I'm on a budget and don't have a lot of money at the moment if there is please let me know.
Thank you for your kind words. I am delighted you like the kit and it has inspired you.
So there is a lot in the kit, SKR Pro board, complete wiring loom, 2 stepper motors, new carriage, hotend, X-axis extrusion, 10+ custom designed and produced parts.
However, I also appreciate there are lots of different budgets for 3D printing enthusiasts. One of the best ways some people have bought the kit is to buy just the custom X-axis parts or let me know the parts they need and I can quote for that. You can then use existing stepper motors or other parts you might already have to complete the build.
Obviously this will require a bit more hands on work for things like wiring up and installing it, but I'd still be happy to help.
Drop me an email at kane@sen3d.com and let me know what you're thinking and I'll see what I can do to help you join team IDEX 😉
Wow i love it!! Went to your website to buy one.... you want $100 more for this than I paid for a whole new printer!!! Quite honestly for almost $300 I could tweak and geek on 2 printers and have one massive printer with two heads. Sorry mate. Great product but that price
Hey Darren,
Thanks for the feedback, I think you make a fair point. Overall an IDEX printer is a complex piece of kit - a bit like going from a moped to a motorbike. You could buy 2 mopeds but it's still not a motorbike 😜
I realise the kit isn't for everyone but maybe one or two of my future products catch your eye too. And at the very least I hope I have sparked your imagination so you can come up with some innovative ideas too 😁
Very impressive job! Your video is also very good and clear!
Thank you Gaston, you are very kind 😊
Do you have an Ender 3 (or a few 😜)
@@SEN3Dcom 1 Ender 3 (heavily customized, probably the frame and the LCD screen are the only original part left) and a Prusa MK3
@@gastondombiak1538 Nice, how do you think the Ender and Prusa compare?
SEN 3D both work very well and reliable for me. Ender With bltouch, creality glass bed and all metal hot end performs as well as the MK3. I then added 32 bit board with latest marlin and hemera hot end and it is now even better. I use both printers for same kind of work. Both reliable. Both good.
@@gastondombiak1538 That's really interesting and good to get your view. It seems fairly rare to find owners of an Ender and a Prusa. The vast majority of printer people seems to live in one camp of the other :)
Will this still work with the BL touch on the first extruder?
Can this be used for the Ender S1/S1 Pro? What modifications would need to be made (hardware or firmware)?
This should (probably) work on a Voxelab Aquila right? It's pretty similar
Hey Felix, Excellent question and on the face of it the Voxelab Aquila seems to have a very similar "Ender 3" style frame and components so I would expect it to work (obviously not a 100% guarantee).
To be sure if the X-axis extrusion is 345mm long then it is identical to the Ender 3 and much more likely to work in exactly the same way.
The only things that might be a tad different are the X-axis belt tensioner. To make space for the X2 pulley you may need to swap it for one that only attaches to the axis on one side.
The screen may also need a bit of tinkering, does it work with stock Marlin? The kit uses a stick SKR Pro v1.2 so if the screen can work with that board then you should be fine.
Otherwise it looks like it could be an excellent upgrade for sure! Maybe I'll have to get one soon to test it on 😉
I'm tempted. I'd like to know if this kit is compatible with any larger Crealilty printers, like the CR series? Also, the whole reason for me wanting IDEX as opposed to two-in-one-out style is the horrendous amount of waste with the prime tower. But I see you have a prime tower. Is that just to catch the ooze that happens while an extruder is at rest? Can that be made smaller or eliminated with a wiper or similar?
Hi there,
Great questions, broadly yes the kit should be applicable to most of the CR series. However, as you'll know there are so many models and variations I am still working on ways to make it "guaranteed" on as many as possible.
In most cases the changes are mainly for the X-axis extrusion length and cable lengths. But for example some old CR-10s use a 12v power supply instead of 24v and I like to ensure I catch as many of these issues as possible 😇 I will soon be launching an "official CR-10" version of the kit but some of my amazing customers have already started building their own CR-10 or Ender Extender IDEX versions from the kit. So as long as you don't mind tinkering nothing should be insurmountable.
Excellent question on prime towers. You are correct a 2 in 1 out hotend will need much more purging on a purge tower. This is not only to prime the nozzle but importantly to purge the other material/colour out. With an IDEX it's very much up to you, in many cases I would use a very tiny purge tower but this acts more like a skirt for each layer getting the flow going before it starts to print. maybe like 1 or 2 hollow rings before it can crack on with the printing.
It is absolutely not a necessity to use a purge tower with an IDEX. It will depend a lot on things like your chosen holding temperature, material, retraction settings etc. In many cases you could use a purge bucket, maybe an ooze shield or for a large model just print from the "infill" first and let the initial couple of mm act as that "flow starter".
The other big benefit of IDEX is that each nozzle can print a different material and not just colour, so you can try PETG with PLA supports (as the 2 don't stick very well). Or PVA dissolvable filament or even TPU & ABS for example. These king of mixes would be almost impossible via a single hotend or require enormous purge towers.
Let me know if I can provide any further information or support 😁
@@SEN3Dcom Thank you for chatting with me on your website early Sunday morning.
"As the bed is already level we only need to do this at a single point", I wish my Ender 3 worked that way lol
This is so impressive.. I think you filled a huge gap of quality dual extruder printing in this price range. What about shipment cost and customs to EU?
Thank you so much for your kind words Lumaxia. Shipping within the EU is not too bad and varies from country to country. If you check my website and go to checkout, when you input your country the shipping cost/options will show there.
For customs again it can vary a lot from country to country but typically you will have to pay VAT on delivery to the courier.
However, if you want to avoid all this my "file pack" option can give you a great alternative route. You can grab the hardware yourself and print the parts too, saving on the big heavy box coming into your country 😮
And of course I'll still be here and happy to help whichever option you chose 😇
This is amazing my friend I've been looking for a manageable solution to dual extrusion on my Ender 3. I will be looking to order your kit for sure
Thank you so much for your kind words Luke 😊
I'm glad you like my kit and maybe one day you'll be an Ender IDEX owner too (you can also buy just the files now and print your own if you want a bigger project 😮)
At the very least I hope I have inspired you to look into and try something new with your machine 😊
I like the product but could I use BL touch with this and is there any way to use this kit with a silent motherboard that I already hav on my ender 3 pro
Great questions, yes you can use a BL Touch no problem. It fits to hotend 1 and works in mostly the same way as normal. The only difference is for duplicate and mirror mode prints you still need a manually levelled bed as 2 hotends touch the bed at 2 points at the same time.
Sadly, the challenge with using your existing board is that it cannot run enough stepper motors. The Ender IDEX has 6 stepper motors (X1, X2, Y, Z, E1 & E2). A majority of board only run 4 or 5 steppers. This is why I supply the kit with an SKR Pro board (it's also an excellent board). However, if you did want the Ender IDEX to be silent you are still able to install silent stepper drivers too and get the same noise output as you'd get from any other silent board 😇
This is very intriguing, I really want an IDEX. I wonder if adding the dual z kit would make this my new go to. hmm
Thank you for your kind words and interest Donald 😁 Dual Z is a great additional upgrade and certainly worth adding as well. The good news is that the typical dual Z kits (with a second Z stepper motor) are fully compatible with the Ender IDEX setup and many people have made that exact upgrade already 😮
Do let me know if I can provide any additional information or help 😇
@@SEN3Dcom Do you have U.S distribution? If so who?
Hi, good video on idex
I already built one, now I want to upgrade to dual idex printer
I want to use 4 extruders and 2 nozzles, I want to use 2 in 1 out hotend, is it possible?
Is this only red or can i buy it in other colors?
Hey There, thank you for your comment and excellent question. The kit and parts I provide are only currently available in red.
BUT...I do now offer the "files kit" too. So you could actually buy that for a lot less and print all of the parts yourself in any colour of material you like.
If you have not seen the files kit take a look at my other video "Print your own Ender IDEX" 😊
I only supply red myself as I run the production across multiple machines and with each kit needing 10 to 15 parts even adding one additional colour would add a huge amount of time changing machines back and forth, as well as keeping ~20kg of another colour of filament in stock too 😇
amazing tutorial, quick question is this compatible with the ender max neo?
Hey there, a quick question, would this work on the new Ender 3 V3 KE? It has a Sprite direct drive extruder, and is a bit different compared to the Ender 3. If it does not work, what suggestions might you have for a Dual Extrusion upgrade for my Ender 3 V3 KE? Thanks.
Anet a8 plus would be a great machine for this. Let me know when you have a kit for that
Thanks for your vote on the "next IDEX kit" 😁 I few people have mentioned the Anet A8 so hopefully it won't take me too long to get to. I will of course announce as soon as I make it available 🎉
Hey! I really like what I am seeing here. Would this work on the Voxelab Aquila or the TRONXY XY-2?
Hey Batarn,
Thank you for your comment and kind words 😁
I have not tested either of these printers directly but after a quick google I would say yes, probably 😇
The frame and brackets all seem to be identical to the Ender 3 ones and so should work in the same way (some people have tested the kit of other clone machines without issues).
The main thing I would consider is they both seem to have custom LCD screen. These may be possible to transfer over to another motherboard/firmware but I cannot be sure. Worst case you may have to switch to a classic LCD or something like a TFT35 to control the printer.
Let me know if you're interested in getting stuck into this, I would be delighted to help with any minor hiccups that may crop up compared to the classic Ender 3 version of the kit. And also I now offer the Files Pack so you might want to print and make everything yourself 😮
Video here: ua-cam.com/video/EbJffOkkdNA/v-deo.html&ab_channel=SEN3D
File pack here: enderidex.com/files-pack/
do you have a kit with the motor mounted on right side? duel z. Also can you run a micro swiss on these?
Thank you soooooo much dude .
This what i am finding.
This video is very very helpful for me.
Thank you so much again.
What an amazing tool. I've been looking at the JGmaker Artist D because I want the idex. But I also want the large build volume of the cr-10. Is there any way in the world you could also fit the same setup on the cr-10 version 3. I would buy that in a heartbeat especially if it is direct drive.
Hi Adam,
Thank you for your kind words, it's great to hear you're exploring what's available and also what's possible in the world of IDEX printing 😁
So in principle I believe the kit would work on a CR-10 (or even an Ender Extender kit) as the basic printer parts and structure are the same. I believe the only changes needed would be:
- a longer x-axis extrusion to give the 2nd carriage somewhere to park as well as enable the X2 belt pulley to be mounted
- longer belts for this new longer x-axis
- Longer cables for the 2nd hotend
Obviously other snags or hiccups may come up, but this is all I expect it would take. I am working on a more specific kit for the CR-10 but this will take a little longer before it's available 😇
Also, in terms of direct drive. The new 2nd hotend is bowden based but it is possible to have hotend 1 as a direct drive as long as the stepper motor placement does not interfere with the X2 belt path.
I second this comment, I'd buy six in a heart beat
I assume this will work if I have the extender kit (400x400x400)? I also have a direct drive extruder so could the other hotend have another one of those equipped?
Also could I have marlin or klipper installed with this? Are there any limitations to the motherboard, I have a bl touch, runout sensor, and octopi running
im consider the kit, but a few questions, the motherboard, how noizy is the motors? is it compare able to the ender 3 silence motherboard? and what version are the motherboard?
How's the noise on this kit? I'm very interested, but I have a silent motherboard on my current ender 3 and I'd like to keep it silent if possible. I'm not sure if the DRV8825 drivers will be noisier than the TMC2225 drivers that are on my current board.
Excellent question. The kit uses the SKR Pro V1.2 which is very easy to swap stepper drivers for.
I have many customers that have done this without issue and I'd be happy to help if you did want to do this as a next mini project after setting the IDEX up.
This is an excellent video showing what's involved in inserting TMCs in the SKR Pro board and I'd be happy to compile the firmware for you if you weren't comfortable doing it yourself: ua-cam.com/video/3Z4aAzuzu44/v-deo.html&ab_channel=EdwardBraiman
This is awesome, if you can do something like that for Artillery for sure I will get one. Great job do.
Thank you so much, I'll have to look into a version for the Artillery soon 😉
@@SEN3Dcom meanwhile I’m thinking to buy an ender 3. You ship to spain?
@@kamiwey I do indeed 😊
@@SEN3Dcom Count me in for 2 of those extruders if they are available for Artillery X1!
This thing looks amazing! Is it compatible with a bl/cr touch? I feel like having one could make things more reliable.
The instructions refer to a Z limit switch. I don't have one of those because that function is provided by my CR Touch, also used for bed level mesh generation.
Hiya, just stumbled upon this as I was looking to get into 3D printing and interested in getting Ender 3 V2 neo. Just wondering if this kit will work with that model? also, how does this work if I'm looking to get the extruder replaced with a double direct extruder? thirdly, can this be klippered? Thanks
I have Questions. How much wider does it make the ender 3? Can i have the files to the 3d printed parts, I need to make them out of nylon or polycarbonate? Can i have 2 direct drive extruders on it? Can one of those extruders be 450c and the other one at 220c? Can i have one print the shell while the other does the infill? Thank you to anyone that answers this.
Excellent questions.
On the left side the mod adds 20mm and on the right side it adds ~30mm from the outer edge of the screen.
I will soon be releasing the files for personal use/printing so you will be able to produce the kit yourself in any colour/material you like. Be sure to join my mailing list at EnderIDEX.com to find out as soon as the files are available.
Hotend 1 can be direct drive. Most setups work but it has to be a version that mounts the motor over the front of the carriage. Those that put the motor over the back will collide with the path of the new X2 belt.
For hotend 2, currently the hotend is a bowden setup and this is quite custom as it also needs to raise and lower independently to get it perfectly in line with hotend 2. When the files become available there will also be a beta of the direct drive version available too. So long story short, yes hotend 2 can be direct drive but the setup will initially be a beta so may have some room for improvement compared to the standard bowden setup.
You certainly can have different hotends at different temperatures. As long as the hotend you choose/install can support the higher temperatures that is fine. And it is one of the many advantages of IDEX that you can print vastly different materials at the same time.
Finally, yes you can choose the options in your file slicing to have infill printed with a different hotend from the overall print. I suggest Cura but as a standard Marlin based IDEX printer, any slicer than can slice a multi-extruder Gcode file should be compatible.
Say I converted my ender 3 into a direct drive, could this kit work for that ? And could I run both extenders on direct drive ? And would I be able to put a bl touch on each ?
Great questions, in answer:
1. Yes, you can run direct drive on the Ender IDEX. However for hotend 1 you need to select a carriage design that has the stepper motor over the front. If it's over the back like the MicroSwiss design this will collide with the X2 belt path directly above the existing X1 belt path. Many of the low cost and "print yourself" direct drive options work great.
For hotend 2 the kit comes with a file for a direct drive option you can print and install yourself 😁
If you do go single or double direct drive I would also suggest you install a dual Z axis motor kit on the Ender 3. This is a good idea anyway for a direct drive ender 3, even without an additional IDEX carriage. The common dual Z-axis motor kits for the Ender 3 work great with the Ender IDEX parts too.
2. You can indeed install and use a BL Touch with an IDEX printer like the Ender IDEX. You would install it on the hotend 1 carriage and use the usual Gcode to create a mesh. Hotend 2 (provided it has been calibrated with X/Y offsets) will then just use the same mesh data during printing, so no need for a second sensor.
The only time Auto Bed Levelling is not useful for an IDEX machine is when you run a duplicate or mirror mode print. This is because you have 2 hotends touching the bed at 2 points at the same time. This is the case for any IDEX machine, however you can still use the BL Touch mesh data to help you achieve a near perfect "manual level" too.
@@SEN3Dcom thank you for the response. I hate to be a pain but i did have a few more questions, given that I'm new to this.
1. Seeing that the whole board is replaced, would this mean that something like an SKR board is redundant?
2. Will an extension kit on my ender 3 say a 400X400X500 be compatible?
3. Will a Raspberry Pi be compatible?
4. Can i attach a blockhead fans to both hotends without them colliding?
5. Do you guys plan to make something similar for a CR30 for example? or any type of conveyor belt like printer?
Thank you for your time
@@judontknow69 No problem at all 😁
1. yes, the new board replaces the existing one entirely. BUT you can always keep the existing board and use it for a future project (you'd be surprised how handy it is).
2. Yes indeed, many people have done it and I offer versions of my kit for the Ender Extender printers (and even the some CR-10 models). The main differences needed is longer cables, longer x-axis extrusion and a different firmware file.
3. Yes indeed, the firmware I provide is pretty close to "vanilla" Marlin so it's just as compatible as any other printer. However you will likely need to customise OctoPrint a little to account for the 2 hotends and some plugins may get a little confused, but nothing major.
4. Blockhead fans...so installing on hotend 1 is fine, hotend 2 is a bit more custom as it raises and lowers with a screw independently so may be harder to install. BUT if you are good with CAD you do get access to the parts files too so you could modify a custom fan setup too!
In terms of collision, the min distance between the two carriages can be set in the firmware so if you did want to enlarge it to account for wider fan setups this is an easy edit to make 😁
5. I like the way you're thinking! So currently a few different models in the pipeline (admittedly not the CR-30 just yet). A small operation of just me 😢 means that I often have too many ideas to work on and not enough time for them all. So one day soon but I wouldn't want to promise a date.
Also, with files access it may be possible if you wanted to get really stuck in to try it yourself...but this would certainly be a more advanced project for sure!
Keep the questions coming if you have more! 😁👍
@@SEN3Dcom hey thank you so much! With customer support like this, the sky is the limit for you and your team. God bless you.
I have an Ender three pro and I’ve been looking for something like this or printer like this and this is exactly what I’m looking for as an upgrade for my enter three pro however. What I want to do is print models and use the water dissolving filming as support material.. is that configurable within the slicer or whatever slicer that supports idex?
Prusa slicer supports using dissolvable support filament I'm the way that you describe.
I currently have a BL-Touch attached, how does this affect the new IDEX??
Excellent question, in short it works great with a BL Touch!
You attached the BL Touch to the hotend 1 like normal and use it in all the typical ways.
The only drawback is that for a duplicate or mirror mode print you still need to manually level your bed. This is because 2 hotends touch the bed at 2 points at the same time. This is true of any IDEX printer, the Z axis cannot correct both hotends at once.
Also, the SKR Pro motherboard I use in the kit has a port ready to accept the BL touch cable. Plus, I provide pre-compiled firmware for the BL Touch and an install guide so it couldn't be easier. 😁
Amazing! Excellent design & engineering. PLEASE tell me you have plans to make this kit for the Lulzbot TAZ 6?
Thank you so much for your kind feedback 😁 I am working on the next printers to bring the kit to so the more people request a printer the more likely it could be next. Your vote for the Lulzbot TAZ 6 has been registered 😉
@@SEN3Dcom I will then publish you video in a few TAZ forum and instruct them to comment here. There is a TON of interest in IDEX upgrades for the TAZ which is such a rock solid machine.
@@jeffrey-deitch That's awesome. As silly as it sounds I am keen to hear what people want. I use my own research and guessed but if there is big demand for the TAZ who am I to stand in their way 😁😇
I need one of these kits later this year for one if my Ender 3 Pros and I have a Lot of questions, lol... Here's a simple question to start with: can I request a specific filament/color of the printed plarts please...?
That is awesome, thank you for your kind comment 🙂
Currently the kit is available in a single colour as the 10+ parts in each kit are printed across multiple printers and so even a single additional colour would require multiple kg's of it and a lot of time to re-spool all the printers.
However, once you do buy the kit all of the "non-critical" parts files like the spool holders, extruder holders & motherboard box will be made available to you. So you could re-print those parts at a later date if you wanted.
I also have a private group for kit owners you'd be invited to join where you can see what everyone else is working on. There are also lots of additional modifications available in that group that have been created by the Ender IDEX community.
@@SEN3Dcom @SEN 3D Thank you for your response to my questions and all this useful information, I think you just sealed the deal on my future purchase, lol. I'm not going to post the rest of my questions here, unless you want me to of course, lol, as I have not seen the answers in your FAQs on your website either. I am also super excited to know that there is a support group for your setup as the Ender and Creality Facebook groups have been Super helpful for me and all the upgrades I have done to my printers over the last almost 2 years. 😁👍🏼
@@MoisFamilyTech You're very kind, that sounds great. I can't wait to have you join team IDEX 😉
If there is anything else at all I can help with just drop me an email: kane@sen3d.com and I'll be happy to help
Is the mother board version used at least a 4.2.2 or a 4.2.7 ? Because I would like to be able to use it with my Creality CR touch auto bed leveler on the primary extruder.
Guessing a ender 3 pro should be fine?
Absolutely, the standard kit works identically on the Ender 3 and Ender 3 pro without any changes needed 😁
I'm probably going to order this. 1 question. My ender is stockish. I do have a micro swiss all metal hotend and I run the hero cooling duct. Do I need to put the stock cooling system back on? I just have a few questions before a purchase.
That's awesome, I'm so glad you like it! 😁 You can keep the micro Swiss hotend and hero cooling duct for hotend 1 no problem.
All you'd need to do (and I'm happy to help with this) is adjust the size of carriage 1 in the firmware so the second carriage doesn't collide with it. I have a number of alternative firmware builds on my website too for larger carriages: enderidex.com/help/software/#marline-alternative-builds
Let me know if there is anything else I can help with 😁
@@SEN3Dcom ok, I'll probably order it on the 30th. Is there a lead time on the kits?
Fantastic, looking forward to have you join team IDEX! kits are shipped out within 7 days of ordering and depending where you're located are delivered as soon as 1-2 days for UK and USA but can be a couple of weeks for some locations.
@@SEN3Dcom Wisconsin USA. Is there a better way to chat with you? I might order this weekend or now on my drive to work lol
Funny though because today I'll be getting the new skr wireless board because I was going to try rep rap on my ender but now I like this. I actually found this video by looking for the idex board for the skr board lok
If we already have an SKR V2 board can we just skip that part of the kit for a discount?
You would need the SKR Pro board mainly as it can drive 6 stepper motors (X1, X2, Y, Z, E1 & E2). However I do sell just the X-axis for people that have the board or other setup they'd like to use it on. Drop me an email and I'd be happy to help: kane@sen3d.com
And how is the configuration in the slicer?
Planning on upgrading my Ender 3 with the extender. Was wondering if this work?
I like the way you think. In principle it should work, the main additional requirements would be: longer X-axis extrusion (so E2 can part on the right side), longer belts, longer bowden tubes & longer cable extensions for the reach.
It might also be a good idea to look into dual z steppers as the extra span is a lot of load on a single motor. But, this is also true for the Ender Extender kit even without IDEX 🙂
Wow this is super cool! Didn't know there was a kit out there for Ender IDEX. We make a camera tool for doing the XY offset more accurately and easier. If you're curious there are some videos on our youtube channel showcasing it.
Will it come in other colors in the future? Not a big fan of the red unfortunately. Also, will new fan ducts such as the satsana work for the second extruder?
Different colours could be possible, for now I'm just trying to keep up with demand 😅
Any fan ducts would need to be customised to work with the second extruder. The reason for this is the new second hotend is quite custom. It has the hotend on the left of the carriage (rather than right) for maximum build plate coverage. It also raises and lowers independently with a screw to enable it to be perfectly levelled with the first extruder. Because of this the whole mount is quite different and is unlikely to work with an off the shelf duct.
Did you come out with a kit for Ender 5 Plus? Thanks
Are these still available and valid ?? Could this be used on a mks robin nano board too ?? I have most of the stuff to do one except the expensive board and files....
Could this be used to print the water soluble filament as supports? Like 2nd hotend/extruder for that filament strictly for support?
Absolutely, that is a perfect use case for IDEX printing. Provided the dissolvable filament (PVA) you select is printable at ~240ºC or less then you should be fine.
Also, materials like PLA and PETG do not adhere to each-other very well. So you could experiment with using one or the other as support material that should come away much easier.
As you may know ABS also dissolves in acetone so using ABS as a support materials with another acetone resistant filament gives you another option.
Finally, as dissolvable filament can be quite expensive you also have the option in most IDEX capable slicers to only print the interface layer in PVA. So your support towers would be PLA for example but the 2-3 layers that touch the finished part are in PVA and so dissolve away whilst also using a very small amount of the filament.
So could this go on an ender 3 v3 se? Might be a stupid question but I wanna know for sure haha
Wow that's crazy the kit cost more then the bambu lab a1.
I rather buy the bambu lab then I'll have 4 colors and new printer.
I only have ender 3 but I am considering upgrading.
Now if only you had one for my CR10s5 ! I might end up getting one of these and seeing if I can make it work on the Cr10s5 anyway lol
I like the way you're thinking 😀 Ender IDEX XL. I am working on the CR-10 version at the moment so hopefully it will be available soon 😇 Make sure you join my mailing list at EnderIDEX.com to find out as soon as it's release.
However, I also like your idea of taking the existing kit and transferring it across, it would be a great custom project. The core frame is obviously very similar just larger. And you'd have to be confident with opening the motherboard box. But if you did I'd be delighted to help you along the way. 👍
I have a CR10S that I'm looking to modify into something fancy. I was planning on going DIY but truth be told I wouldn't be able to match this bit of kit.
I do think a double sided Z axis propulsion is the better way to go because of the added weight. Luckily the CR10S has that covered. If you manage to come up with a CR10S version, it may very well be this years Christmas gift I instruct my wife to get me 🤣
this is so awesome and I would love to get one for myself but I need to know... I have ordered for my normal ender 3 a cr touch sensor do I need some type of additional modification to use it or software or it would still work?
The main kit comes with a whole new controller board that you swap out, so that board will have different firmware installed on it to control both extruders.
What is the difference between the bar that comes with the kit and the bar that the ender 3 printer comes with?
New extrusion is longer, so the left toolhead can reach the entire bed
what if you want to print 2 different print having different heights? love the design by th way
Hello,
It is a super project. Is it possible to use one, or two BLTouch to make the Z leveling? I would not upgrade my printer down with leveling feature.. I'm not sure that even the Marlin/SKR motherboard support it...
Don't plan such a configuraton for Prusa?
(The Prusa one nozzle Multicolor print not worked for us in the work+lot of material is wasted...)
Edit: I just thinking and two BL Touch is not make sense, only one, because there is no dual Z azis/independent movement... That would a really-really awesome, but I guess it is definetly not supported by Marlin yet...
Hi Lajos,
Thank you so much for your kind feedback :)
So yes, a BL touch absolutely is supported. Many of my customers already use the BL Touch and I have pre-compiled versions of the firmware for use with the kit. The only thing to think about is when you run a Duplicate or Mirror mode print, in this instance you will still need to manually level the bed as 2 hotends will be touching the bed at different points at the same time. You could still use the probe data from the BL Touch to help get a super accurate and level bed.
I am working on and thinking about which printers to expand the kit to next. Prusa printers are high on the list as they are among the most popular...so watch this space!
I also agree, there is a huge difference between a dual independent hotend IDEX system and a multi-colour, single nozzle system :)
Is there a kit or will this fit for the Creality CR10 S5? Thanks
Is there a way to make this work with Klipper?
How would I make this work with a linear rail installed on the front of the x-axis?
How would you slice a 2 colour print? Can you use cura to slice it?
Absolutely, Cura is great for slicing prints for IDEX. I will be releasing a video very soon on slicing prints for an IDEX printer (2 colour, duplicate and mirror modes). Watch this space 😉
is it compatible with the Ender 3 V2?
It certainly is! There are just a few differences compared to the Ender 3/Ender 3 Pro standard version:
1. You will need to use a different screen. the larger V2 screen Creality provide does not play well with non-creality motherboards and misses a lot of the settings needed for IDEX machines. You can use either a classic Ender 3 LCD or something like the TFT35 (or just manage the printer over USB with something like an OctoPi).
The Ender 3 V2 version of the kit I sell comes with a TFT35 included.
2. The Ender 3 V2 does not have an XT60 plug for the power so you will have to screw the power cables directly into the power supply but this is very easy and adds no more than 5 minutes to the build.
3. You need to replace the X-axis belt tensioner as the large V2 version does not leave enough room for the X2 carriage and belt arm to fit on the axis. You can print or buy an alternative quite easily and as before my V2 version of the kit comes with everything you need.
I hope this helps. You can see what is involved a little clearer by checking the "Alternative Kits" that I offer here: 3d.plus/buy/ender-idex/#IDEX-alternative-kits
Is this compatible with Auto bed Leveling?
Hi just curious, is this suitable for the ender 3 v2? or is there another version?
could this work with a SKR 2 instead of the SKR Pro?
It would not really work with an SKR 2, mainly as it does not have enough stepper motor ports. The SKR Pro has 6 for: X1, X2, Y, Z, E1 and E2. So broadly any mainstream board that can run 6 or more steppers independently should be possible but less and it won't really work. 😇
@@SEN3Dcom i see, sorry I missed the bit about needing to be able to run six drivers. My order for the skr pro from Banggood has been delayed for over 2 months so Im just gonna go with some overkill and get the octopus board.. outside of housing the board, there shouldn't be an issue with using that instead right?
@@cuttyb Awesome, the Octopus is a great board and very similar to the SKR Pro. It also gives you future options like dual independent Z-axis control.
You'll need to make some tweaks to the firmware to account for the different board but it will be just as compatible. Many existing kit owners have made the same upgrade already!
I like your video. I think about upgrading a chiron to become an IDEX. If I understand right, you only need the second extruder to be adjustable in z if you want mirror or duplicate mode, for pure IDEX mode alternativly you can use z-offset value (if home of x0/x1 is outside the bed, so nozzle can not crash into it.). Is that right?
I do not need duplicate or mirror anyway - I have for example 4 Prusa Mini, and 2 smal printers are faster than 1 bigger printer anyways (at least with y-moving bed, a smal one accelerating faster).
I think about using an SKR 1.4 turbo. It has only 5 sockets for stepper drivers, but using exp2 (If you use a CR10 display, exp2 is free) you have 7 i/o free, so you can add at least two additional drivers - for example simply remap y and connect a closed loop driver there and remap former y-driver as second x driver. For printheads I want to use the Bondtech mk3s upgrades (in the Open source Thingiverse version) in Mosquito version. I definitly prefer direct extruders.
Hi Ole Urgast,
Thank you for your kind feedback 😊
Yes, the Z adjustment of the second extruder is only necessary for duplicate and mirror mode prints (as 2 hotends touch the bed at different points at the same time). For a 2 colour/material print you are correct, you can just set a "Z offset" for extruder 2.
Sounds like you have quite a farm - are you printing for fun or for business?
Agreed, duplicate mode will be very useful for some people and unnecessary for others. I guess one advantage is that if you have limited space and print a typical medium sized model, with duplicate mode your print capacity can be significantly increased and then switched back to bigger "single extruder" models when necessary. Speaking to my customers it's amazing how different everyones needs, preferences and setups are 😁
It sounds like you have lots of ideas and a big project or two putting this all together. I'd love to see how it turns out and help if I can. Drop me an email once you get started 👍
@@SEN3Dcom It's just for fun. I have about 12 functional 3d printers and about 18 I am tinkering on. Actually my hobby is more about building/moddifying/improving 3d printers than actually 3d printing ;-) The printers I actually mostly use are my 4 Prusa mk3s and my 4 Prusa Minis (each one original and 3 clones).
Sadly as always I have more ideas than time. For example I had an idea for a Real-Independend Multiple Extruder: 2 or more Deltas. Bed mounted on rails, moving from Delta to Delta. Would be a hell to do the calibration and transforming the gcode. But printing would look very funny. Think about 4 printers and 2 parking places in a cycle, organiced as a railway yard with 4 beds moving between the 4 printers. I am not sure how to build and program it. And If I ever find the time...
@@oleurgast730 If you have more printers in the tinkering phase than the printing phase you're definitely more into the modding and upgrading 😜For the Prusa's, how do you find the clones compare to the originals? is there much in it?
I love this idea, this would be an epic machine. Somehow it reminds me of the revolving everlasting gum machine in Willy Wonka (ua-cam.com/video/7jF2uMUTZ44/v-deo.html) 😂- As always the hardest part is finding enough hours in the day to work on these projects, I can empathise with that for sure!
@@SEN3Dcom for the mk3s clones: I strictly recommend to replace the 4.1 bore heatbreak of the clone by an all metal one, as original firmware supports up to 295°C.
Also the bearings are not good quality - at least change the 6 ones for x and y. Due to sensorless homing a bad bearing can lead to fails; both on starting a print and in case of crash detection.
But everything else is quite as good as the original. For a price less than 250€ incl. shipping from EU (Fysetc Bear Clone on 11.11-sale using AliExpress, AliExpress select and shop coupons) even with this changes, some extra upgrades (like buing a 7€ "Dual Drive"(BMG Clone) to source the parts for the Thingiverse version of the Bondtech upgrade for mk3s, and add a second Fysetc part cooling fan, about 3€) and the PET-G for part printing, you can get a clone as good as (or even better than) the original for about 320€.
Of course (like with the original) only one spring steel included (with PEI Sticker); but extra spring steels for different textures I mostly see as "consumables" anyway. The Fysetc Powder coated spring steel (about extra 20€) has a quite different texture than the Prusa one - but I like it a lot (even use one on my original Prusa) than printing with Silk filaments. The Pei powder coated spring steel from "energetic 3d Store" on AliExpress has quite the same structure as the original Prusa one.
I intend to use XMas hollydays for a video on my chanel, showing the changes on my mk3s clones (sorry, only in german)
@@oleurgast730 This is awesome information and you've probably started me on another one of those 2 hours AliExpress browsing sessions - investigating what is available and how it compares. I feel like now I will be starting another round of print bed material testing as the Fysetc Powder coated one sounds like it's worth a try at least.
A video of all of this would be great, I'd better start brushing up on my German 😉
Is a purge block required when printing?
This is awesome! Would it be possible to direct drive one of the extruders to print flexibles, or would there be space conflicts?
Excellent question. Hotend 1 can certainly be direct drive. You just need to be sure that the setup you choose does not mount the stepper motor over the back of the carriage. This is because the X2 belt runs directly above the X1 belt. So make sure the direct drive does not cross the "belt line" and you should have no issues.
You can actually get excellent results from the low cost brackets like this: www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001786191892.html
Hotend 2 is not possible currently as Direct Drive as the carriage is bespoke to this setup and can raise or lower via a screw. However, if hotend 1 is direct drive keeping hotend 2 as a Bowden setup can present advantages too for mixing different materials and print modes. For example hotend 1 is TPU and hotend 2 is ABS or PETG.
@@SEN3Dcom Sen, thank you for the thorough reply! This might well be my next project... great work, by the way.
@@maxxmad354 You are very kind, thank you so much 😁Can't wait to maybe have you join Team IDEX 😉
FYI, I am actually currently in the process of trying to get a direct drive set up on E2 with this kit (or at least the core parts of this kit). I'm using a Biqu H2 direct drive unit which is very compact and light and won't interfere with the belt path above like a microswiss or similar would. I'm not currently using the adjustable carriage plate (mostly because I forgot to order it and shipping is $20 and a week to get to the US), but I'm trying to decide whether I should just design a custom plate for belt tension and drive mounting or buy the file pack and modify the existing design to my needs.
@@SEN3Dcom if I do modify the file pack version, I'll send you a copy of the file. Might be nice to have support for mounting alternate hardware options, if only in the file pack.
What are your thoughts on using this to print nylons with dissolvable supports? Is it compatible with microswiss metal hotends? Will it withstand the temperature if the unit is contained?
What about flexibles? Is the custom extruder compatible with direct drives that fit stock ender 3s?
Great question. Obviously the stock hotend/bowden setup of the Ender 3 won't work for Nylons. But, temperatures is not an issue with dissolvable PVA filament though which is good!
I have not tried the Micro Swiss myself but given its identical mounting points and form factor I cannot see why i would not be possible to swap it out. In the kit the second hotend is the same as the stock Ender 3 one and uses the conventional mounting holes.
Currently the custom nature of the second carriage means it is not out of the box direct drive compatible. The reason is that the second hotend can be raised or lowered with a screw to keep it levelled with the first hotend. However, it would be possible for Extruder 1 to be setup with an off the shelf direct drive and Extruder 2 maintain the bowden. This way E1 could print in TPU with E2 printing an alternative material. The only thing to keep an eye on will be the weight on the X-axis given you're adding the motor on top of the additional carriage.
Are you going to be making a ender v2 version , id love one
So the big challenge with the V2 is the screen, it really doesn't play well with non-creality board and a non-standard configuration like the IDEX.
There are a few Ender 3 v2 IDEX kits in the wild already, but they use either an original Ender 3 LCD or a TFT35 screen.
The only other changes need from the standard kit are a "one sided" belt tensions like this imgaz.staticbg.com/thumb/large/oaupload/ser1/banggood/images/4A/A7/0fa467a4-02d3-4589-9c82-576d352fd5e4.jpg
And you'd have to be comfortable wiring up the power supply cables directly as the v2 doesn't come with an XT60 plug.
If you were comfortable with this you could get the kit today and have it ready to install within about a week 😮😉
Let me know if I can be of any more help and thank you for your kind feedback.
@@SEN3Dcom Would it be possible to just run the base model display? Both Ender 3 Pro and V2 are now using the same motherboard (at stock of course)
@@dustojnikhummer Yes you're right. The motherboard is not a big issue as the kit replaces it anyway. It's the screen.
So the customers that have the Ender 3 V2 version of the Ender IDEX just swap the screen out for either a stock Ender 3 LCD or something like the BTT TFT35. Basically any screen that can work with a BTT motherboard should be fine with the Ender IDEX. 😁
Could this be installed on the ender 3 V2?
Absolutely, if you check out my buy page and scroll down there is an Ender 3 V2 Version of the kit: 3d.plus/buy/ender-idex/#IDEX-alternative-kits
It has a few key differences from the standard kit:
1. It includes a TFT35 display as the bespoke Ender 3 V2 screen does not play well with non-creality motherboards and also misses a number of settings and menus for an IDEX setup.
2. The power cables come with fork crimp connectors to screw directing into the power supply as the V2 does not use an XT60 plug
3. It comes with the "lift box" and matching printer lets to lift the printer overall ~20mm. This gives you more space for all the cabling out the back as the Ender 3 V2 with its rear mounted power supply can become very compact and restricted with all this extra tech squashed in 😇
4. An alternative X-axis belt tensioner as the standard Ender 3 V2 one is too large and restricts the space for the X2 belt pulley part of the kit.
If you did get the Ender 3 V2 version of my kit everything you need is included straight out of the box.
Are there any plans for making a Klipper based firmware for this? I think it would be awesome.
Does it work with Ender 3 V1 ?
Absolutely, Ender 3 V1 (standard Ender 3), Ender 3 Pro, Ender 3 V2. Even the Ender 3 Max and Ender 3 Extender variants are compatible 😇
The is sick i have thought about putting a second extruder on my printer
Will this work with upgraded extruder like the sprite?
incredible work, i wish a had money to buy this
I wish it didn’t cost more than a new Ender 3! It just the electronics cost less, I would love to print the parts to do this mood myself.
Huh this needs more attention
Thank you so much for taking a look at my video, I really appreciate it 😁
Hi Kane, this looks like a great product and I wish you every success with it before the Chinese start cloning! Just the other day I was thinking about the possibility of fitting a second nozzle on my Ender 3 Pro - then I saw your video - looks like a 'game changer'!
I've just a few questions. Is the kit compatible with the Pro with its wider Y-axis aluminium extrusion? I'm also thinking of (later) upgrading it to a bigger print volume (something like 400mm x 400mm bed). For this, apart from the fact that I would need an even longer X-axis aluminium extrusion to accommodate the 2nd X-carriage together with longer X-carriage belts, bowden tubes, leads, etc., is there anything that might be a 'show stopper'? I realise that the longer X-axis would mean that a 2nd Z-axis screw (belt or stepper motor driven) may be needed. Is there a control board fan fitted and is it easy to access the control board within its case? Finally, being 'green' to IDEX operation, from your videos it looks like most of the control is by G-Code from the slicer. is it possible to still tweak the Marlin firmware if required? For example, I have an all-metal hot end (with bowden set up) and a 100k thermistor, so had to change the firmware to allow higher temperature printing (300 deg C) and select the correct thermistor.
By the way, I think your instructional videos are among the best I've seen on 3D printing.
....Just one last thing: what is the lead time from purchase to delivery?
Regards,
Mick
Hey Mick,
Thank you for your kind feedback and words, I really appreciate it 🙂
In answer to your questions: yes it does work with the Ender 3 Pro (the gap at the top of the motherboard box is wide enough for the 40x40 extrusion).
Yes, in principle the Ender Extender should be compatible with the Ender IDEX kit. As you said you'd mainly need a wider X extrusion for the X-axis and longer belts for Carriage 1 and Carriage 2. If you did go ahead with this I'd be really keen to help you and make sure any problems are solved.
Yes, the motherboard has a fan fitted inside the box with airflow exhausted at the opposite end of the box for good temperature control. The lid of the box is easily slid off after you remove a few screws, giving full access to the motherboard.
The SKR Pro also have a second Z stepper socket so adding another Z-axis motor should not be too difficult.
In terms of firmware, you can of course make as many changes as you like. I upload both the pre-compiled firmware and the raw files here so you can adapt it however you like and I'd be happy to help you too: enderidex.com/help/software/
Thank you, I'm so glad you like the instructional video. I agree that many product in this area can be a bit cryptic and leave you with lots of questions and no support 😅
Currently, the lead time is around 7 days to ship and delivery time will depend on your country but is rarely more than 2-3 days.
If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to ask.
All the best,
Kane
Thanks, Kane, I'll be in touch...
Could this in theory be used for the Ended 5 plus?
Hey can I select only supports structure to use PVA filament?
Will this kit work for ender x and y extender kit?? I have my ender at 400x400x250
Conceptually it should be possible. The main changes needed would be: longer cables for the E2 carriage, a longer extrusion and longer belts.
However, I would suggest adding a second Z stepper too if you were to do this. I would probably recommend a second Z stepper anyway for the extender kits, even without my IDEX kit.
Luckily the SKR Pro board has a second Z stepper port on the board so it's quite easy to add. Also some of my existing customers have already added one to their kits as well.
If you were interested drop me an email and I'd be happy to work with you and get the first Ender Extender IDEX in the wild (kane@sen3d.com) 🙂👍
@@SEN3Dcom Does your kit use standard mounting holes on the X axis? Adding dual Z and extending the wires and belts would not be an issue, but I wonder if id would be necessary to drill some new holes in the extrusion from Ender extender kit.
where can i purchase site will not load what is the pricing?
would this be compatible with a dual z kit, bl touch and would it be possible to have 2 microswiss dd hotends?
Hey Ignis, great question and put simply yes (almost 😮)! 😁
The typical dual Z kit with 2 stepper motors and a new mirror back plate should fit fine and many existing IDEX customers have made that upgrade (it's a good one to do).
Yes, BL touch works, you install it on hotend 1 and prob the bed like usual. The kit files that come with the kit also has multiple pre-compiled BL touch versions of the firmware.
However, when running a duplicate or mirror mode print you still need to manually level the bed. This is because 2 hotends touch the bed at 2 points at the same time. So the Z axis cannot compensate for 2 at the same time (this is true of any IDEX printer). But you can still use the BL touch sensor to help you identify the bed level and adjust it too!
Finally, the micro-swiss direct drive hotend is not as easy. You can install a direct drive of your choice on hotend 1 as long as the motor for it is mounted over the front of the carriage. Those that mount it over the back like the MicroSwiss will hit the new X2 belt path.
For hotend 2 it is more complex as this hotend needs to be possible to raise and lower independent of hotend 2 to get them perfectly level. It also needs the new mounting points for the higher X2 belt path.
However, in the file pack at the moment is a beta file for the hotend 2 direct drive which has been received very well by the community so far. And it is equally possible to print your own direct drive solution for hotend 1 as well!
In both cases the same form factor of the MicroSwiss hotend means that is can be mounted and used fine, it's just the direct drive carriage that is the issue.
Do let me know if I can provide any more details, information or support 😁 And thank you for your interest and support 👍
can you order only certain parts from the kit for a cheaper price?
Absolutely, just drop me an email at kane@sen3d.com and I can quote you for the parts you want/need :)
Is this still a going thing? email is going unanswered and the site is v difficult to load.
very nice!!! but did your ender come with genuine GATES belts? 3:00
Yes, it seems so. That printer was completely vanilla out of the box, I had not made any upgrades to it before the kit 😮😁
@@SEN3Dcom damn, thats nice
Can we use the bltouch and the dual z motor on this kit
Will this work with ender extender?
So in principle yes, I believe it will. I have not been able to test it yet in real life but my assumption is the only changes needed would be:
- A longer x-axis extrusion (to give the extra 55mm for carriage 2 to park)
- Longer belts
- Longer cables for carriage 2
I'd also advise a second Z stepper but I would recommend this for the Ender Extender anyway, without the IDEX kit. The SKR Pro board the kit comes with does have a spare Z port anyway, so this should be easy.
I have a few customers at the moment working on Ender IDEX Extenders so I shall be seeing how they get on and hopefully have something to share soon 😁
Will this work with the ender 3D pro?
Hey, real talk. if they don't make different color schemes, I would print my own colored parts, given I am able to do that legally
Hey Corporal McMuffin,
Thanks for watching my video and your comment, I think I get the gist of it 😇
Currently the parts I print and sell are only available in red. This is because with 10+ parts in each kit printed across 20+ printers, even 1 additional colour would require many KGs of filament and a lot of time swapping machines over and increasing stock buffers etc. 😅
However, I think as you said, you can also get my files kit and print the parts in any colour or material you wish 🎉
To date I have seen the Ender IDEX in everything from Black to Blue, Orange and even Purple. So if there is something even crazier you'd like to print it in I'd love to see it 😁
How do you slice the object in two colors?
Will it work with the wifi creality box?