Problems With Running Cura 3.4.1 and Tinkerware With Dual Extrusion

[michelide 4]

I came across some problems with the configuration that I am using perhaps there is a solution perhaps there isn't.

 

Summary:

I started with an Ultimaker 2, and upgraded the extruder with the extruder upgrade kit and instead of throwing out the old extruder I moved it over to extruder 2. With tinkerware I was able to get both extruders working individually and was able to make good prints after changing the feedrate and inverting the axis to be correct. I then tried to make a gcode file print with both extruders and got through the cura difficulties with merging the file and managing the different temperatures etc. Neither Marlin or Ultimaker 2 GCode can complete the print. I haven't modified any start or end code. When the printer finishes extruding layer 1 and switches to extrude layer 2 the print head is instructed to make a skirt with extruder 2 instead of priming the extruder then upon completeing the skirt the print head moves to the front left corner of the machine or to the homing position then to the front left corner where it tries to push the print head into the wall. I have seen this before when print errors happen so I caught it.

 

Any clue on a resolution? Do I need to go back to an older cura version to do dual extrusion? Should I swap my tinker ware to the ultimaker 2+ version rather than the dual extrusion version? What other configuration adjustments should I make?

[michelide 4]

Cura 3.4.1, configured with custom FDM printer configured for Dual Extruder, Ultimaker 2 (+) loaded with Either Tinker Marlin Dual or Tinker Marlin 2+, neither work when exporting Ultimaker 2 G code or marlin G code from Cura. The common symptom to all the configurations cross-tested is that the extruder print head returns to front left corner and jams itself into the wall inbetween printing the first layer from extruder 1 and the Skirt from extruder 2.

 

The Cura 3.4.1 software has a common setting for skirt from Extruder 1 and Extruder 2 so initially i surprised me when extruder 2 was printing a skirt. There must be some overlap between the extruder 1 and extruder commands in the GCode when using Cura 3.4.1

 

Could someone point me towards if I should downgrade from Cura 3.4.1 to an earlier version to use with Tinkerware and Dual Extrusion?

[michelide 4]

The above was tested with cura 3.4.1 and Tinkerware V17.10 and V17.10.1 Marlin and Ultimaker 2 G code flavors, same resulting issue with direction of extruder head colliding with front left of machine after extruding skirt of second extruder.

[Nicolinux 288]

Since @foehnsturm and @tinkergnome work on the Mark2 dual extrusion upgrade:

 

Maybe they have an idea.

[michelide 4]

Hi Nicolinux

 

I have previously read through some of the mark 2 posts and had some comments from foehnsturm because originally I thought that mark 2 was what I was looking for for firmware for adding dual extrusion to my ultimaker 2. When I found out that this is for two independent single extruders this was not really what I wanted to try first. I wanted to get two extuders in the same print head going first to see how that behaves and I also had the parts to add two extruders into one print head. This is why I kept searching and came across the Tinker firmware. It seems that all I need is a description of what to use together to get it working because it seems like there is a lot of cura management/firmware management and interchanges in between that could be creating my problem where the extruder is smashing into the front left of my machine. I catch it each time before it does with the power switch but it would be nice to get dual extruders working at some capacity before figuring out if I want to go to something else. I can see that for some reason the Ultimaker 2 board heats up the second extruder slower than the first extruder and am not sure if that is hardware or software controlling that rate. As in previous updates I have both extruders working independently and I can run prints without issues but when I create GCode that runs both extruders to try to align print headset the GCode causes the machine to have the smashing issue. After extensive testing across the latest tinkerware and cura slicer I'm not really sure if its the new cura or the tinkerware that is causing the issue. This is why i am looking for a known good combination.

 

This is the system configuration that I am working with

Ultimaker 2

Extruder upgraded inserted as Extruder 1

Original Extruder inserted as Extruder 2

Tinkerware firmware (tried 17.10.1 and 17.10 with both Dual and Plus firmwares)

Cura 3.4.1 (haven't tried older cura for slicing yet)

 

Model: So far I have only tried printing alignment models so that I can measure and update the extruder offset and I haven't been able to finish a print yet. The model that I have been trying uses Extruder 1 to create the skirt then the base of the model, after layer 1 of extruder 1 the Gcode then tells the printer to switch to extruder 2, extruder 2 then creates its own skirt on layer one then before printing anything (because there isn't anything there in the model to print it sends the print head to the front left). In the model that I am trying to print there is no actual use of extruder 2 until 6-8 layers later. This leads me all the way to thinking that something is going on with the plate adhesion being printed  by both extruder 1 and extruder 2 because in cura you can only select extruder 1 or extruder 2 but not both to print built plate adhesion.

 

here is an image of the model, the yellow is extruder 1 and the purple is extruder 2, extruder 1 prints a base and upon completion I would be able to measure the distance between the yellow wall and the purple wall to set the offset between extruder 1 and extruder 2. From there I would have a calibrated machine. If there was overhang of purple forward or backward I could also adjust that distance, but not likely because I have all Ultimaker 2 original parts in the print head. Yes I took apart the extrusion upgrade and swapped parts back and forth to get everything to work mechanically and was able to route all the extruder wires in a way where the lengths of the wires laid  out neatly in the machine. It really seems to be firmware/software handover issue or cross-compatibility issue between different versions of each it could be a Ultimaker/Marlin GCode handover issue I'm really not sure at this point.