Material Station with 2 identical spools, which one gets used first?

[JTMD 20]

So I have 2 identical PLA spools in the material station..  how does the station select which one to use?

If one runs out, will the system detect it and switch to the other?

 

 

Edited May 9, 2023 by JTMD
I can spell, I just can't type

[Dustin 129]

few things factor into this...
Short answer.. first in first out..

If you for example install 2 spools of UltiMaker Tough PLA BLACK 
Lets use Bays A and B for this example moving forward - referring to them as A and B.
This also assumes you installed both spools into 1 and not 2.

• You install a spool into A then B.
  When printing your machine will default to using A first.. then fail over to B when it runs out.
• You install a spool into B then A.
  When printing your machine will default to using B first.. then fail over to A when it runs out.

This works for any number of the bays.. 
Now unfortunately.. 
If your using the generic PLA selection.. this has mixed impact..
As the generic PLA selection has no color association..
The machine will still go with first in first out approach..but this could result in different colors during the duration of your print..

Example:

• You install generic black into A and generic red into B

Assume you run out of the generic black mid print.. the machine will fail over to the generic red in B because they are both defined as just generic. This could both be desirable or undesirable pending your needs.


If your using the UltiMaker tagged spools which tell the machine what color they are..
We refer back to the first set of examples but it follows color.

• You install a black spool in A then a red spool in B and another black in C
  If your printing black.. it will default to A and fail over to C once it runs out.
  But if you were printing red.. it will not fail over to anything because we only installed 1 spool of red

 

 

Also about running out mid print.
Yes the machine will detect end of filament and switch spools mid print.. even if every bay has partial spools.. if they are all identified as the same it will go thru each one in order of material loaded thru your whole print if they each keep running out (using all partial spools for example)

[JTMD 20]

9 minutes ago, Dustin said:

Also about running out mid print.
Yes the machine will detect end of filament and switch spools mid print.. even if every bay has partial spools.. if they are all identified as the same it will go thru each one in order of material loaded thru your whole print if they each keep running out (using all partial spools for example)

That's interesting.. I would have thought it would look at the volume used and chose the one with the least left on the spool
So if it's been using A, and I take it out, then put it back in...  next run it will use B?

 

I'm making my own tags now...  everything is tagged just for that color reason.

[Dustin 129]

Yes it will use B first next print if its following my example..

Also.. you can re use same bays over and over (need to use at least 2)

Example
All spools marked same..
All spools are very low..
Assumes all other bays are empty or tagged as different material than the example assumes.

Load spool into A load spool into B
A runs out, fails over to B.
While B is still printing.. you eject A and replace it with another partial spool.
B runs out, fails back over to A.

You can continue this process if your using partial spools and don't want to remove what you have loaded in the other bays.