Modix Generation 4.0 Upgrade
Upgrade your Modix V3 printer to Generation 4.0
Upgrade your Modix V3 printer to Generation 4.0
This upgrade is a true game changer for your 3d printing experience for several reasons. It brings faster and more reliable printing and on top of all, the new IDEX (“Independent dual extruder”) technology allows you to print in ways not possible before.
IDEX technology allows the idle print head to park outside the print bed, leading to a very clean transition between the main printing filament and support filament. As a result you can print complex models including models with internal geometries, thin features that need support but could break easily and models with no flat bottom with ease. You can save a lot of post processing time needed for removing support by using a specially designated “easy breakaway support” filament. and you can even use the IDEX as a filament changer and not worry of spool ended during the night or weekend. This upgrade is a game changer and it will open your mind for new possibilities and will save you time. Slicing for IDEX is for advanced and experienced users. Modix is developing a knowledge base that covers both material and slicing configurations. It will be published in a dedicated password protected customer zone for Modix’s IDEX users.
Backwards compatibility is an important value at Modix. We spend a considerable amount of resources and attention to make sure owners of our previous printers models can continue grow with us along the way enjoying an ever improving printing experience and long term high return on their investment in our large format 3D printers.
Gen 4 Improvements
Improvements short summery:
1. IDEX
IDEX – Advanced dual material printing where each extruder is driven independently. Dual material prints comes out clean since idle print head is parked outside the print bed. As a result you can now enjoy these capabilities:
- Print models with internal geometries using soluble support filament
- Reduce post processing time by using easy breakaway support filament
- Receive clean and smooth down facing surfaces and sharp slopes
- Print thin features that require support without fearing of breaking them
- Print models that do not have flat bottoms with ease
- Print faster without compromising details or resolution by using the same filament on both hotends while one has a larger nozzle or even better, Super Volcano on it. The thicker nozzle can do the infill while the other do the perimeter
- Enjoy continuous printing by using IDEX as an automatic filament changer
2. Higher printing speed of up to 250mm/s and travel of 350mm/s.
3. Strong Nema 23 motors for your X axis for faster acceleration.
4. Precise position after job recovery thanks to optical end-stops.
5. Higher Reliability due to multiple improvements in wiring, motors strain reliefs etc.
6. Fresh new design with multiple enclosure improvements including: lid and door sealing, rigid door hinges, pneumatic top lid, back service hatch and more.
7. Fully automated gantry calibration and automated bed tilt based on the DUEX electronics expansion board (in case you haven’t upgraded this yet).
8. High flow and impact resist Modix Griffin print heads.
9. Clog detector that can sense also under extrusions and filament run-outs.
10. Crash detector that can prevent damage to system if Z probe fails.
Upgrade Options
Main upgrade options:
There are two upgrade package options: Complete or Basic
V3 to V4 upgrade – Complete :A complete replacement for your gantry system (X&Y) with new motors and brackets, IDEX printing sub-system including two Griffin print heads with their independent motion component) and a complete set of pre-wired electronic box (including DUET & DUEX expansion board).
You may keep older electronics and print-head components as spare parts.
Price:
Models: BIG-60, BIG-120X, BIG-120Z – 2,200 USD
Models: BIG-Meter, BIG-180X – 2,600 USD
Shipping – +220 USD
V3 to V4 upgrade – Basic :With respect to customers who already own or upgraded to DUEX electronic board and Griffin print-heads, and feel comfortable with wiring the boards themselves, we offer a lowered upgrade price. You will be receiving the electronic box and ready made wires and you will have to plug the board yourself and add your already owned Griffin hotends (you can add it below).
Price:
Models: BIG-60, BIG-120X, BIG-120Z – 1,800 USD
Models: BIG-Meter, BIG-180X – 2,200 USD
Shipping – +220 USD
In Depth Upgrade Details
“IDEX” stands for independent dual extruder, where each extruder can move independently from each other. As a result, while the active extruder is printing, the second extruder is “parked” outside the printing area. Therefore, printing advanced models with internal geometries is made possible by using water-soluble filament. IDEX also saves a lot of manual labor needed for support removal. Using a dedicated easy breakaway support filament allows easy support removal.
It all also improves the down facing surfaces quality since there is no need to keep a tiny air gap between the support and the model as you do when using the same filament type for support as for the model. Therefore, the model rests tightly on the support structure, and lower surfaces are printed and solidified on their precise location creating stronger bonding with higher levels, generating stronger parts with smoother surfaces. This also allows higher geometry freedom as you can now print objects that may not have a flat bottom and also thin features that may break by using the same-material support filament.
The IDEX affects the printing dimensions on Y axis only:
BIG-60, BIG-180X, BIG-120X & BIG-120Z – Single print head (primary or Secondary) – 600 mm, overlapping (IDEX mode)- 540 mm
BIG-Meter- Single print head (primary or Secondary) – 1,000 mm, overlapping (IDEX mode) – 940 mm
What’s in the box:
Complete Upgrade Option:
- New X Axis: Nema-23 Motors & brackets
- New Y axis: Two new Nema-17 motors with strain relief wires & brackets
- IDEX – Primary and secondary print head components including:
- Two new Nema-17 motors with strain relief wires & brackets
- Two Griffin hotends
- Standard and mirroed BMG extruders (custom modified for Modix)
- Optical end-stops for both X and Y axis
- Assembled new electronic box including Duet and Duex.
- You can keep you existing boards as spare parts.
- Drag chains and PTFE tubes
- Misc other components related to each model.
Basic Upgrade option:
Customers who purchase the Basic upgrade option, should bring their own DUET and DUEX electronic boards and two Griffin hotends. If you need additional hotend, please add below.
- New X Axis: Nema-23 Motors & brackets
- New Y axis: Two new Nema-17 motors with strain relief wires & brackets
- IDEX – Idependent Dual Extruder upgrade components
- Optical end-stops for both X and Y axis
- Electronic box with ready made wires.
- Drag chains and PTFE tubes
- Misc other components related to each model.
Visual Tour
Moving the print heads independently and precisely over and over again is one thing, the real challenge is to make it work for days without any clog.
Modix has developed several strategies to overcome these and other IDEX related challenges and one of them is these priming stations.
All the wires connectors are now under the top cover and not at the bottom as before. Since each print head carries only its own wires, it is very easy now to locate the right connector you need.
Two lightweight tiny drag chains fold in on each other during their respective movements keeping wire management clean and compact.
Slide-in covers make it super easy to replace a component on the print-head. Due to the diagonal slots, you do not need to remove any screw. Back and bottom covers are also attached one to another and be can removed as one part. Easy!
Consider upgrade to the new enclosure and enjoy a rear maintenance hatch, this small opening allows easy access to the secondary IDEX extruder. Check below for more details.
The IDEX impact on your daily printing
Filament Changer
A huge benefit of the IDEX is by using it for the same material and allow the printer to change print head once the active print head is run out of filament.
Saved idle time by automatically swap spool during the night or weekends. Your printer will not stand idle while waiting for servicing.
Improved print quality – Your thin walled print job will not start shrinking while waiting for spool swap.
Use spools in full – Today we tend not to use spools with low left-over on it to let the print run uninterrupted. Now you can use any spool left over conveniently.
Internal Geometries
you can now print complex models with internal geometries that you could not do before since there was no practical way to remove the internal support.
In the older setup, the two print heads were installed side by side and there was a risk that drips of soluble material will find their ways into the model itself. This may lead to defects that many times, a destroyed print job.
With IDEX, when the support print head is inactive, it parked outside the bed and therefore the print comes out clean and intact.
Geometric Freedom
Being able to print models with thin features and non-flat bottoms is a new dimension for Modix’s versatility.
When using the same material for both the model and the support, the support sometimes bonds too strong and thin features tends to break during the support removal.
In many cases users “design for 3D printing” and force models to have a flat surface for printability. In some cases we even cut the model into two just to have two flat surfaces. With IDEX, these compromises are no longer required.
Tight Tolerances
When slicing models with support, the support structure is normally divided into two. On the lower side we have the low resolution support base. On the top we have a few “dense support layers” that are designed to generate the interface with the model.
Using support filament for these layers only may reduce costs and will require less support material. It may also reduce overall printing time in some models where the support is only starting far higher above the first layer.
Print tiny features like a pro!
Thin features come out nice and clean even when they face downwards. IDEX leaves high quality surface finish at tiny scales which are important for tight tolerances. Since the breakaway is lightly bonded to the part, it will not break during removal. Very thin and fragile features should be printed with soluble support filament due to its flexibility.
With the new IDEX you will forget that this is actually a large scale machine as it may out-perform at least some of your desktops…
Fast Support Removal
Easy breakaway support removal filament will save you much of time needed to remove support, especially on big and complex models.
The video shows a small flat section, now imagine long parts, heavy and complex support structure. Sometimes support structures may be located inside a partly internal geometry (i.e duct). These support structures are now way easier to remove.
Smooth Bottom Surfaces
Using breakaway support generates smooth lower surfaces, this in turn saves time for cleaning, sanding and painting if needed.
Print faster
By combining Super Volcano on one print head and a standard Modix’s Griffin on the other head, both printing the same material, a smart slicing profile can be generate for printing the infill faster with low resolution while the shell can still enjoy the high resolution and accuracy of the standard Griffin better retraction and small nozzles.
