Type A Machines is a notable manufacturer of highly robust professional 3D printers capable of printing in a wide range of materials. Its equipment includes features that are designed for engineering use, beyond those of common hobby-style desktop models.
Mosaic Manufacturing is a Canadian company we first saw two years ago. It doesn't produce a 3D printer but instead markets a rather unusual accessory: A device that dynamically creates a custom filament to effect material changes in a single-extruder 3D printer.
Wait, how does that work? The software examines the GCODE of a multimaterial print and determine the precise lengths of each material required. Then these precisely measured segments are cut from input spools and fused together to produce a filament that will magically swap materials during printing—without stopping printing, without reheating “other” hot ends and definitely without snagging the print or dripping on it. Watch this video to see how it works:
It seems incredible that you could actually do this, but apparently Mosaic Manufacturing has figured it out, and the results are very good. Color swaps are minimized by the abrupt change in material as the filament passes through the hot end. I’m not certain, but I suspect a nozzle wipe may be forced at these changes to ensure the color change is sharp and well defined.
What is the deal being announced? It’s pretty straightforward: Type A Machines will market the Mosaic Manufacturing system, the Palette, in the United States on its behalf.
Further reporting on issues not included in this article can be found here on Fabbaloo.