Flashforge presents its new 3D printers, the Creator 5 and the Creator 5 Pro. Their main advancement is the FlashSwap system, a mechanism that swaps entire print heads for multicolor printing. This physical approach eliminates purge towers, reduces material waste, and speeds up color changes. A proposal that modifies the current concept of color printing.
Mechanics of the FlashSwap head exchange 🛠️
The system uses four independent print heads, each with its own hotend and extruder. The machine automatically swaps these heads, placing the required color in the printing position and storing the others. By not using a single nozzle for multiple filaments, purging is avoided. The leftover material is minimal and the change time is reduced to seconds, according to the manufacturer.
Goodbye to the abstract sculpture of purged filament 🗑️
With this system, users can say goodbye to that purge tower that sometimes looks like an unsolicited piece of modern art. No longer will you have to calculate the volume of that mixed plastic monolith or wonder whether to recycle it or keep it just in case. Our trash can will be a little emptier, although we might miss the surprise of seeing what color would come out at the end of the waste.