Prusa Research has finally opened up orders for their INDX system today.
“INDX” is Prusa’s (via Bondtech) technology for waste-free 3D printing. Waste-free FFF 3D printing is the way of the future because operators are rapidly discovering that the commonly available filament swapping 3D printers are enormously wasteful when printing multicolor objects.
In some cases, you can waste 10X the material of the printed object, and this week I actually had one job that was 97% waste and only three percent model. This effectively raises the cost of material because you need more of it to complete a job.
The solution has been waste-free 3D printing technology, of which only three exist:
- Snapmaker’s U1 uses a tool-changing technology where there are four independent extruders/nozzles. The four colors are mounted one per toolhead.
- Bambu Lab’s Vortek system, implemented first in their H2C model. This swaps hot ends and can allow seven colors in a job or more if you add AMS units.
- Prusa Research’s implementation of Bondtech’s INDX technology, which is another way of swapping toolheads. It allows up to eight colors in a single job.
Up to now, only two of these have been commercially available: the H2S and the U1. The industry has been awaiting the official launch of the INDX technology from Prusa for some time, and now you can actually order it.
Prusa’s first product with INDX isn’t actually a 3D printer; instead, it is an upgrade kit that can convert a stock CORE One (or + model) into an INDX-equipped powerhouse. Prusa Research explains the system:
“The INDX is an extremely fast, highly efficient tool-changer system with up to eight independent toolheads that seamlessly integrates with your CORE One+ 3D printer. Each material gets its own dedicated path, so you can combine rigid and flexible parts, use easy-to-remove or dissolvable supports, switch nozzle sizes in the same print, and print multi-color models without throwing half of the spool to waste.”
Prusa offers two variants of the upgrade kit:
- Four nozzles: US$749
- Eight nozzles: US$999
However, you also require a CORE One system to upgrade. Combining the two prices together, we get these total costs:
- CORE One+ Assembled US$1299 + 4 nozzle US$749 = US$2048
- CORE One+ Assembled US$1299 + 8 nozzle US$999 = US$2298
- CORE One+ Kit US$999 + 4 nozzle US$749 = US$1748
- CORE One+ Kit US$999 + 8 nozzle US$999 = US$1998
How does this price compare with the alternatives? (all assembled versions because that’s what Prusa’s competition sells)
- 4-tool U1 US$899 vs 4-nozzle INDX US$2048 (+US$1149)
- 7-color H2C US$2399 vs 8-nozzle INDX US$2298 (-US$101)
It seems that Prusa will have a hard time matching the price point of the U1, as the CORE One+ INDX system is almost worth three U1’s.
On the other hand, the 8-INDX system is comparable in price to the H2C, but the H2C has a much bigger build volume.
Despite the price differences, the INDX system is likely to be quite popular. Anyone with a stock CORE One system could consider this upgrade because it may actually pay for itself in material savings. That’s especially true if you are printing lots of multicolour objects.
Now we have three waste-free options to choose from.
There will be more.
Via Prusa Research
