Dual Extrusion FDM 3D Printing Overview and the Best Dual Extruder 3D Printers on the Market

Dual Extrusion FDM 3D Printing Overview and the Best Dual Extruder 3D Printers on the Market

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Hi everyone! This is Top 3D Shop, and in this video, we will tell you about dual extruder 3D printers — their types, peculiarities, scope of application, and, most importantly, the best models available today.

When they first appeared in the market, FDM 3D printers were only able to print with one filament at a time. More sophisticated multi-color or multi-material projects used to be a real challenge, requiring serious user skills. But demand creates its own supply, and a new technology to solve the problem couldn’t but come up. Thus dual extrusion printers entered the market, breaking new grounds for customers.

So what is the worth of dual extrusion technology? Generally, if you are going to print mostly single-color and single-material models with relatively simple geometries, you can get by with a single extruder device; although even in this case dual extrusion can be of some help. For more complex projects, dual extruder 3D printers prove definitely useful, if not indispensable in some cases.

There are two main types of dual extrusion 3D printers, based on the use of dependent or independent extruders. We will discuss each type in detail a bit later, and now let’s see how customers can benefit from using such systems.

Virtually, the most important advantage of a dual extruder is its ability to print supports with soluble filaments. Some complex models with overhanging elements require support structures to prevent deformation while printing. With a single extruder, supports are printed with the same filament as the model, and then removed with the risk of damaging the part. Besides, some models need internal supports, which are impossible to remove after the part has been printed. Using the second extruder for printing supports with a soluble filament solves this problem.

The most common materials for support structures are PVA and HIPS. Once the part is ready, all you need to do is just submerge it in water or limonene (if HIPS is used) to completely dissolve the supports. This reduces post-processing time and eliminates the risk of damaging the part.


The use of two extruders also allows speeding up the process, compared to single extrusion printing. With an independent dual extruder you can double the production volume of your 3D printer by making two similar parts in one go, using mirror or duplication modes.

Apart from that, if one extruder is clogged, you don’t have to stop printing but can continue with the second extruder, thus minimizing downtime and increasing the efficiency of the printing process.

Besides an array of obvious advantages, dual extrusion has its shortcomings, though not numerous.

One of them is a high price. As dual extrusion printers are more complicated mechanisms, they are more expensive than their single extruder counterparts.

Also, such systems tend to be heavier, as the dual extruder adds some weight, which can interfere with the smooth print head movement and lead to issues like stringing. This problem can be solved, for example, by slowing down the print speed.

Dual extrusion printers also need more frequent maintenance and more complicated calibration than devices with a single extruder. Plus, they require a bit more preparation of the digital model, as you have to specify the printing tasks for both extruders.

Now let’s talk about how to actually pick a dual extruder 3D printer. There is a large variety of such equipment in the market, which differ greatly in functionality and price range. To make the best of the technology and not to pay extra, it is worth knowing which types of dual extrusion 3D printers are available in the market, and what each type is capable of.