On Quadro, a color change is a movement, not a filament swap. In our real-time footage, switching from Tool 1 to Tool 2 takes about 1.00 seconds, Tool 1 to Tool 3 takes 1.40 seconds and Tool 1 to Tool 4 takes 1.57 seconds. Nothing is unloaded, loaded or purged, because every color already sits in its own toolhead.
Most of the time a multicolor printer loses isn't spent printing. It's spent changing. Quadro is built to keep that time as short as the movement itself.
Why a Tool Change Is Fast
A shared-nozzle system has to retract the old filament, feed the new one and clear the nozzle. Quadro skips all three. The next color is already loaded in its own toolhead with its own nozzle, so the printer only has to bring that toolhead into position. See Why Quadro Doesn't Purge.
Seven Motors, One Movement
A tool change doesn't happen one axis at a time. Quadro moves all four toolheads on the X-axis together with the Y-axis and Z-axis motors, seven motors in total, controlled simultaneously. The inactive toolheads move out of the way while the next one moves in, so the movements overlap instead of queuing up. For how the heads share the axis, read how Quadro coordinates four independent toolheads.
The Measured Times
Idle Toolheads Get Ready Early
While one toolhead prints, the next one doesn't have to wait cold. Idle toolheads wait in QDock at a standby temperature, so the next toolhead can finish heating while the current one is still working. See Inside QDock.
What It Means for a Print
Prints with many color changes add the time up quickly. When each change costs about a second and no purge, the printer spends its time printing. That's also why waste doesn't grow with every change. See Purge Towers Explainedand What Multicolor Waste Costs.
Key Takeaways
- A tool change is a movement: no unloading, loading or purging.
- Measured in real-time footage: Tool 1 to 2 in 1.00 s, 1 to 3 in 1.40 s, 1 to 4 in 1.57 s.
- Seven motors move at the same time, so the movements overlap.
- Idle toolheads wait at standby temperature so they're ready sooner.
For how this compares with other approaches, see our multi toolhead 3D printer buying guide.
Want to see a tool change in real time? See Quadro or visit the Kickstarter page.
3. FAQ
How long does a tool change take on Quadro? About one second. In real-time footage, Tool 1 to Tool 2 took 1.00 s, Tool 1 to Tool 3 took 1.40 s and Tool 1 to Tool 4 took 1.57 s.
Why does Quadro change color faster than a filament-swap system? Each color already sits in its own toolhead, so a change is a movement. There is no unloading, loading or purging.
Why do the times differ between toolheads? The toolheads sit at different positions on the X-axis, so some changes involve a longer movement than others.
What does "seven motors controlled simultaneously" mean? Quadro moves the four X-axis toolheads together with the Y and Z motors, so the movements of a tool change overlap.
Do idle toolheads cool down completely? No. They wait at a standby temperature so they're ready sooner when needed.
