Dual Extrusion & IDEX
Dual extrusion refers to 3D printers equipped with two hotends capable of feeding two independent filaments simultaneously or sequentially. In Independent Dual Extruder (IDEX) systems, each toolhead parks off to the side when inactive to prevent oozing and enable duplication or mirror printing modes.
Dual extrusion enables soluble supports and dual colours at the cost of purge waste and slower prints. Both add to the material and machine-hour lines - price them before promising a quote.
Estimate it in the 3D printing cost calculator →Soluble Supports & Multi-Material Assemblies
Dual extrusion allows printing the main model with rigid engineering plastics (PLA, ABS) while printing complex supports in water-soluble PVA or break-away HIPS, allowing support removal from impossible internal cavities.
IDEX Architecture vs Single-Nozzle Color Switching
Unlike single-nozzle systems (like the Bambu AMS) that must purge filament between each color swap, IDEX printers switch toolheads instantly with zero purge waste, saving hours of print time on two-color jobs.
Duplication & Mirror Batch Modes
IDEX printers can synchronize both printheads simultaneously across a split build plate, printing two identical or mirrored parts in the same time it takes to print one, effectively doubling print farm throughput.
Cite This Page
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APA 7
TryAR Labs. (2026, August 25). Dual Extrusion & IDEX. MakerWorld Estimator. https://estimator.tryar.in/glossary/dual-extrusionBibTeX
@misc{tryarlabs2026dualextrusion,
title = {{Dual Extrusion & IDEX}},
author = {{TryAR Labs}},
year = {2026},
month = {aug},
url = {https://estimator.tryar.in/glossary/dual-extrusion},
note = {MakerWorld Estimator}
}Calculate 3D Print Costs in Real Time
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