Prusa Research has shared an update about the MMU3 material changer for its latest 3D printer, the Prusa Core One, saying the release is “imminent”. The company has also confirmed a “next-gen” model will follow, but will break the MMU upgradeability chain – an enduring company practice.
Two versions of the MMU3 were revealed in a video featuring Josef Průša, the company’s founder and CEO: a “lite version” that will be available soon, and an “enclosed version” that will follow either later this month or in June.
The lite version is the standard upgrade path, Prusa says, where just a “few parts” will update the MMU3 from its MK4S version to be compatible with the Core One. This version appears to require an open top on the otherwise enclosed 3D printer, and mounts the MMU3 filament buffer to the right-side recess (where the spool holder is in a stock configuration). The system’s five spools are still splayed to the right of the printer on rollers – which does make the system compatible with large spools, Prusa points out.
As far as we can now tell, the enclosed version just adds a vented dust cover to the mix. The filament buffer and spool rollers are still to the system’s right.
Fortunately, Prusa shared its plans to develop a “next-gen” MMU and, although there’s no indication of when that will be ready for release, did announce that it will release a development project as a DIY “community version” on Printables. And it looks extremely interesting.
The community version is a top-mounted system that keeps the 3D printer enclosed and each filament spool in its own, individual enclosure that integrates the MMU3’s filament buffer into the spool enclosure’s side. The result appears to be a neat, wholly top-mounted five-spool material system that keeps the system enclosed and the space-saving design of the Core One intact.
It’s not clear how complicated of a project the community version will be, but Prusa warns that it will require “up to five spools of filament and a couple of days of printing”. Fortunately, if you don’t want to take on that project, it sounds like the community version is a step towards the next-gen version. But, be warned, you won’t be able to upgrade your MMU3 to this model.
“We are working on, really, a true reimagination of the concept from the ground up,” Průša says. “It is very exciting, but also a little heads-up, the upgradability will be broken from the MMU3 to the next-gen solution.”
Building a community version or waiting for the next-gen MMU aren’t your only options if you want an enclosed MMU system now, though. MMU support was part of an early April firmware update, and the community has filled the MMU void with some solutions of their own. Notably, Voxel3D’s Coreboxx Premium – a project that looks something like Prusa’s earlier enclosed MMU tease – results in a neat box sitting atop the Core One that matches the machine’s aesthetic. Or, a recent model that caught our eye, the Core One MMU Buffer by Dancan13f, a system designed to support filaments in a DIY airtight container above the 3D printer.
The Prusa Core One is a CoreXY 3D printer with a 250×210×270mm build volume. It features an enclosed, passively-heated but actively managed chamber, and a high-flow nozzle as standard. Known for precision and speed, it’s ideal for professionals and hobbyists seeking reliable, high-quality prints.
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