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This project is a hardware and software solution designed to enable multi-material resin 3D printing on an Anycubic Photon Mono X 6k printer. It was developed as a collaborative project between Scion and the Massey AgriFood Digital Lab.

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Scion Multi-Material 3D Printer Controller

Automated resin material changing system for Anycubic Photon Mono X 6K

A collaborative project between Scion Research and the Massey AgriFood Digital Lab.

This system enables automated multi-material resin 3D printing by coordinating an Anycubic printer with custom stepper-driven pump hardware via a Raspberry Pi controller. Define a recipe of material changes by layer number, and the system handles the rest—pausing the print, swapping materials, and resuming automatically.

🎯 Key Features

  • ✅ Automated Material Changes - Define layer-based recipes for seamless material swapping
  • ✅ Web-Based Interface - Browser-accessible dashboard, recipe builder, and manual controls
  • ✅ Real-Time Monitoring - Live printer status, layer progress, and pump operations
  • ✅ Air-Assist Drainage - GPIO-controlled solenoid valve for efficient resin drainage
  • ✅ Manual Control Mode - Test pumps, control printer, configure system settings
  • ✅ Production Ready - Persistent services, automatic restarts, comprehensive logging

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

  • Raspberry Pi 4 (4GB RAM recommended)
  • Anycubic Photon Mono X or compatible resin printer
  • Multi-material unit (MMU) with stepper-driven pumps
  • I2C motor controllers (Adafruit MotorKit)
  • Air solenoid valve for drain assist (optional)

Installation

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/ScionResearch/multi-material-printer.git
cd multi-material-printer

# Install dependencies
pip3 install -r requirements.txt

# Enable I2C interface (first time only)
sudo raspi-config
# Navigate to: Interface Options → I2C → Enable → Reboot

# Configure system
cp config/network_settings.ini.template config/network_settings.ini
nano config/network_settings.ini  # Set printer IP address

# Start services
chmod +x start_services.sh stop_services.sh
./start_services.sh

Access web interface: http://<raspberry-pi-ip>:5000

Running a Multi-Material Print

  1. Create Recipe (Recipe Builder page):

    A,50:B,120:C,200

    (Switch to material A at layer 50, B at layer 120, C at layer 200)

  2. Start Print on printer touchscreen or via web UI

  3. Activate Multi-Material Mode (Dashboard):

    • Click "Begin MM" button
    • System monitors layers and executes material changes automatically

  4. Monitor Progress:

    • Real-time status updates on dashboard
    • Material change sequence logged in detail

📖 Documentation

Comprehensive documentation is available in the docs/ folder:

  • Operating Manual - User guide for operators and technicians

    • Safety procedures and emergency protocols
    • Daily operations and multi-material printing
    • Troubleshooting and maintenance schedules

  • Programming Manual - Technical documentation for developers

    • System architecture and design principles
    • API reference and WebSocket protocol
    • Development workflow and extension guides

🏗️ System Architecture

┌─────────── Browser Client ──────────────┐
│  Dashboard │ Recipe Builder │ Manual   │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────────┘
               │ HTTP REST + WebSocket
               ▼
┌─────────── Flask Web App ───────────────┐
│  • HTTP API endpoints                   │
│  • WebSocket server (Socket.IO)         │
│  • Command router                       │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────────┘
               │ WebSocket IPC
               ▼
┌─────────── Print Manager ───────────────┐
│  • Printer status monitoring (4s poll)  │
│  • Recipe execution                     │
│  • Material change orchestration        │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────────┘
               │ Python modules
               ▼
┌─────────── Hardware Modules ────────────┐
│  printer_comms │ mmu_control            │
│  photonmmu_pump │ solenoid_control      │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────────┘
               │ WiFi / I2C / GPIO
               ▼
┌─────────── Physical Hardware ───────────┐
│  • Anycubic Printer (WiFi)              │
│  • Stepper Pumps A/B/C/D (I2C)         │
│  • Air Solenoid Valve (GPIO 22)         │
└──────────────────────────────────────────┘

Design Principles:

  • Single hardware authority (only print manager touches hardware)
  • Event-driven WebSocket communication
  • Persistent background services
  • Real-time status updates
  • Configurable quiescent windows for safe operation

📁 Project Structure

multi-material-printer/
├── web-app/                    # Flask web application
│   ├── app.py                  # Main server, HTTP API, WebSocket
│   ├── static/                 # JavaScript, CSS
│   └── templates/              # HTML pages
│
├── src/controller/             # Hardware control modules
│   ├── print_manager.py        # Main orchestration service
│   ├── printer_comms.py        # Printer WiFi communication
│   ├── mmu_control.py          # Material change sequences
│   ├── photonmmu_pump.py       # Stepper pump control (I2C)
│   ├── solenoid_control.py     # Air valve control (GPIO)
│   └── websocket_ipc.py        # WebSocket client library
│
├── config/                     # Configuration files
│   ├── network_settings.ini    # Printer IP, port, timeouts
│   ├── pump_profiles.json      # Pump parameters, timing
│   └── recipe.txt              # Current material change recipe
│
├── docs/                       # Documentation
│   ├── OPERATING_MANUAL.md     # User guide
│   └── PROGRAMMING_MANUAL.md   # Developer guide
│
├── start_services.sh           # Start both services
├── stop_services.sh            # Stop both services
├── web_app.log                 # Web app logs
└── print_manager.log           # Print manager logs

⚙️ Configuration

Network Settings (config/network_settings.ini)

[printer]
ip_address = 192.168.4.2
port = 6000
timeout_seconds = 5
polling_interval_seconds = 4

Pump Configuration (config/pump_profiles.json)

{
  "pumps": {
    "pump_a": {
      "name": "Pump A",
      "flow_rate_ml_per_second": 5.0,
      "max_volume_ml": 200
    }
  },
  "material_change": {
    "quiescence_seconds": 10,
    "bed_raise_time_seconds": 15,
    "drain_volume_ml": 50,
    "fill_volume_ml": 45,
    "settle_time_seconds": 5
  },
  "solenoid": {
    "enabled": true,
    "gpio_pin": 22,
    "activate_before_drain_delay_seconds": 0.5,
    "deactivate_after_drain_delay_seconds": 1.0
  }
}

🔧 Service Management

Start Services

./start_services.sh

Starts both web app and print manager in background with logging.

Stop Services

./stop_services.sh

Gracefully stops both services.

Check Status

pgrep -f "app.py"                    # Web app PID
pgrep -f "print_manager.py"          # Print manager PID
tail -f web_app.log print_manager.log  # Monitor logs

Deploy Updates

# Pull latest code and restart services
ssh pidlp@<raspberry-pi-ip> "cd /home/pidlp/pidlp/multi-material-printer && \
  git stash && \
  git pull origin main && \
  ./stop_services.sh && \
  ./start_services.sh"

🧪 Hardware Testing

Test Printer Connection

cd src/controller
python3 -c "import printer_comms; print(printer_comms.get_status('192.168.4.2'))"

Test Individual Pump

cd src/controller
python3 mmu_control.py A F 5  # Pump A, Forward, 5 seconds

Test Air Solenoid Valve

cd src/controller
python3 solenoid_control.py 3  # 3-second test cycle

Check I2C Motor Controllers

i2cdetect -y 1
# Should show devices at 0x60 and 0x61

🐛 Troubleshooting

Dashboard Shows "Backend: Offline"

Solution:

# Restart services
./stop_services.sh
./start_services.sh

# Check logs
tail -f web_app.log print_manager.log

Printer Not Connecting

Check:

  • Printer is powered on
  • Printer IP correct in config/network_settings.ini
  • Raspberry Pi can reach printer network: ping 192.168.4.2

Pumps Not Running

Check:

  • I2C enabled: sudo raspi-config → Interface Options → I2C
  • Motor controllers detected: i2cdetect -y 1
  • Power supply connected to motor controllers

Material Change Not Triggering

Check:

  • Multi-Material Mode activated (Dashboard shows "Active")
  • Recipe saved correctly (Recipe page)
  • Current layer detected (Dashboard shows layer number)
  • Check logs: grep "MATERIAL" print_manager.log

For detailed troubleshooting, see Operating Manual

🔌 API Reference

REST Endpoints

Printer Control:

POST /api/printer/pause
POST /api/printer/resume
POST /api/printer/stop

Pump Control:

POST /api/pump
{
  "motor": "A",       # A, B, C, or D
  "direction": "F",   # F = forward, R = reverse
  "duration": 10      # seconds
}

Solenoid Control:

POST /api/solenoid/activate
POST /api/solenoid/deactivate
POST /api/solenoid/test
{
  "duration": 2  # seconds (for test action)
}

Multi-Material:

POST /api/multi-material/start
POST /api/multi-material/stop
GET  /api/recipe
POST /api/recipe

WebSocket Events

Server → Client:

  • status_update - Real-time printer status, material changes, pump operations

Client → Server:

🛡️ Safety

⚠️ Important Safety Information:

  • UV resin is a skin and eye irritant - always wear nitrile gloves and safety glasses
  • Work in well-ventilated area
  • Keep liquids away from electronics
  • Do not reach into printer during operation
  • Emergency stop button available in Manual Controls page

For complete safety procedures, see Operating Manual

👥 Contributors

Development:

  • Massey AgriFood Digital Lab (MAFDL) - Initial system design and development
  • Scion Research - Ongoing development and improvements

Acknowledgments:

  • Jean Henri Odendaal - Lead development of initial phases
  • Karl Molving - Modifications and ongoing improvements

📄 License

This project is proprietary to Scion Research and Massey University.

🔗 Links

Questions or Issues?

For technical support, refer to the troubleshooting sections in the documentation or contact the development team.

About

This project is a hardware and software solution designed to enable multi-material resin 3D printing on an Anycubic Photon Mono X 6k printer. It was developed as a collaborative project between Scion and the Massey AgriFood Digital Lab.

Topics

raspberry-pi photon modification resin anycubic multi-material

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