项目介绍（English Version in below）

我为什么要为拓竹工具头开发挤出机散热的FrogMask工具头？

简短的回答：为了在夏日能打印PLA材料不堵挤出机。

具体的回答：随着夏天气温升高，在我生活的地区，自然条件下室内温度往往超过35摄氏度。这对于拓竹P1、X1的打印机来说就是3D打印地狱。打开舱门或者顶盖能缓解这个问题，因为这些方法加快成型舱体内的空气流通，对于PLA这种冷打材料是有一定效果的，但是打印高温耗材（ABS ASA等）时就必须封箱了。另外室内温度如果达到35摄氏度，pla也容易翻车，毕竟50-60℃就软化了。因此需要对热源——挤出机做优化。

拓竹p1和x1系列的工具头采用Nema14步进电机作为挤出机，相较于Nema17发热量大。同时，为了造型上的美观，拓竹的工业设计团队采取了封闭设计(A1也是，但好一些)，也就是用塑料件将挤出机包裹住了。这样做能让P1、X1的工具头造型简洁，但是阻碍了挤出机热量的散发，热量只能通过塑料结构件向外传递。这也能解释为什么拓竹的结构件塑料为什么都是含玻纤注塑的，因为这会让结构件塑料的软化温度更高。挤出机的齿轮组中有轴承与步进挤出机步进电机紧紧贴着，相较于塑料，热量更容易通过金属导向送料轮，造成PLA耗材丝在挤出机内软化，最终造成基础机堵塞。必须要对挤出机进行散热，否则就会打印失败。然而拓竹原装的工具头没有任何空间提供改装，所以只能重新设计了FrogMask工具头。

为什么只开源这个工具头的几个部件？

答：目前也有很多环形的封闭风嘴，若打印失败导致风道被堵就整个风道就报废了，这让人非常沮丧，因为后续的工作都会因此受阻。为了避免这种情况，特意将FrogMask的风嘴设计成可拆分。另外也降低大家的使用成本，建议常备几个替换件，避免无法FrogMask使用。部分开源的原因也很简单，用爱发电无法支持项目和我走的更远，开发其他有价值的产品。

FrogMask现已上架，详情请访问: https://m.tb.cn/h.g5bPd7zweIwmUW4?tk=SMIaWBmV4N7 CZ3458 

安装教程

FrogMask安装教程P1 (Bilibili)

FrogMask安装教程X1 (Bilibili)

Project Introduce

Why do I need to develop the FrogMask tool head for cooling the extruder of the Bambulab P1 and X1 Series?

Short answer: To prevent PLA filament clogging the extruder during summer printing.

Detailed answer: As temperatures rise during summer, in my region, indoor temperatures often exceed 35℃. This turns the printing environment into a 3D printing challenge for BambuLab's P1 and X1 printers. Opening the chamber door or top cover helps alleviate this issue by increasing airflow within the enclosure, which somewhat helps cool down PLA, a filament sensitive to higher temperatures. However, when printing with high-temperature materials like ABS or ASA, the enclosure must remain closed. Additionally, PLA itself can fail if the indoor temperature reaches 35 degrees Celsius, as it softens significantly around 55-60℃.. Therefore, optimizing the heat dissipation from the extruder is crucial.

The tool heads of BambuLab's P1 and X1 series use Nema14 stepper motors for the extruder, which generate more heat compared to Nema17 motors. Moreover, for aesthetic purposes, BambuLab's industrial design team opted for a closed design (including the A1 model, albeit slightly better), encasing the extruder in plastic components for a sleek appearance. While this design simplifies the appearance of the P1 and X1 tool heads, it hinders the dissipation of heat from the extruder, as heat can only escape through the plastic components. This also explains why BambuLab's structural plastic components are all injection molded with fiberglass, which raises the softening temperature of the plastic. Within the extruder's gear assembly, bearings and the stepper motor are closely positioned, making it easier for heat to transfer through metal parts to the feed gear, causing PLA filament to soften prematurely inside the extruder and eventually leading to print failures. Effective cooling of the extruder is therefore essential to prevent these issues. However, the original BambuLab tool heads offer no space for modifications, necessitating the redesign of the FrogMask tool head.

Why are only a few components of this tool head open-sourced?

Answer: Currently, there are many enclosed Fan duct designs in the market. If a print fails and the air passage gets clogged, the entire airflow path becomes unusable, which can be incredibly frustrating as it hinders subsequent work. To avoid this situation, the FrogMask's duct is intentionally designed to be detachable. This not only facilitates easy replacement but also reduces operational costs by suggesting keeping spare parts on hand to prevent downtime.

Another reason for partially open-sourcing is straightforward: crowdfunding alone cannot support the project and propel it further with the power of passion..

In order to reduce the use cost of FrogMask and facilitate the blockage of the air duct due to printing failure, it is recommended to prepare several to avoid failure to use FrogMask.

FrogMask now on sale, for details, please visit: https://m.tb.cn/h.g5bPd7zweIwmUW4?tk=SMIaWBmV4N7 CZ3458 

Installation tutorial

FrogMask installation tutorial for X1 (Youtube)

https://youtu.be/VZ-c4jGKCfI

FrogMask installation tutorial for P1 (Youtube)

https://youtu.be/e6jjNt7Tm8s