Sovol has put the Sovol M1D 3D printer on Kickstarter, pitching an open-source independent dual-extruder machine with two nozzles, seven toolheads and a 300 x 300 x 350 mm build volume. The point is straightforward: faster multi-color and multi-material prints without the purge-tower confetti that makes some filament systems feel like tiny plastics factories.
The M1D is an IDEX printer, meaning its two extruders can move independently instead of taking turns through one carriage. Sovol says that lets the printer duplicate parts in copy mode, produce left and right versions in mirror mode, or run different materials through separate nozzles in multi-head operation.
What is the Sovol M1D 3D printer?
The M1D is a crowdfunded desktop 3D printer built around independent dual extrusion and a tool-changing system. One toolhead is fixed, while the other nozzle can switch among six additional heads, giving the machine seven toolheads in all.
Sovol says the tool change takes about five seconds. The company also says unused heads stay warm while parked, so the printer does not have to wait for a cold nozzle to reach temperature after every swap. That is the mechanical trick behind Sovol’s claim that the M1D can make multi-color prints up to five times faster than competing systems and create “almost zero waste.” Those are vendor claims, not independent benchmark results.
The printer uses OrcaSlicer by default rather than a proprietary slicer. Sovol also describes the M1D as open source, which should make the machine more accessible to users who want to inspect, modify or extend its software and hardware behavior. As ever with open-source hardware claims, the useful part depends on what files and documentation the company actually publishes.
Essential and Advanced models differ mainly by enclosure
Sovol is offering the M1D in Essential and Advanced versions. Both share the core motion and extrusion specifications, according to the company. The Advanced model adds a heated enclosure rated to keep the chamber air at 60°C, or 140°F.
That enclosure matters for engineering plastics. Sovol says the Advanced version can print tougher materials including ASA, PA and PC, materials that generally behave better when the print area stays warm and stable. The multi-head setup also allows soluble support material, sacrificial molds, moving assemblies and hollow parts, according to Sovol.
For speed, Sovol lists up to 600 mm/s printing from each nozzle and acceleration of 10,000 mm/s². The M1D also includes automatic bed leveling with nozzle Z-axis compensation using an eddy current sensor, X/Y nozzle cameras, vibration compensation and a 720p chamber camera. Sovol says AI obstruction and spaghetti detection are planned for a future firmware update, so that part is not a present feature.
Kickstarter pricing and shipping target
The M1D campaign has raised more than $2.8 million on Kickstarter, far above its stated $191,254 goal. Early-bird pricing lists the M1D Essential at $1,299 and the Advanced model at $1,599, before shipping costs.
Sovol expects deliveries to begin in November. Backing a Kickstarter project still carries the usual crowdfunding uncertainty, even when the company behind it has shipped previous printers. The confirmed offer today is a funded campaign for an open-source IDEX tool-changing printer; the real test comes when production units reach users and the five-second swaps, waste claims and firmware promises meet plastic.
This story draws on original reporting from Tom's Hardware.
