Prusa CORE One receives Bondtech INDX upgrade for up to eight materials in FDM printing

At Formnext 2025 in Frankfurt, Prusa Research and Bondtech will jointly present a new multi-material solution for the Prusa CORE One. The Bondtech INDX upgrade expands the CoreXY printer into a platform that can process up to eight materials in a single print job without significantly increasing the build space or print times. The target audience is users who want to produce functional components with different plastics or colors in a single run.

The core of the system is the INDX Smart Toolhead. The tool module has an aluminum housing and a dual extrusion feeder that automatically adapts to filaments of different hardness. Manual feeder adjustments are largely eliminated. An integrated induction heater brings the nozzle from room temperature to operating temperature in a few seconds, while contactless temperature sensors monitor the process. This allows material changes to be carried out quickly without the hot end having to remain permanently heated.

Instead of mounting several complete extruders on the portal axis, Bondtech relies on so-called thin passive tools. These slim modules only guide the filament path, nozzle, and heat sink. Thanks to their small cross-section, the tools can be arranged next to each other at a distance of around 35 millimeters. The Prusa CORE One can thus accommodate up to eight tools, while the moving mass of the print head remains low. This reduces inertia and supports high printing speeds.

Prusa brings its experience with multi-material systems from the MMU series and the Prusa XL to the table. The INDX system is integrated directly into the mechanics of the CORE One, the firmware, and PrusaSlicer. Josef Prusa emphasizes that the upgrade should feel like a native feature of the device for users. Bondtech CEO Martin Bondéus highlights the joint development as an opportunity to closely integrate extrusion and tool design with software and motion systems.

For the launch, Bondtech is planning a “Founders Edition” with 1,000 upgrade kits, which can be pre-ordered exclusively through its own web shop. Delivery is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.