Prusa INDX Toolchanger Delays: The Nozzle Problem No One Expected

Shipping Pushed to Mid-August

If you preordered the Prusa INDX conversion kit for your CORE One or CORE One+, your delivery is running two weeks late. Prusa confirmed the delay on August 2, moving the expected ship date from end of July to mid-August. The cause is a nozzle hardness problem at Bondtech, the Swedish company that makes the INDX toolchanger hardware.

What the INDX Actually Does

The INDX is an add-on toolchanger system. It mounts to the CORE One and gives you up to eight independent toolheads. Each toolhead runs its own filament on its own nozzle. You can print multi-material parts, switch nozzle sizes mid-print, and use dissolvable supports without throwing away half your spool.

The hardware uses inductive heating, which means nozzles change temperature fast. Prusa designed the system around a Smart Head that docks and undocks tools automatically, and the purge system uses a silicone nozzle cleaner plus a waste bin instead of the giant wipe tower the XL needs.

The Founders Edition shipped first. Early adopters have had the system for weeks and community feedback has been largely positive on the mechanical design. Linus Tech Tips showed the INDX in a recent video. The idea is solid. The execution had a manufacturing problem.

The Nozzle Problem

Bondtech built the INDX nozzles from nitrocarburized steel. That process creates a hardened surface layer on the outside while leaving a softer core underneath. Prusa and Bondtech both described these nozzles as hardened. Buyers reasonably expected them to resist abrasion from materials like carbon fiber filled filament.

Independent batch testing showed the nozzles landing around 30 to 32 on the Rockwell C hardness scale. Fully hardened steel runs 55 to 60 HRC. A standard brass nozzle sits under 10 HRC. The INDX nozzles are harder than brass but nowhere near what was implied.

For most everyday materials, the difference does not matter. PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS, and non-abrasive filaments all print fine. The problem shows up when you try to run abrasive compounds. Prusa Galaxy filament and similar products will wear the nozzle faster than intended.

What Prusa and Bondtech Are Saying

Bondtech stated on its website that a concrete fix is not ready and that manufacturing truly hardened nozzles at scale could take months. The company is not offering compensation yet because it does not know what replacement nozzles will cost. Prusa is asking customers who bought abrasive-filament kits to hold off on returns and use non-abrasive materials in the meantime.

Prusa is adding unspecified extra hardware to the first batch of conversion kits at its own expense. The company says it will share details before shipping begins. No date has been given for when properly hardened nozzles will be available or what they will cost.

Under Swedish consumer law, buyers have a two-month window from the announcement date to request a full or partial refund. That window closes around September 29. Prusa is also honoring its standard 60-day return policy after delivery.

What This Means for the INDX Ecosystem

The INDX is a genuinely useful product for CORE One owners who want multi-material capability without buying a whole new machine. The mechanical design is well thought out. The speed of tool changes is real. If Bondtech resolves the nozzle issue, the system will work as intended.

The delay is frustrating but not catastrophic for most users. If you primarily print standard materials, the current nozzles will get the job done. If you bought the INDX specifically for abrasive filaments, you have a choice to make before that September return window closes.

The Bigger Picture

This is a reminder that supply chains for precision parts remain fragile even in 2026. A heat treatment specification that looked straightforward on paper turned out to be hard to execute consistently at volume. Bondtech is not the first company to learn that lesson, and it will probably not be the last.

For Prusa, the situation is manageable. The company has built enough goodwill with its user base that a transparent delay explanation goes a long way. The extra hardware being added to first-batch kits is a smart move. It turns a negative into something that feels like compensation, even before anyone knows what is in the box.