Is it normal for my INDX to show signs of wear after running continuously?

Switching between flexible and standard PLA mid-print is almost always the root cause of nozzle seizing and quality inconsistency. Flexible filaments like TPU have lower melt temperatures and often leave a sticky, gummy residue in the hot end compared to PLA. When you abruptly switch to PLA, that residual flexible plastic acts like glue, causing immediate clogs and poor layer lines til the system is fully purged. The mechanical change in material also puts different thermal stresses on the nozzle assembly.

For high volume runs like yours, standard maintenance is definitely required beyond just checking the temperature settings. If you are changing materials, you need a complete flushing routine, not just a quick purge. After finishing a flexible run, ramp the hotend up to its maximum operating temperature for that material, run a dedicated purge line for several millimeters, and then perform a cooling purge with PLA to ensure all remnants of the flexible plastic are pushed out. This prevents the buildup from being partially cleared and then getting re-clogged. Regarding general wear and tear, even on a reliable workhorse like the INDX, the nozzle isn't immortal, expecially under 24/7 load. If you find yourself consistently needing third nozzles, the tolerance around the heat break or the nozzle tip itself might be slightly off, causing premature erosion. Most manufacturers advise swapping the nozzle proactively, perhaps every few hundred hours of operation, just to maintain perfect flow consistency. Even if it seems fine, that tiny bit of internal erosion impacts print quality over time.

To address the banding you mentioned, check your flow rate settings. Sometimes high-speed throughput printing requires a slight flow rate compensation depending on the specific nozzle diameter you are using. Getting the flow right compensates for any minor material variability or subtle pressure shifts happening inside the system during rapid tool changes. Give the full purge protocol a try before assuming it is pure mechanical failure.

The INDX is solid, but running it 24/7 means thermal cycling is a big factor. When I first started batch printing, I kept running into the exact same issues you're seeing with sticky hotends, and I wasn't blaming the materials because I was focusing too much on the print itself. I realized the air quality in the shop was causing micro-shifts in temperature around the heat break. Switching to a proper enclosure with consistent ambient heating made the difference for me. It sounds small, but keeping the enviroment stable means the heat sink performance stays predictable. Have you looked into any sort of localized climate control for the print area?

I've seen this happen before. It's not always just the residual plastic in the nozzle, though. You should check the actual tool changing head itself. If the contact points or the mechanism where the new filament feeds in are gunked up, you're gonna get poor flow and wierd inconsistencies, regardless of how perfect your hotend purge is. I ussually just give those switch points a quick wipe with IPA to keep 'em free of any hardened plastic. It makes a difference!

I found that when I started pushing volume, the real culprit wasn't the nozzle itself but how the spools were being stored. If the filament gets damp, you’ll get inconsistent flow and those quality hiccups you're seeing, regardless of how good the purge is. You won’t even see the problem until the material starts struggling to feed. I ended up putting the spools in a dry box to keep them stable when switching between diferent colors or materials.