3D Printer Extruders & 3D Printer Hotend

3D Printer Extruders

The 3D printer extruder is the part of a computer-aided manufacturing process or rapid prototyping process in which a material (the raw material), usually in powder form, is supplied under pressure through a pre-calibrated nozzle. The raw material, also known as starting material or plastic filament, is pushed through the nozzle and then applied to the print bed with millimeter precision.

The Coldend of the 3D printer extruder consists of parts that are initially at room temperature and come into contact with the filament before it is heated. The Coldend includes the actual drive gear, the motor itself, and various external bearings and bolts. In a typical FDM printer, the Coldend consists of two main assemblies, the heat break, which separates the heating area from the melting chamber of the 3D printer extruder.

The layout and design of the Coldend in a 3D printer extruder are important considerations to consider before purchasing your 3D printer. The Coldend depends on whether your 3D printer uses a direct drive or a Bowden 3D printer extruder system. There are several common Coldend that can be used in the different types of printers, each with their own features and benefits. The motor and gears of the 3D printer extruder can be attached to the frame of the 3D printer or to the print head itself, depending on the type of 3D printer extruder. In addition, there may be a PTFE tube to feed the filament into the hot end of the 3D printer extruder - a necessity with Bowden 3D printer extruders. In general, the configuration and position of the Coldend of your 3D printer extruder is determined by whether it is a direct or bowden extruder.

3D Printer Hotend

The 3D printer's hotend melts bits of plastic filament and forces the molten material through impossibly small channels to create the solid, stable objects we are so familiar with. The easiest way to think of it is as a conveyor belt used to melt and move plastic in three dimensions.

To do this correctly, the 3D printer's hotend must be able to reliably eject large amounts of molten filament, while maintaining the high temperatures needed to convert raw plastic into usable printer filament.

The melting chamber of the 3D printer extruder can be seen as a "chamber" just below the hot end of the 3D printer. The hot end of the 3D printer has a heated nozzle that liquefies the filament at high temperatures. To ensure high quality prints, both ends must be perfectly calibrated.