Best extruder/hotend for high quality printing?

Hi, this is my first post in this forum.

I am gathering the things I need for my 3D printer build.

I think that the components will be a little overkill, but I want a really solid ground to experiment with. I am going to use real linear rails with bearingblocks on all axis and ballscrew(s) for z, but probably ordinary beltdrive for X and Y for speed. The frame will probably be aluminum. These things I know quite well since I have read a lot about CNC mills. (I am going to build a CNC mill after I complete the 3D printer).

Now I need a really good extruder and hotend to match the other components. I have tried to find out what the best one would be, but I have not found any good comparison. Probably I have not searched enough. I would like to buy this first extruder, since I don’t know anybody with a 3D printer to make the parts. I am used to work in metal, and have my own “hobby workshop”, but would rather like to just make adjustments to make a working extruder/hotend fit the rest of my design.

This is my wish list, with the most important things first:
1. Reliable - high quality extruder and hotend.
2. Able to do high quality prints with as smooth surface as possible (I guess that this can be done in several ways, but maybe a good start is about 0,25mm nozzal, and 0,1 mm layers?
3. Be able to use other nozzals as well like 0,5mm
4. Handle ABS and PLA

Now for the less important things, that might be subject for designing my own extruder/hotend later on:
5. Able to easily change from 1.75 to 3mm filament.
6. Able to print with other higher temperature materials like PC.

IMK7/MK8 seems pretty good, but is it possible to equip with a 0,25mm nozzal?
Ultimaker seems to be able to produce very high detailed prints as well.
Or maybe a sparepart for a more "professional" printer?

The all metall Prusa nozzle seems very nice, but it does just seem to exist a 0,5mm version yet(?)

Thanks!
/Andreas

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/05/2013 07:11PM by -andreas-.

Hey,

Welcome to the world of RepRap!

If you want to print PC, or other higher temperature materials, it looks like you may have to go with either the Prusa hotend or an Arcol hotend. The Prusa hotend is close to shipping, I believe. The Arcol V4 hotend is already available here: [shop.arcol.hu] I don't think Arcol sells a .25mm nozzle, but I would strongly recommend you don't go much smaller than .35mm, especially for starters. It's just more reliable that way. If you need one, however, I'm sure you could ask Laszlo (Arcol owner) if he could make you one.

As far as extruders go, I would stick with one of the tried and true reprap ones! Wades Geared extruders are nice and provide fine movement and work universally with most hotends.

If you don't want to print high temperature materials you will likely hear recommendations for these:

J-head available from the source at : [www.hotends.com]
Budaschnozzle available from: [www.lulzbot.com]
Makergear Hotend available from: [www.makergear.com]

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/05/2013 08:05PM by Bobbitay.

Thank you!

I did not know about the Arcol hotend.
Ok, I will probably stick with 0,35 in the beginning then.

I saw in your link to makergear that they use the same type of bearings that I will use, so I guess that it is not that overkill that I thought. They don't use them for z though, guess it is because the movement in z is usually very small and not fast at all.

Tried and true is good, but do Wades Geared extruders work as good/exact as the more commercial ones?

No problem. I'm glad I could point you to a few different sources. Someone else could chime in if they had any ideas, because I'm sure I've missed something. I seem to find new things all of the time in RepRap. :p

I personally use a Wade's Geared extruder and I've seen many prints that are very nice that come off of them and mine works without any issues as of yet. I'm not exactly sure which "commercial" extruder you're talking about, but I'm assuming the Mk7/Mk8 and I can assure you they meet or exceed the quality/ability of those. I've also printed on a commercial Dimension printer, and while it was a couple years older (2005 or something), my MendelMax printer pumps out much better prints, faster, and has a bigger envelope in a much smaller footprint. Although, if I was just looking at both printers without knowing anything, I'd put my money on the Dimension, it is cool looking! Kind of like a really fancy, tall, mini fridge.

Wow! Now I get impressed. I never thought that homemade plastic mechanical parts could possibly exceed the performance of commercial “expensive” equipment. 2005 is not that far back in time! I guess that things can really evolve fast in an open source community!

Do you know a good place where I can order these extruders? I would like it to be as well made as possible.

2005 is lightyears away in terms of 3D printing.

---

Detlef

Excalibur Hotend

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