UK made: E3D 3D printing hot-end has tool-free nozzle change

The UK-based company is a globally-significant hot-end producer for professional users, with companies including Prusa, Lulzbot and even Creality in China incorporating its products.

Its new hot-end is branded Revo, and is an ‘all-metal’ design, allowing printing at up to 300°C.

“Revo enables you to rapidly change nozzles, making it easier to use the right tool for each job or material,” according to the company. “Simply unscrew the nozzle with your fingers at room temperature, and then screw in a new one. That’s it – no tools, no hot-tightening, no fuss.”

Each nozzle variant will be colour-coded, allowing extrusion diameter to be identified at a distance.

Relevant to high-speed printers, mass has been reduced, to half that of the V6, under 30g according to E3D, and it is physically smaller.

The design integrates nozzle and heat-break into once unit (above left), removing the possibility of material leak and resulting jamming.

Rather than a heater cartridge, thermistor and heat transfer block to take heat to the nozzle, as the V6 has (left) Revo has the heating element wrapped around the nozzle as part of a cylindrical block with an integrated thermistor (right) – with significantly less thermal mass that the V6 leading to faster heat-up.

For fire safety, the heating element has a positive temperature coefficient to reduce maximum thermal runaway temperature.

“We understand the fundamental physics of extrusion systems for FFF 3D printing better than anyone else, and we’re proud to have poured everything we know into this new ecosystem,” said E3D.

For backward-compatibility, Revo Six will be a drop-in replacement for V6 hot ends (right), there will be a version to suit the company’s Hemera extruder (left), and the standard Revo will be the lighter and smaller Micro (centre).

“Revo Micro is suitable for Bowden and direct drive set-ups, and is compatible with all M12 mounting systems,” said E3D. “A Nylon securing nut keeps the unit in place and minimises extruder wobble during your print. Other mounting designs are coming down the line.”

At a glance

• Printing at up to 300°C
• 0.25, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8mm brass nozzles (more to follow)
• 40W PTC heating element
• 12 or 24V versions
• 30g mass for Micro version
• 1.75mm filament (no 3mm version planned)
• 2 x 2pin Molex Microfit 3.0 connectors (heater and thermistor)

The E3D website is here and there is a brief Revo video