Extruders & Hot Ends

The hot end, also known as the "hot end", is used to convert the 3D printing filament from the solid to the liquid phase. The extruder serves as a material feeder to feed the filament to the hot end and a nozzle to apply the filament in its liquid phase.

The most common extruder variants are the Bowden and the direct drive extruder .

With the Bowden extruder, the filament feeder (extruder) is attached to the frame of the 3D printer and connected to the hot end with a PTFE hose. The situation is different with the direct drive extruder, where the extruder is connected directly to the hot end.

direct drive extruder

The advantages of the direct drive extruder are a delay-free, fast and direct retraction (retraction) of the filament, which ensures a more even extrusion. Further advantages are a possible lower motor power of the extruder, due to short feed paths and a more diverse selection of printable materials. Disadvantages of the direct drive extruder are a reduced printing speed, higher wear and tear and an increased energy requirement as a result of the higher overall weight of the print head.

Bowden extruder

The Bowden extruder has the advantage that faster printing speeds can be achieved and there are fewer vibrations at the print head due to the outsourced extruder. Overall, this leads to more precise travel paths and thus potentially to better contours of the print model. Disadvantages are a delayed response, i.e. a delayed feed of the filament to the hot end, as well as more motor power required and a smaller selection of usable 3D printing materials.