3D printer hotend

What Is a Hot End?

A hot end is perhaps the most essential part of a 3D printer, responsible for melting filament and giving it a clear path to the nozzle.

Hot ends are only on FDM 3D printers, and they typically consist of a heat sink, heat break (throat), heater block, heater cartridge, thermistor wire, nozzle, and PTFE coupler. Below you can see a diagram of a hot end with each part labeled:

Without a hot end, an FDM 3D printer simply could not function. And a low-quality one will yield very inconsistent extrusion, leading to ugly and inaccurate prints. As such, make sure you get a good one, like one of the options we went over previously!

Considerations When Picking a Hot End

When choosing what hot end to use on your 3D printer, there are a few important factors to keep in mind. I’ve gone over these considerations in the mini sections below:

Maximum Temperature

The most important element of a 3D printer’s hot end is the maximum temperature it can reach. This is usually dependent on the type of metal used for the heater block and the quality of the heater cartridge and thermistor cables.

The higher the maximum temperature, the more filament materials a hot end can handle. For example, a hot end that can only reach 250 °C can print PLA and ABS. But one that can get up to 300 °C can print PLA, ABS, PETG, carbon fiber composites, TPU, TPE, and so many other options.

3D Printer Compatibility

Not all hot ends are compatible with all 3D printers. The compatibility of a hot end with a 3D printer depends on the voltage of the hot end’s electronics, the mounting screws, and the size/shape of the assembly.

You can check the compatibility of a hot end with a certain 3D printer by looking up the following “<name of hot end> on <name of 3D printer>” and checking Reddit and other forums.

Nozzle Compatibility

On top of looking at the compatibility of a hot end on a 3D printer’s frame, you should also look at what nozzles work with the assembly. Depending on the nozzle thread of a 3D printer hot end, only certain nozzles will work.

The two most common hot end nozzle threads are M6 and M7. You also might see hot ends listed as either MK6, MK8, and MK10. The first two types have M6 threads, so nozzles are interchangeable between them. On the other hand, an MK10 hot end has an M7 thread.

Reliability

Reliability is another very important consideration for a hot end that outlines how consistent and dependable a hot end is. While there’s no easy metric for determining the reliability of a hot end, you can check the reviews to see what users have to say.

Value

Lastly, you should consider the value of the hot end you’re using. I like to think of “value” as the bang for your buck. I suggest keeping the value, or features-for-dollar, in mind, so you don’t overpay for only a slightly-better hot end.

When to Replace the 3D Printer’s Hot End?

Unlike the nozzle, replacing the hot end on a 3D printer isn’t something you should try to do every few months. Instead, you should only replace the hot end when it’s actually broken or failing you.

That’s because 3D printer hot ends can get somewhat expensive, costing anywhere from $20-200, so replacements shouldn’t be too frequent. Additionally, hot ends aren’t meant to be consumables like nozzles, so they should last you a very long time.

You’ll know when it’s time to replace your 3D printer’s hot end if the melted filament is oozing from the heater block or if any part of the assembly physically breaks. Additionally, if the threading for the nozzle is damaged, you’ll need to replace the hot end.

How to Replace the 3D Printer’s Hot End?

The process for replacing your 3D printer’s hot end will vary depending on what printer you have. However, the general process goes something like this:

1. Turn on the printer.
2. Heat up the hot end to your regular printing temperature.
3. Remove the filament.
4. Unscrew the nozzle.
5. Unscrew the fan shroud and move it to the side.
6. Wait for the hot end to cool down, and then unscrew the mounting bolts that hold the hot end assembly to the printhead carriage.
7. Unscrew the PTFE tube coupler from the hot end assembly.
8. Remove the PTFE tube.
9. Open up the motherboard housing.
10. Turn off your printer.
11. Locate the hot end heater and thermistor cables on the motherboard and unplug them.
12. Pull out the heater and thermistor wires and place your old hot end to the side.
13. Wire the heater and thermistor wires of your new hot end to the motherboard. Plug them in securely.
14. Screw the mounting bolts of the hot end into the printhead carriage. Make sure they’re very tight.
15. Reattach the nozzle.
16. Move the fan shroud back over the hot end assembly and screw it in.

And that’s it!

Of course, this process might not work for all printers, especially if your hot end isn’t natively compatible with your 3D printer. For example, if you’re installing an E3D hot end on a stock Creality Ender 3, you’ll need to change the firmware settings to account for the different thermistor wires.

But, for specific upgrades, you can check out the other articles on our site or the many video tutorials available online!

How to Clean the 3D Printer’s Hot End?

To clean your 3D printer’s hot end, start by turning on your printer and heating the nozzle up to your normal printing temperature. For PLA, this would be around 220 °C.

Once the hot end is actually hot, remove the filament from the printer. Make sure you pull it out of both the hot end and extruder assembly.

Next, remove the fan shroud from your printhead. You can usually do this by taking the right-size Allen Key and unscrewing the fan shroud mounting bolts.

Move the fan shroud to the side and then, with the right size spanner wrench, unscrew the nozzle. With the nozzle removed, take a peek at the inside of the hot end to see if it’s damaged at all. Damage will look like any obvious deformations to the metal.

If there’s no damage, you can start cleaning the hot end assembly. To do this, I like to get a small metal pic and tweezers and then go ham at pulling out guck from the inside of the hot end.

Once you remove all the large chunks, you can get an alcohol or acetone wipe (e.g. nail polish remover wipe), and, using the tweezers for safety, rub it around inside the hot end. If you do this while the hot end is still hot, it will be most effective. Just make sure you don’t leave the wipe there too long as it will burn if heated for too long.

And that’s it!

Difference Between the Hot End and Extruder

The difference between the hot end and the extruder is that one stays hot (the hot end, obviously), and one stays cold.

Moreover, the hot end, as we went over, is responsible for melting the incoming filament so that it can flow out of the attached nozzle.

On the other hand, the extruder, also known as the “cold end”, is the motor assembly that’s responsible for pushing filament into the hot end.

A Bowden extruder 3D printer, like the Ender 3 (Pro/V2), has the extruder on the left-hand side and the hot end on the printhead assembly. Direct drive 3D printers, like the Ender 3 S1, have the extruder right on top of the hot end assembly.

Conclusion

A hot end is super important for the 3D printing process, and because its impact on the printing process is so significant, you should make sure you’re using a high-quality hot end.

As we went over, a good hot end can reach high temperatures, fits on many printers, has good value, and is very reliable.

The best 3D printer hot end is easily either the E3D V6 or E3D RevoSix. Both products are affordable and can reach a temperature of 300 °C, which is crazy high and more than enough to print any filament material. Additionally, reliability and community support are spectacular for these products!

But, if you want the ultimate 3D printing hot end, then I’d go with the Slice Engineering Mosquito, the creme-de-la-creme of 3D printer hot ends. With an insanely high maximum temperature of 500 °C and a super effective heat sink, you’ll be unstoppable with this hot end by your side!

Enjoy!

3D Printer Hot-Ends - 3DJake International

RelevanceBestsellersCustomer ReviewsPrice, Low to HighPrice, High to LowNew arrivalsHighest Discount

• Creality Hotend 20 Model types
  • Original spare part
  • From Creality

• Micro-Swiss All Metal Hotend Kit for CR-​10
  • All metal
  • Better heat dissipation
  • No adjustments required

• Micro-Swiss Silicone Socks Set for MK7 / MK8 / MK9 1 set
  • High-temperature resistant
  • Set of 3
  • Non-stick

• BROZZL All Metal Hot-​End Upgrade Kit for Ender & CR-​10
  • Easy to use
  • Fast assembly
  • Precise manufacturing

• Phaetus Dragonfly Hotend BMS
  • Temperature resistance up to 500 ° C
  • All-metal design
  • Good heat dissipation

• E3D V6 Silicone Socks 1 set
  • Non-stick surface
  • For V6 heating blocks
  • Keeps your heating block clean

• E3D V6 Plated Copper Heater Block
  • Good high-temperature performance
  • Softening point well over 500 ° C
  • Less sticking

• Micro-Swiss All Metal Hotend Kit for CR-​10S Pro
  • All Metal Hotend
  • Better heat dissipation
  • Can be used without any modifications

• Phaetus Dragonfly Hotend BMO
  • Temperature resistance up to 500 ° C
  • All-metal design
  • Good heat dissipation

• Slice engineering Mosquito
  • Perfect heat transfer
  • Temperatures up to 450 ° C possible
  • Flexible installation

• Micro-Swiss All Metal Hotend Kit for the CR-​6 SE
  • Titanium alloy heat break
  • Well defined melting zone
  • Aluminium heating block

• Anycubic Hotend 10 Model types
  • Original spare part
  • By Anycubic

• Micro-Swiss High Temperature MK8 Heating Block Upgrade
  • M6 thread size
  • Special alloy
  • High printer compatibility

• E3D Revo Micro Full Kit 2 Model types
  • Complete set including 4 nozzles
  • Compatible with Bowden or Direct Drive setup
  • Small & light heat sink

• Creality Heatsink 5 Model types
  • Original spare part
  • From Creality 3D

• E3D V6 All-​Metal Hotend Bowden -​ 1.75 mm 4 Model types
  • High temperature performance
  • All-Metal
  • Compact design

• E3D Revo Six 2 Model types
  • Direct replacement for E3D V6 Hotend
  • Including a 0.4 mm nozzle
  • All-metal hotend

• E3D Prusa V6 Hotend 3 Model types
  • Replacement hotend
  • With V6 parts
  • Improved version

• E3D Volcano Silicone Socks
  • Non-stick surface
  • For Volcano heating blocks
  • Keeps your heating block clean

• FLSUN Hotend Thermistor 3 Model types
  • Original spare part

• BondTech BMG-​M & Mosquito Magnum Set 2 Model types
  • Perfect upgrade
  • Complete set
  • Safe 3D printing process

• E3D Revo Six Full Kit 2 Model types
  • Direct replacement for E3D V6 Hotend
  • Complete set
  • Incl. 4 nozzles (0.25 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.8 mm)

• E3D Revo CR Full Kit 2 Model types
  • Simple and quick nozzle change by hand
  • Incl. 4 Revo nozzles
  • Increased efficiency & safety

• Slice engineering Mosquito Magnum
  • High printing speed
  • Temperatures up to 450 ° C possible
  • Flexible installation

All prices incl. VAT.

3D Printer Extruder - Complete Manual Heatle

Learn the basics of direct drive and Bowden extruders, hot and cold ends, nozzle sizes and materials, and find the best 3D printer cartridge for your needs.

The 3D printing process can be briefly described as follows: a filament of plastic material is fed into a heated metal block with a nozzle, where it is melted and extruded in a given form. This path is repeated, gradually building up until a solid three-dimensional object is formed. nine0003

The entire business task of handling the material, melting it and exiting for printing takes place in a block called 3D printer extruder .

In this article, we will look at the main sections of the 3D printer extruder, the options and advantages of different styles of extruders, popular models on the market, as well as cartridge heaters for 3D printers and other items.

What is an extruder

The 3D Printer Extruder is a set of parts that together process and move plastic filament. nine0003

Some consider the extruder to be just the motor and associated parts that push and pull the filament, others the entire assembly including the heated part that melts and deposits the filament.

For simplicity, this article treats the entire assembly as an extruder. To begin with, while explaining the key components of a 3D printer extruder, we will divide it into two elements: a cold zone and a hot zone.

Cold zone

As the name implies, the cold zone is exactly that - cold. It's The top of the 3D printer's extruder system, into which the filament is fed and then passed into the hot zone to be melted and extruded onto the print bed.

The appearance and location of the cold zone on your 3D printer depends on whether it is a direct drive or Bowden drive extruder (both of which are detailed below).

There is no filament heating here. The cold zone consists of the extruder motor and gear train, which are usually mounted either on the printer frame or on the print head itself, depending on the type of extruder, and a PTFE tube to smoothly guide the filament into the hot end. nine0003

What happens in the cold zone?

With the heatsink removed on this e3D Titan Aero, we can see the inner workings of the 3D printer's extruder.

Essentially, the cold zone consists of a stepper motor, some form of gear, a toothed bolt or gear, a spring-loaded idler (usually a bearing of some kind) to hold the filament, and then a PTFE tube to guide the filament.

A humble stepper motor with a metal gear required for a 3D printer's extruder drives the filament extrusion in most if not all modern desktop 3D printers.

However, one stepper motor is not enough to feed the filament to the hot end. The parts attached to and operating the stepper motor drive shaft must physically grab the filament and push it on its way to the hot end.

In this cutaway view of a 3D printer extruder, we see a metal gear and a plastic gear with a toothed shaft. nine0038