Numerical and experimental analysis of 3D printer hot ends

Abstract

The design of the hot end plays a critical role in additive manufacturing, especially in material extrusion. Yet the melt flow behavior within the hot end assembly has not been explicitly presented regarding the hot end design. The present study intends to fill this knowledge gap by employing a two-phase approach to investigate the melt dynamics through three commercially available hot ends. The hot ends considered are E3D v6 Standard, v6 Gold, and Revo Six, which were chosen based on brand, design, and functionality. In Phase 1, an experimental apparatus was developed to assess the impact of feeding rate and extrusion temperature on the outlet temperature, outlet velocity, and under-extrusion percentage of extruded polymer. In Phase 2, the polymer flow through each hot end is explored utilizing a computational fluid dynamics model, which was validated using data obtained in Phase 1. It was determined that the filament feeding rate is the most influential parameter in polymer extrusion and that Revo Six’s symmetrical design affects the stability of extrusion. It was also revealed that the thermal evolution of the melted filament within the hot end assembly is directly affected by the length of the heating region and the polymer's material properties. The experimental and numerical procedures developed in this investigation can be useful to 3D printing users and manufacturers in selecting a hot end assembly based on application requirements.