Feb 23, 2018 | By Tess
Dyze Design, a 3D printer accessory developer from Montreal, Canada, is preparing to launch a Kickstarter campaign for its newest product: the Tungsten Carbide Nozzle. The 3D printer nozzle, which promises high flow and abrasion resistance, is compatible with a range of popular 3D printer brands including Ultimaker, Prusa, Lulzbot, Raise3D, and Robo.
When it comes to additive manufacturing, there are a number of components that can either make or break your print. The 3D printer itself is just part of the equation: finding the right materials, extruders, and nozzles is just as important for maximizing your print’s overall quality.
That’s why when we heard about Dyze Design’s latest 3D printer nozzle, made from tungsten carbide, our interest was piqued.
Tungsten carbide is a hard ceramic material commonly used in steel cutting tools and in the mining sector for rock-crushing devices. In addition to strength, tungsten carbide is also known for its wear resistance and high thermal conductivity.
According to Dyze Design, using a tungsten carbide nozzle results in high flow rates and consistent print quality, because the wear-resistant tungsten carbide material maintains the same diameter and height “no matter how long or how hard you use it.”
The Dyze nozzle consists of a tungsten carbide tip and a steel frame structure, which are entirely plated with electroless nickel. Steel was selected for the nozzle’s frame for a number of reasons: its high strength, pressure resistance, and thermal stability.
Dyze says the only potential downside to using steel for the nozzle frame is its relatively low thermal conductivity. However, since the “critical zone for thermal conductivity is the nozzle tip,” the print results are unaffected.
“The high thermal conductivity of both the nozzle tip and body will pump all the required heat to maintain an even temperature while extruding,” says Dyze on its website. “Viscosity highly depends on the plastic temperature for a constant shear rate. The flow pressure will be constant resulting in excellent results and stability. The ease of pushing the filament will give an extra margin for your extruder safety.”
The nickel plating, for its part, is used to improve the 3D printer nozzle’s surface finish, essentially making it more slippery. This, Dyze says, means that plastic will simply slide off the nozzle, resulting in cleaner parts with less risk of drag. It also enables the nozzle to easily process flexible filaments.
In terms of other materials, the Tungsten Carbide Nozzle can purportedly process any type of filament, from PLA and ABS to carbon fiber reinforced materials.
Dyze Design even compared its Tungsten Carbide Nozzle to an Ultimaker nozzle made from brass. After 3D printing the same part from PLA at 210°C with both nozzles, Dyze found the output flow to be increased by a whopping 80 percent using its own nozzle.
(Images: Dyze Design)
Presently, the Montreal-based company has a number of versions of the Tungsten Carbide nozzle, each compatible with a range of popular FDM 3D printers. The Tungsten Carbide UM3, for instance, is built for the Ultimaker 3, while the Tungsten Carbide M6 1.75 mm has a more broad compatibility with Raise3D, Prusa, Makerbot, and Robo 3D printers, to name a few.
Dyze Design will be launching a Kickstarter campaign for its new 3D printer accessory in early March, so interested makers will have to wait until then to see how much the Tungsten Carbide Nozzle will cost. (Though the company does promise an “unbeatable price/performance.”)
Posted in 3D Printer Accessories
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