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E3D Online, a UK-based provider of 3D printer components, has announced the launch of its new FDM 3D printer hotend range, RapidChange Revo, at TCT 3Sixty.
As the name might suggest, Revo nozzles are designed to be rapidly changeable. They’re based on E3D’s widely popular V6 hotends and are intended to be easily integrable into any FDM 3D printer. To change Revo nozzles, users will only need to unscrew the old hotend with their fingers and screw in a new one in its place. As such, the newly developed system eliminates the need for tools altogether.
The RapidChange Revo range initially includes the Revo Micro and the Revo Six.
E3D writes, “E3D’s purpose is to change the way that humanity manufactures goods by bringing 3D printing innovations into the market. Subtractive manufacturing has had the ability to change tools quickly and easily for decades. It’s about time additive caught up.”
Optimized for space and weight
E3D has placed a major focus on minimizing space and weight with its latest product launch. The Revo Micro hotend only weighs half as much as the E3D V6 and occupies less volume in the printhead, reducing the overall mass of the assembly to enable faster print speeds.
Made of brass with a maximum temperature of 300°C, Revo nozzles will offer four different color-coded sizes at launch: 0.25mm, 0.4mm, 0.6mm, and 0.8mm. Each nozzle variant has its own silicone sock color for easy identification, but all of the sizes are also engraved on the underside of the nozzles. E3D has stated that it will be launching more nozzle types and sizes as the ecosystem develops.
Due to its modularity, the Revo nozzle system is designed to make printer maintenance extremely simple. Since each nozzle change refreshes the area that’s been in contact with the molten filament, it’s enough to simply swap nozzles if the active one becomes jammed, reducing downtime to a matter of seconds. Additionally, the Revo assembly integrates the nozzle and HeatBreak (the part that separates the hotend from the rest of the extruder) into a single unit, meaning there’s no risk of plastic leakage.
E3D has also developed an entirely new heater for its Revo lineup. Dubbed HeaterCore, the heating element is intended to be smaller and more robust than traditional heater blocks, with a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) that reduces power as the heat rises. The company states that this significantly reduces the maximum thermal runaway temperature, alleviating the associated health and safety hazards.
Upgradeability and backward compatibility
Owing to its open-source roots, E3D believes strongly in upgradability and backward compatibility. As such, RapidChange Revo’s hot side is always the same: a HeaterCore and a Revo nozzle, and it always interfaces with the cold side (the rest of the extruder) in the same way – with a Hemera-style HeatBreak.
For new E3D customers, the Revo Micro detailed above is recommended due to its compactness, but existing E3D V6 owners can make use of Revo Six. Revo Six acts as a drop-in replacement for the E3D V6 hotend, enabling any printer with a V6 setup to use the Revo quick-change system.
Additionally, for those that like to customize their 3D printer setups, the RapidChange Revo cold side interface is completely open-source. Customers will be able to design their own mounting systems to fit on whatever 3D printer they may have. The company even encourages the design of new heatsinks and mounts for use with the Revo nozzles and HeaterCore.
As it stands, RapidChange Revo will be open for pre-orders in November 2021. The company expects the devices to start shipping at the end of the year. The package will cost approximately £100 (~$120) and include a full Revo HotEnd with all four Revo nozzles to swap between.
Just this month, Xaar, a UK-based developer of inkjet printing technology, announced the launch of its latest printhead, the Xaar Irix. Based on the previously released Xaar 128 device, the new Xaar Irix is designed to be easy-to-use and lightweight with a compact footprint. It can be used to deposit both oil and solvent-based inks for applications such as material jet 3D printing.
Elsewhere, Wham Bam Systems, a developer of accessory products for 3D printers, recently announced the launch of its new FDM tool changer device. Named ‘the MUTANT V2’, the easy-to-use add-on can be installed in place of the default printhead, enabling users to quickly change between hot ends, laser cutting tools, and any other custom tool heads they may have in their arsenals.
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Featured image shows the new Revo Six (left), Revo Micro (right), and four Revo nozzles. Photo by Michael Petch/3D Printing Industry.
