Although desktop 3D printers are now a dime a dozen on the consumer market, there is still a strong showing from DIY Makers with the desire to build their own 3D printers from scratch. But what about those who have built a RepRap or another DIY kit that they would like to upgrade with a consumer market part? Aleph Objects, the Colorado-based company that designs and manufactures LulzBot 3D printing products, have just released their LulzBot v2 Hot Ends as a single part to upgrade the extrusion process on one’s very own RepRap or DIY-built 3D printer. This is the exact same filament extruder used on all of LulzBot’s current 3D printers, but now the high quality part is compatible as an add-on for those who want better printing performance out of their self-built or modifiable 3D printers.
“The market for 3D printers continues to rapidly grow and evolve, with many customers choosing LulzBot 3D printers today for their ease of use and reliability,” said Harris Kenny, Vice President of Marketing at Aleph Objects. “The technology, however, is rooted in the hacker and RepRap communities, and we are proud to continue to serve those communities by now offering our popular v2 hot ends as separate products.”
The LulzBot v2 Hot Ends allow for printing with both standard and specialty filaments, and also has the ability to successfully withstand an extrusion temperature of 300°C. The hot ends also have an extended heater block that increases the melting zone during extrusion, making for faster and more well-rounded prints. On the other side of the temperature spectrum, the part is also equipped with a compact cooling zone that is able to cool down 3D prints without being detrimental to the print volume. Depending on what style and quality of print you are going for, the LulzBot v2 Hot Ends come with three different nozzle diameters to choose from, 0.35mm (ultra-fine resolution), 0.50mm (well-balanced between quality and speed), and 0.60mm (faster performance), giving users various options for a quality and speed of the 3D print.
Although Aleph Objects and their LulzBot 3D printers have become a legitimately marketed printer over time, the company still notices the influence that the DIY and hacker tech community (who would likely be drawn to building their own 3D printer from a kit) has on where 3D printing technology will go. Thus, the LulzBot v2 Hot Ends will be available for these RepRap and DIY 3D printers for $70 a piece, and are already prepared to be shipped off, equipped, and used. This custom-built, all-metal hot end should certainly assist in providing DIY printers with quality prints and higher performance capabilities, giving the DIY community the ability to create even greater innovations. For more information on what 3DPI thought of this powerful hotend, check out our review of the LulzBot Mini here.
