In March, Montreal-based Dyze Design launched the Tungsten Carbide nozzle on Kickstarter. A state of the art 3D printing accessory, the nozzle offers high wear resistance and performance for almost any 3D printer. Fully funded and then some, it’s not too late to get in on Early Bird pledges.
In March, Montreal-based company Dyze Design, a dedicated and passionate team working on the development of high performance 3D printer parts, launched the Tungsten Carbide Nozzle on Kickstarter: a state of the art nozzle that offers high wear resistance and performance for almost any 3D printer, such as Ultimaker, Raise3d, Prusa, Makerbot, Robo, LulzBot, Flashforge and many more.
Ending April 4th 2018, the project’s initial funding goal was $15,000 CAD.
The campaign will help the team ensure that they can measure performances in extrusion, flow and oozing, make improvements on the different molds, manufacture more nozzle sizes and perform high-temperature tests.
Dyze Design wanted to create a high performance, yet affordable product. For that reason, rewards start at $56 CAD for Early Bird, which includes one nozzle available in a choice of 0.4mm, 0.6mm, 0.9mm or 1.2mm sizes. For $115 CAD, you can get a double pack, or the triple pack for $172. For interested bulk buyers, there are also the Super Early Bird 4 pack, 6 pack, 10 pack, 25 pack and even 50 pack rewards.
Find out more on the Dyze Design Tungsten Carbide Nozzle Kickstarter page here.
Why Should I Use the Tungsten Carbide Nozzle?
With plain plastics like PLA, any common metal nozzle can easily hold up against the flow. Unfortunately, once we start using filaments reinforced with hard fibers such as carbon and glass, things start to get complicated; these reinforcement materials will scratch the inner wall of your nozzle orifice as they pass.
Both glass and carbon are known to be very hard – a lot harder than many metals – and the resulting nozzle scratching and distortion from them is what is known as abrasion.
“Tungsten carbide, not to be confused with tungsten alloy, which is metal, is the ceramic of choice when it comes to wear and abrasion resistance. Cutting tools for steel are made from tungsten carbide. It is also used extensively in the mining industry as a button insert for crushing rocks”, says Philippe Carrier, Dyze Design’s Chief Research Officer. “Moreover, the high thermal performance of tungsten carbide keeps the nozzle tip hot, thus allowing faster printing speeds without sacrificing the quality.”
In fact, the thermal conductivity ensures that heat is able to travel up to the tip of your nozzle, keeping your molten plastic at the right temperature. Having a bad heat conductor may lead to colder extrusion, thus poor layer bonding and greater flow fluctuation. For these reasons, any kinds of steel and ruby nozzles will lead to lower extrusion flow.
Comparing a reference brass nozzle from Ultimaker, the tungsten carbide nozzle is much easier to extrude. In fact, the output flow can be increased by around 80% while giving the same result.
Tungsten Carbide Nozzle Features
- Ultra wear resistant: The high hardness of tungsten carbide will provide a carefree extrusion experience. Its unparalleled wear resistance will ensure that both the nozzle diameter and flat will keep the same dimension, and so will your printed parts.
- Low pushing force: The high thermal conductivity of both the nozzle tip and body will pump all the required heat to maintain an even temperature while extruding. 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.
- Faster speed: Due to the high thermal performance of the nozzle in general, the printing speed can be pushed even further without sacrificing the quality. The special shape inside the nozzle — made possible by Dyze Design’s machining and manufacturing techniques — improves the flow where the diameter tapers, thus allowing a faster flow rate.
- Low friction: The whole nozzle is electroless nickel plated for enhanced slippery properties. Plastic will slide on the nozzle instead of sticking to it. This results in cleaner parts and fewer issues from drag.
- Any material: From printing PLA to carbon fiber reinforced plastics, this nozzle can handle anything. The low friction coating greatly helps with flexible filaments, allowing them to slide through the nozzle. A single nozzle will offer quality prints, wear resistance, and high flow, meaning there is no need to invest in heaps of different nozzles for specific purposes. This single nozzle offers the best of all worlds.
- Unbeatable price/performance: Tungsten carbide is easier to produce than corundum (Sapphire, Ruby, etc) while the performance is very similar for abrasion and much more performant for thermal conductivity. The use of steel makes it very easy to manufacture and offers amazing thermal performance. In all the whole package is a win-win situation in terms of performance and price.
Find out more on the Dyze Design Tungsten Carbide Nozzle Kickstarter page here.
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