Our vast 3D printing community not only has an in-depth understanding of Ultimaker products but is also happy to share their expertise with all users, enabling 3D printers to achieve more. Now, one of the biggest contributors, Anders Olsson, has developed the highly wear-resistant 3D printing nozzle CC Red 0.6.
What are the features of the highly wear-resistant ruby nozzle CC Red 0.6?
．Can use highly abrasive materials
．Extensively tested with 3D printing carbon fiber
．Made with a highly wear-resistant ruby core
．0.6mm diameter, balancing print precision and speed
．As quick to change as a standard Ultimaker nozzle
．Wide enough to resist clogging
．First available in mid-November this year
Anders Olsson is the developer of the Ultimaker 2+ nozzle used for 3D printing with boron carbide. Now, Anders has developed our Print Core CC Red 0.6 – a highly wear-resistant ruby nozzle for the Ultimaker S5, which is still as quick to change as other nozzles.
Anders is a research engineer at Uppsala University in Sweden, well-known in the 3D printing industry for his expertise in boron carbide composites (boron carbide is one of the hardest materials in the world).
．Developing highly wear-resistant nozzles
Printing with such highly abrasive materials requires nozzles that are more durable than brass. When printing with boron carbide, brass nozzles get damaged and produce debris. Besides the wear affecting nozzle precision, the high-strength composite material itself can also erode other connections of the nozzle, and both types of wear affect print quality.
The initial inspiration came from the need for 3D printing with high-content boron carbide composite materials, which are stronger than ordinary boron carbide but quite expensive. The Ultimaker S5 3D printer can use dual nozzles, allowing for simultaneous printing of both regular and concentrated boron carbide composites in the same finished product, so that expensive materials are only used where truly needed. The ability to maintain both the stability of the print nozzle and higher wear resistance was the biggest reason for considering ruby as the core.
．Why choose ruby?
Ruby is very hard, chemically stable, and non-toxic, and even if it does wear down, there is no danger (for example, the cobalt binder in tungsten carbide can cause problems in a neutron state). Ruby provides full functionality for 3D printing any abrasive filament; in addition to abrasive materials, Anders also tested non-abrasive general filaments and found almost no drawbacks.
3DMart will also start selling Ultimaker's CC Red 0.6 ruby nozzle in mid-November this year.
With a diameter of 0.6 mm, it achieves the best balance between 3D printing speed and precision; furthermore, its wide diameter also makes it less prone to clogging, as abrasive materials containing fibers can cause feeding problems when smaller nozzles are used.
The testing team also cut open a nozzle, and after printing approximately twenty-five kilograms of carbon fiber, it was still intact with no wear found. When printing with ordinary carbon fiber filament, brass nozzles typically withstand 300 grams of printing, stainless steel nozzles one kilogram, and hardened steel nozzles three to five kilograms. However, while ruby is wear-resistant, it is also hard and brittle, so avoid dropping or impacting it. Handle with care during cleaning, and do not expose the nozzle to flame, as the surrounding brass may deform and damage the ruby core.
．What makes a material "abrasive"?
Generally, all composite filaments (e.g., metal, ceramic, carbon fiber, etc.) are abrasive, unless the composite material is significantly softer than ordinary brass (e.g., wood). However, some are not easily noticeable, such as certain fluorescent or bright materials that contain ceramic powder to create luminescence, which also makes the filament abrasive. (The image on the right shows the wear on a brass nozzle during 3D printing).
Anders is currently continuing to test special materials that are radiation-resistant, magnetic, conductive, or can be fired into ceramic objects after printing, and is constantly striving to combine multiple properties; the use of these composite filaments will be possible through dual-nozzle 3D printers such as the Ultimaker S5, combined with the highly wear-resistant ruby 3D printing core CC Red 0.6, to achieve every printed component.
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Original article link: https://ultimaker.com/en/blog/52749-red-for-ruby-anders-olsson-on-the-new-wear-resistant-print-core?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=facebook_page&utm_medium=Ultimaker&utm_content=Red%20for%20ruby%20%E2%80%93%20Anders%20Olsson%20on%20the%20new%20wear-resistant%20print%20core%20|%20Ultimaker