Hotend upgrade kit for Raise3D Pro2

In order to improve the 3D printing process of the Raise3D Pro2 Series equipment, the company Slice Engineering, known for its high quality components and excellent performance, has grouped in a bundle the necessary elements to implement the Copperhead hotend in these printers.

This kit consists of 2 Copperhead standard G2 hotends, 2 vanadium nozzles, 1 tube of boron nitride thermal paste, 2 cartridges heaters and 2 high temperature K-type thermistors.

Copperhead Standard G2 Hotend 

Copperhead is an all-metal hotend, Open Source design, combining ease of use with exceptional performance.

Image 1: Copperhead Standard G2. Source: Slice Engineering.

Copperhead incorporates innovative bi-metal Heat Break technology that combines a low wall thickness inner tube made of surgical stainless steel with two copper alloy outer elements. Unlike traditional all-metal Heat Breaks, which are made exclusively of stainless steel, the copper exterior of the bi-metal design promotes heating of the hot zone and dissipates excess heat from the cold zone, making it possible to better differentiate between the two zones. Thanks to this design, heat transfer from the hot to the cold zone is greatly reduced, resulting in a negligible transition zone and critically minimising the likelihood of heat leakage when using materials with low softening temperatures such as PLA. Couple this with excellent internal machining resulting in a roughness of less than 50 microns, and you have one of the best all-metal hotends for jam performance.

The other key element of the Copperhead is its advanced heating block, which is made of high-quality copper coated with a thin layer of nickel. While copper is the ideal material for high-temperature applications due to its excellent thermal conductivity and high resistance to temperatures up to 550°C, the nickel plating protects it from corrosion and provides non-stick properties that prevent molten plastic from sticking to its surface, while reducing heat loss through irradiation. In addition, its design has been designed to facilitate tasks such as changing nozzles. The narrower width of the front area allows the block to be held in this area with a spanner while changing the nozzle. This protects the thermistor and heater block connections from accidental damage while changing to a nozzle such as the one integrated in this kit, which is made of vanadium and is much stronger than standard brass.

Vanadium Nozzle

Also developed by Slice Engineering, this vanadium alloyed high speed steel nozzle has been hardened and tempered to a minimum hardness of 65 Rockwell C (Vickers HV 910) throughout the substrate and not just on the surface. This provides excellent abrasion resistance, superior to that of hardened steel nozzles, at all working temperatures.

Image 2: Vanadium nozzle. Source: Slice Engineering.

In addition, the Slice Engineering Vanadium Nozzle incorporates a plastic-repellent and wear-resistant coating. Thanks to this coating, the nozzle will be kept clean of melted plastic droplets that can be released and damage the finish of the printed parts. This nozzle has an M6 x 1 thread, a total length of 12.5 mm and a diameter of 0.4 mm.

Another way to ensure a good finish on the printed elements is to use a thermal paste that is applied between the heat break and the heatsink. This facilitates heat transfer and adequately cools the cold area of the hotend. In this case, the kit comes with a boron nitride thermal paste.

Boron nitride thermal paste

A low thermal conductivity between the heat break and the heatsink can cause the heat transfer between the two components to be lower than between the heater block and the heat break. This leads to overheating of the cold zone resulting in clogging and inconsistent extrusion as well as situations where the filament melts inside the heat break causing a clog that is difficult to resolve. This phenomenon is especially common when PLA is combined with an all-metal hotend with inadequate thermal performance.

Image 3: Boron nitride thermal paste. Source: Slice Engineering.

Boron nitride thermal paste increases heat transfer between components, ensuring that the printer operates at its maximum capacity by providing the heater block with the even heat distribution it needs to achieve the highest print quality in the shortest possible time. In addition, unlike non-stick compounds, boron nitride is not electrically conductive, eliminating the risk of shorting out the heater cartridge or thermistor.

The boron nitride particles in the compound are in aqueous suspension. Once heated, the liquid portion of the suspension evaporates leaving a crumbly clay-like paste. This paste has a compact crystalline microstructure and is extremely conductive (31.4 W/mK at 100 °C).

The next element in the kit is the cartridge heater, which provides a high heat transfer.

Heating cartridge 50 W / 24 V

The Slice Engineering 50 W cartridge heater is a high quality, 22 mm long cartridge heater with reinforced connections and a high temperature silicone coating to protect the wires from short circuits.

Image 4: Cartridge heater. Source: Slice Engineering.

Its high power density provides fast heating up to 450°C, as well as increased accuracy by reducing heating inertia.

For reliable and accurate temperature measurement, Slice Engineering has chosen to include two K-type thermistors.

High temperature K-type thermistor

K-type thermistors are an excellent choice for temperature sensing applications that require accuracy, reliability and a wide temperature range.

Image 5: Type K thermistor. Source: Slice Engineering.

Slice Engineering's high temperature thermistor is capable of measuring with high accuracy up to 400°C and is suitable for multiple filament types.