Original E3D HotEnd Volcano

The Volcano HotEnd has a much higher volumetric flow rate than the HotEnd V6. Thanks to this feature, printing speed can be greatly increased.

If we wanted to summarize the characteristics that define this HotEnd, we would do it as follows:

• Significant increase in printing speed.
• Larger impressions.
• More resistant prints.

Higher print speed

The Volcano HotEnd uses the same heater block and the same thermistor mounting and insulation system as the V6. However, Volcano increases the speed which the HotEnd melts and extrudes the filament with respect to the V6. To achieve this, the fusion zone is extended to almost double that of the V6. With this modification, the volume of material in the process of fusion is higher and more pressure can be exerted on it; increasing the flow of material and consequently the printing speed.

With these modifications, the printing speed can be increased obtaining good results and it becomes much more practical to work with larger nozzle diameters and higher layer heights.

Volcano nozzles are presented in diameters from 0.4 mm, and the most prominent are those of 0.6 mm, 0.8 mm, 1.0 mm and 1.2 mm in diameter. By increasing the layer height and the amount of plastic processed by the HotEnd, printing times are considerably reduced.

Contrary to what we might think, using a larger diameter filament does not necessarily speed up the printing process. This is because the 1.75 mm filament has a much larger surface area per unit volume than a 3.0 mm diameter filament. Taking these data into account, a filament of smaller diameter will melt faster than one of larger diameter.

Image 1: Different pieces of the Volcano HotEnd. Source: E3D

Larger impressions 

As we can move more plastic flow at the same time and use nozzles with a larger outlet diameter without having fluidity problems, we can print large parts with strong and resistant walls quickly.

This is why this HotEnd is highly recommended for 3D printers with wide manufacturing volume.

It is important to clarify that, by winning in printing speed, we will penalize the finishing of our pieces, which will be of less precision and we will not be able to print very small details.

Image 2: Finished piece printed with HotEnd Volcano. Source: E3D

Stronger impressions

Thanks to the design of the Volcano HotEnd, much more latent heat is retained during printing. This additional thermal energy has an impact on the adhesion of layers, achieving much stronger and more resistant prints than with other HotEnds on the market.