Hotend upgrade kit for Raise3D E2

Looking to improve the features of the Raise3D E2 printer, Slice Engineering; manufacturer of high quality components and excellent performance, has created a hotend upgrade kit for those users who want to go one step further with their equipment.

Consisting of 2 standard G2 Copperhead Hotends, 2 Vanadium nozzles, 1 tube of boron nitride thermal paste and 2 heater cartridges, this bundle improves printing results by implementing improvements in aspects such as underextrusion, heat leakage, etc.

Copperhead Hotend Standard G2

With Open Source design, Copperhead is an all-metal hotend, easy to use and high performance.

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

The innovative bimetallic heat break technology incorporated in the Copperhead combines a low wall thickness inner tube of surgical stainless steel with two outer elements of copper alloy, a material that promotes heating of the hot zone and dissipates excess heat from the cold zone. This combination greatly reduces heat transfer from the hot to the cold zone, resulting in a negligible transition zone and reducing the likelihood of heat leakage when using materials with low softening temperatures such as PLA. This, coupled with excellent internal machining, results in one of the best all-metal hotends for jam performance.

The other key element of the Copperhead is its heating block, made of high quality copper coated with a thin layer of nickel, which protects it against corrosion and provides non-stick properties that prevent molten plastic from sticking to its surface.

By upgrading this component we will have a heating block design designed to facilitate tasks such as changing the nozzle to, for example, one of higher resistance as in the case of the vanadium nozzle included in this kit.

Vanadium Nozzle

Manufactured from vanadium alloyed high speed steel, this nozzle has been processed to provide a minimum hardness of 65 Rockwell C (Vickers HV 910) across the entire substrate and not just the surface. This gives it excellent abrasion resistance, superior to hardened steel nozzles, at all operating temperatures.

Image 2: Vanadium Nozzle. Source: Slice Engineering.

In addition, Slice Engineering's Vanadium Nozzle incorporates a plastic-repellent and wear-resistant coating. Thanks to this coating, the nozzle will be kept clean of molten plastic droplets that can detach 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 the good finish of the printed elements is by using a thermal paste, to be applied between the heat break and the heatsink, which favours heat transfer and keeps the cold area of the hotend properly cooled. In this case, the kit comes with a boron nitride thermal paste.

Thermal oron nitride paste

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.

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

The boron nitride particles of 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 last element of this kit is the cartridge heater, a component capable of providing exceptional heat transfer.

Heater cartridge 30 W / 24 V

Rated for high operating temperatures and designed for continuous operation in a heated chamber, this cartridge heater features a robust, state-of-the-art construction with pins connected internally within the cartridge, providing the ultimate in safety and reliability.

Figure 4: Heater cartridge. Source: Slice Engineering.

The cables have PTFE-infused insulation for maximum flexibility during installation and operation. Fibreglass shielding in the first 100 mm provides optimal thermal protection.

With this hotend upgrade kit for the Raise3D E2 printer, users looking to evolve their 3D printing experience will find their ally.