Upgrade the X carriage?  

RE: Upgrade the X carriage?

For higher temps I think most folk simply change to a platinum thermal sensor with amplifier. Everything else about the hot end can work at reasonably high temps. Though, at some point the PETG of the extruder body will begin failing, as will the fan shroud: these can be especially vulnerable inside an enclosure you keep warm to reduce warpage of the higher temp plastics.

ps: and you'll need to cool the extruder motor in an enclosure.

RE: Upgrade the X carriage?

@tim-2

Im thinking of a heatsink setup on the extruder. Bondtech uses SLS and has a high temp body for enclosures up to 60C. I do know about the PT100 and AMP boards but I’ve also heard people having reliability issues.  

RE: Upgrade the X carriage?

@tim-2

Found this online: Unfortunately, PTFE begins to breakdown at temperatures above 240°C. Get it above 250°C for too long and you'll be treated to noxious fumes and a blackened mess.

RE: Upgrade the X carriage?

@yveske

Yes - very true, but in the E3D-V6, the PTFE tube never reaches the nozzle. It stops inside the top of the heat break, which never exceeds heat sink temps.

RE: Upgrade the X carriage?

@justin

If it were me, I'd have a friend with an SLA printer make the Mk3 extruder parts in whatever resin they have, or get a print shop to do it. I hear the standard Prusa resins are good for higher temps. Not sure why Prusa isn't doing that for shrouds, perhaps cost factor vs need. Not really an insurmountable issue.

For me its about knowing the beast I am living with: changing to some other kit means learning everything from scratch.

RE: Upgrade the X carriage?

@Justin - you'll likely want to move the electronics and power supply outside of the heated chamber if you're concerned about the longevity of the printer electronics.

@Yveske - The Mk3 uses the all-metal version of the E3D V6 hotend. As Tim notes, the PTFE tubing is only used at the top to guide the filament in but is firmly planted up in the cold end. The E3D V6 Lite is PTFE-lined down to the nozzle and is often cloned and used in low-cost printer designs since it's easier to get working with poor-fitting parts.

RE: Upgrade the X carriage?

@Tim @Justin

I know it shouldn't be a problem for the Prusa hotend, but Justin was looking to change hotends...

RE: Upgrade the X carriage?

@justin

Let us know how it turns out.  Your experiences will add to the community.  

RE: Upgrade the X carriage?

@tim-2

I’m thinking of Bondtechs kits, they use them in SLS and have a handling temperature inside the enclosure of  60c to 75c air temp. I’d say that’s pretty damn good, more than easily keeping anything all the way up to PEEK and PEAK from warping. 

RE: Upgrade the X carriage?

@bobstro

Oh definitely, I’ll be looking for a wiring extension kit or making my own longer wires at least for the PSU. I like the V6 for the same reason I like the Mosquito, they both use almost zero PTFE

RE: Upgrade the X carriage?

@justin

I would replace the wires and not extend them.  The additional connection creates another area for a problem.  

RE: Upgrade the X carriage?

@cwbullet

I’d probably use some from SE, they have one of the longest I know of and they are 50W. The leads are about 2-3ft long I believe. 

RE: Upgrade the X carriage?

@justin

Those will work and they are long.