HIGH TEMP Hot End - discussion and use cases  

RE:

I don't have this problem anymore now that my main printer (which rhymes with "shampoo crabs") can reach 350° on the hot end and 65° in (AN ACTIVELY HEATED) chamber. When the INDX arrives I'll use it on the C1 for multi-color PLA flexi-dragons and Pikachus... which is about all it's good for. 

In all seriousness, a HT hot end without an actively heated chamber doesn't unlock that much except for maybe PPA and PPS CF. 

RE: HIGH TEMP Hot End - discussion and use cases

Good morning.

I'm still curious to see how Prusa plans to actively market this.

To be honest, Prusa is taking the route that stands to make good money. The masses want multicolor prints. The filaments are widely available, affordable, easy to handle, and come in a huge variety of colors. MMU and INDX are excellent options for achieving satisfactory results.

For niche applications, such as printing with engineering filaments—which are, first of all, very expensive and, secondly, require a capable printer—the C1 is practically unsuitable.

The competition never sleeps, and the Chinese, for example, are flooding the market with devices that some here in the forum have purchased or are already using.

As I’ve already written in my other posts, metacollin inspired me to try converting the C1 to high-temperature printing. Thanks to AI machines. I was further motivated by the “current availability” of the Prusa HT nozzle. I’m currently working on converting to active chamber heating, controlled by the Prusa firmware without external control electronics.

The applications for technical filaments in the home environment are limited. Model building is one area I could cover with it. Another area would be robotics. This is another step toward next-generation 3D printing. It’s a very interesting field, and in my opinion, it will eventually replace traditional 3D printing.

RE: HIGH TEMP Hot End - discussion and use cases

Until enclosed printers became a thing, engineering filaments were of limited use and expensive to the casual hobbyist. The prices have come down now that they are more approachable since 350°/65° CoreXY printers seem to be the norm and not the exception. My favorite goto filament is PC Blend which was more or less out of my reach until I upgraded my MK4 to a C1. It opened a lot of doors once I was able to move away from PETG. Now for some applications, I've outgrown PC and subsequently outgrown the C1. Just moving to a HT hot end won't be enough. On a C1 it's a just a gimmick. 

RE: HIGH TEMP Hot End - discussion and use cases

Just moving to a HT hot end won't be enough. On a C1 it's a just a gimmick. 

I’m probably repeating myself here, but I’m curious to see the initial reactions from buyers once Prusa officially launches its HT nozzle. There’s no doubt that early adopters will test it out and then promote and review it on social media.

RE: HIGH TEMP Hot End - discussion and use cases

Maybe we operate in different part of the 3D print world, but where i am high temp materials are in high demands, and newer and better materials push whats possible to do with printing. The issue is that the HT hotend is maybe to over specced. 330 or thereabouts would have been enough to print PPA(kinda doable on std, but better when printed hotter) and PPS, and doable with 55degC chamber. The step up after those materials is no point chasing at the moment, since PEEK and PEKK are so niche, and require much higher chamber temps. Hopefully the INDX will have 300+ capabilites later on, they indicated it could do it, that would maybe solve two upgrades in one 🙂

RE: HIGH TEMP Hot End - discussion and use cases

Hopefully the INDX will have 300+ capabilites later on, they indicated it could do it, that would maybe solve two upgrades in one 🙂

Once the initial phase is complete and the first test results and refinements are finalized in 2026, this will certainly be a technically sound option for working with supports when using PPS or PPA.

The issue is that the HT hotend is maybe to over specced. 330 or thereabouts would have been enough to print PPA(kinda doable on std, but better when printed hotter) and PPS, and doable with 55degC chamber.

That must be why Chinese manufacturers have simply set a limit at 350 degrees. 😋 

PS at Cédric:

The test hook from CNC Citchen, printed with Siraya Tec's PPA-CF at 320 degrees, can safely support 45 kg. I printed two of them and built a sort of swing. You can sit on it without it giving way. I wanted to add that because I hadn't gotten around to mentioning it yet.

RE: HIGH TEMP Hot End - discussion and use cases

Posted by: @jan-d-slay

Hopefully the INDX will have 300+ capabilites later on, they indicated it could do it, that would maybe solve two upgrades in one 🙂

Once the initial phase is complete and the first test results and refinements are finalized in 2026, this will certainly be a technically sound option for working with supports when using PPS or PPA.

The issue is that the HT hotend is maybe to over specced. 330 or thereabouts would have been enough to print PPA(kinda doable on std, but better when printed hotter) and PPS, and doable with 55degC chamber.

That must be why Chinese manufacturers have simply set a limit at 350 degrees. 😋 

PS at Cédric:

The test hook from CNC Citchen, printed with Siraya Tec's PPA-CF at 320 degrees, can safely support 45 kg. I printed two of them and built a sort of swing. You can sit on it without it giving way. I wanted to add that because I hadn't gotten around to mentioning it yet.

45kg, was that the one printed standing up at the CNC defined parameters (wall thickness etc), if so its good results for sure? I need to see how much mine printed on the std printer can take before it snaps.

RE: HIGH TEMP Hot End - discussion and use cases

45kg, was that the one printed standing up at the CNC defined parameters (wall thickness etc), if so its good results for sure? I need to see how much mine printed on the std printer can take before it snaps.

I printed the first version flat. Basically, with a layer height of 0.15 mm, I printed as many perimeters as possible to create continuous lines.Version 2 will be the portrait-oriented hook... which I'm really looking forward to.

RE: HIGH TEMP Hot End - discussion and use cases

There is more to it than just having access to exotic materials. Even with “standard” materials like ASA and PC, with an actively heated chamber you can print much larger parts without jumping through hoops to control warping. 

RE: HIGH TEMP Hot End - discussion and use cases

Some interesting points from the usual suspects, as always 🙂

We seem to be the only ones posting here.

As some of you might know, I currently own the H2D and a Core One Plus that I upgraded myself.

I cannot help but notice how much better almost everything I print comes out on the Core One. These two machines could not be more different.

A few things stand out to me.

Prusa has not really developed many high temperature printing materials beyond some PP and PA options. They seem to have stopped somewhere between PC, PA, and PP, which is interesting because they also have the PRO FDM printer, even if it is not the most popular platform. You would think they would have developed materials more specifically for that line.

That keeps me thinking that the FDM world is currently divided into two or maybe three groups.

The first group is low temperature materials, multicolor printing, convenience, and speed.

The second group is engineering materials up to 300C, while still retaining some ability to print lower temperature materials.

The third group is not really in the same segment as the first two and requires a commercial grade printer, like the INDX22 V4. I do not really consider the Prusa PRO option here because it does not seem especially popular, and with a single toolhead and some limitations, it already feels dated and specified too conservatively.

I see groups one and two moving closer together and gradually closing the gap with group three. New materials are coming out all the time, and some of them seem to be pushing the limits of what can be done in lower temperature environments.

For example, look at PET-CF15 by Polymaker, as well as some of the newer PC blends.

There are also challenges with high temperature materials. One is the equipment itself, but the other is air quality and what kind of ventilation or filtration is required. The health aspect of 3D printing is also progressing, and I think there is still a huge amount of misinformation and bad advice in this area. People often suggest that breathing those emissions is harmless because your kitchen stove also produces the same amount, which I think is an oversimplification.

Lots to think about, but I am torn about Prusa.

Long story short, in order for me to achieve good results with advanced materials on the H2D, I have to spend at least twice as much time calibrating. Even though it is theoretically the more thermally capable machine, it is still far from perfect, and its automation often works against me as the user.

A lot of the time, it feels like these machines want to push temperature and speed while sacrificing dimensional accuracy. For example, printing PA6 by Polymaker is easy and reliable on my Core One, but the Bambu H2D struggles badly with warping and dimensional accuracy. A lot of that comes down to speed. The machine needs to be slowed down to work well, which defeats half of its advertised value.

In short, I think the consumer FDM market suffers from a huge amount of overstated marketing claims from both Prusa and Bambu. These companies often boast about results that only happen in ideal scenarios, and they rarely walk back those claims.

I am honestly in disbelief that half the features in the Bambu ecosystem work as advertised. In many cases, they feel only partially true in real world use.

For example, Bambu just re released PETG Basic. This is a filament they originally discontinued in favor of PETG HF, claiming that HF was the better PETG product. Now, two years later, PETG Basic is back and they are claiming that it is stronger than PETG HF.

So you can see the issue. They market one thing, then later pivot in the opposite direction.

Can you really believe these brands and their claims?

Should we all just build or own high temperature machines and call it a day?

RE:

There is more to it than just having access to exotic materials. Even with “standard” materials like ASA and PC, with an actively heated chamber you can print much larger parts without jumping through hoops to control warping. 

That's right. This advantage is also very important for standard filaments.

Can you really believe these brands and their claims?

Should we all just build or own high temperature machines and call it a day?

That’s a nice roundup 🙂

Comparing Prusa and BambuLab is just as difficult as comparing BMW and Porsche.

Getting back to your first post: I’m still figuring out which filaments I want to test and what I could do with them. I already have some specific ideas, but no concrete plans yet for what I’ll need my Prusa Core One HT to be capable of.

The only thing it primarily needs to do is print the extension profiles out of PPA-CF to finally complete the Prusa XL enclosure.

RE: HIGH TEMP Hot End - discussion and use cases

Posted by: @jan-d-slay

Comparing Prusa and BambuLab is just as difficult as comparing BMW and Porsche.

More like comparing a Skoda to Porsche. 

RE: HIGH TEMP Hot End - discussion and use cases

There are three types of hobbiest in the 3D printing world. You have people who are curious, buy a machine, print a bunch of stuff in PLA or PETG they downloaded from wherever, then the printer goes back in the closet only to be pulled out occasionally. Then there are the tinkerers who really don't print much at all, they are just constantly adding to their collection of printers and constantly modding them. Then you have designers who take the time to learn a CAD tool and create their own things often to support other hobbies. I'm intentionally leaving out people who use printers to support their business (professionals). 

As for the hobbiest category, there is a sub-category of tinkerers who also like to collect filaments for the sake of trying them out. Someone who say would buy a roll of PPA-CF and print a few Benchys for the sake of ticking off a box. As for a HT hot end for a Core One, it really only appeals (in my opinion) to this category of hobbiest. 

Anyway, end of the day, for most of us this is just a hobby. For me it's not only a hobby in it's own right, but also one I use to support my other hobbies. One of those hobbies, rockets require advanced materials. Not PEEK or PEKK but PPA, PSU, PP. They are barely printable on a Core One due to the 290C hotend. Also, the size of what I can print is also not only constrained by build volume (which even on the L is less than other competitors) but also the lack of an actively heated chamber (which is why I also own a H2D).

With regard to why PA6 doesn't print well on a H2D versus a Core One? There are really too many variables to unpack here. Example, PA6 is a notorious water sponge. It has to be printed from the dryer while it is drying. If you print something with it on a Core One fresh from the drier and 3 hrs later printer something again on the H2D, then it's going to be a disaster unless you live in a dessert. 

With regard to the advanced engineering polymers, anyone who really needs to print PEEK already has a printer that can print PEEK. People who complain that they can't print PEEK are really just trying to tick off a box and have no real reason to be printing it. 

RE: HIGH TEMP Hot End - discussion and use cases

I don't agree with much of what you described. The 3D printing industry is much more complex than those categories suggest, and it is clearly booming. There seems to be a new printer announced every few months from a new company because everyone wants a piece of the market. In many ways, Bambu Lab helped kick off this recent consumer wave, and now many companies are borrowing ideas from each other.

Saying that Bambu is a Porsche and Prusa is a Skoda is a huge exaggeration. Bambu machines look impressive on the surface and they do perform well most of the time, but their automation and AI features can also be inconsistent. Unlike a Porsche, the quality is not always there all the way through. Under the hood there is still a lot of inexpensive electronics and proprietary parts that are difficult to service. Very few PCBs can actually be repaired. Using the car analogy, Prusa can maybe be the Skoda since they are European, but Bambu is more like a fully loaded Hyundai: lots of technology and features, but still built to a price point.

Second, some of the materials you mentioned can actually be printed very well on a Core One, especially PP. We can probably ignore PEEK and similar materials because almost nobody is realistically trying to print those on consumer-level machines like these.

I am also trying to referee this thread a bit because some comments are starting to feel biased. Let's keep the discussion realistic.

RE: HIGH TEMP Hot End - discussion and use cases

I don't agree with much of what you described. The 3D printing industry is much more complex than those categories suggest, and it is clearly booming. There seems to be a new printer announced every few months from a new company because everyone wants a piece of the market. In many ways, Bambu Lab helped kick off this recent consumer wave, and now many companies are borrowing ideas from each other.

Saying that Bambu is a Porsche and Prusa is a Skoda is a huge exaggeration. Bambu machines look impressive on the surface and they do perform well most of the time, but their automation and AI features can also be inconsistent. Unlike a Porsche, the quality is not always there all the way through. Under the hood there is still a lot of inexpensive electronics and proprietary parts that are difficult to service. Very few PCBs can actually be repaired. Using the car analogy, Prusa can maybe be the Skoda since they are European, but Bambu is more like a fully loaded Hyundai: lots of technology and features, but still built to a price point.

Second, some of the materials you mentioned can actually be printed very well on a Core One, especially PP. We can probably ignore PEEK and similar materials because almost nobody is realistically trying to print those on consumer-level machines like these.

I am also trying to referee this thread a bit because some comments are starting to feel biased. Let's keep the discussion realistic.

RE: HIGH TEMP Hot End - discussion and use cases

Posted by: @print_fandango-2

Second, some of the materials you mentioned can actually be printed very well on a Core One, especially PP. We can probably ignore PEEK and similar materials because almost nobody is realistically trying to print those on consumer-level machines like these.

PP was a typo, I meant PA. Anyway, the HT hot end at $199 + tariffs and shipping is not really going to offer any substantial improvements unless there is a specific need to print PPA-CF at a higher temperature than 290 to solve layer adhesion issues. And if one needs to print PEKK-CF or PPSU there are better printers for that. Also part size will be limited otherwise warping will become a problem. Anyway, just my 2 cents...