Reservoir Heads
Reservoir Heads is how we print (also known as Direct Ink Writing or Robocasting) with fluid or emulsified (non-filament-based) materials which are deposited at, above, or below room temperature, with or without UV Crosslinking.
Materials for Reservoir Heads
Reservoir Heads heads are for printing as follows:
- With pastes, gels, emulsifiables or waxes.
- At room or elevated temperatures.
- With or without UV Crosslining.
- With Hyrel Nozzles (1.5mm, 2mm) or Luer Tips.
The following materials can be printed from Cold Flow heads. Note that more viscous materials may not be suitable for plastic syringes or smaller luer tips.
- 3P Quick Cure Clay
- Adhesives
- Clay, Generic
- Epoxy, Two-part
- Fimo
- Glue
- Kato
- Metal Clay, including Precious Metal Clay (PMC)
- Modeling Clay
- PEG PolyEthylene Glycol
- Porcelain
- Plasticine
- Play-Doh
- Resins
- RTV Silicone
- Sculpey
- Sugru
The following materials can be printed from Warm Flow heads. Note that more viscous materials may not be suitable for plastic syringes or smaller luer tips, or may print more easily at higher temperatures.
Reservoir Heads
Ambient or sub-ambient deposition is available through the following Reservoir-based heads:
Heated deposition is available through the following Reservoir-based heads:
Overview of the EMO Heads- Overview of the SDS Heads
- Overview of the VOL Heads
- Overview of the KRA Heads
- Overview of the SMH-2 Head
- Please see our Manuals as well.
| Temperature > | 20°C < Ambient | Ambient | Up to 50°C | Up to 90°C | Up to 180°C | Up to 270°C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crosslinking Optional |
RSD-30 | EMO-25 SDS-5, -10, SDS-30, -60 SMH-2 |
HSD-30 | HSD-10 VOL-25 |
KRA-15 KR2-15 |
TAM-15 |
Note, RSD-30 will take you about 20C below ambient.
So, what do these goofy designations actually stand for?
- EMO: Emulsifiables at Room Temperature - Low to Medium Viscosity
- COD: Emulsifiables T Room Temperature with Crosslink On Demand - Low to Medium Viscosity
- VOL: Volcano: Heated (up to 100°C) Emulsifiables - Low to Medium Viscosity
- KR2: Krakatoa v2: a more robust KRA head with a double gasketed plunger hotter, more viscous Emulsifiables - Very High Viscosity
- TAM: Tambora: Heated (up to 300°C) Emulsifiables - High Viscosity
- SDS: Syringe Dispensing System (uses disposable plastic syringes at room temperature) - Low Viscosity
- HSD: Heated (formerly Volcanic) Syringe Dispensing System - Low to Medium Viscosity
- RSD: Refrigerated Syringe Dispensing System - Low to Medium Viscosity
- DSD: Dual Syringe Dispenser, dispensing two-part mixtures at a fixed ratio - Low to Medium Viscosity
- SMH: Static Mixing Head, blending your ratio of material through a baffled nozzle - Low to Medium Viscosity
Research Papers Citing Hyrel Reservoir Heads
These are now listed by year here.
Firmware Versions for Reservoir Heads
Firmware information is listed on our Firmware page.
Settings for Reservoir Heads
All printers and heads shipping after 1 Jan 2020 have shipped with some release of version 4, and these values are shown below.
Older settings are listed here.
Some settings for the EMO-Type heads (like temperature, prime/unprime values) will vary, depending on what material you are printing with. Nozzle diameter should accurately reflect what nozzle you have loaded (1.6mm is default) AND what path width you sliced for. Temperature commands will be ignored by heads with no temperature control. Having said that, below are our default shipping settings:
METAL Reservoir Heads
| Settings | EMO 27:1 Ratio |
VOL 51:1 Ratio |
EMO-XT, KR2, TAM 100:1 |
Super Torque! Coming soon! |
EMO-300XT Coming soon! | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material | ||||||
| Type | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom | |
| Color | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | |
| Nozzle | 1.600 | 1.600 | 1.600 | 1.600 | 1.600 | |
| Layer | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | |
| Temp Info | ||||||
| Print Temp | 0 | 35 | 35 | (varies) | 0 | |
| Power Factor | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | |
| Minimum | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Maximum | 0 | 90 | 180 | 270 | 0 | |
| Overrides | ||||||
| Pulses / µL | 275 | 517 | 1200 | ? | ? | |
| Multiplier | 1 | 1 | 1 | ? | ? | |
| Prime | ||||||
| Steps | 6000 | 1000 | 6000 | ? | ? | |
| Rate | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | ? | ? | |
| Dwell Time (ms) | 600 | 100 | 600 | ? | ||
| Unprime | ||||||
| Steps | 6000 | 1000 | 6000 | ? | ? | |
| Rate | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | ? | ? | |
| Dwell Time | -600 | -100 | -600 | ? | ? | |
| Offsets | ||||||
| X | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | |
| Y | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | |
| Z | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | |
| Head Info | ||||||
| Model | (varies) | (varies) | (varies) | (varies) | (varies) | |
| PCB Type | 4988/160J | 4988/160J | 4988/160J | 4988/160J | 4988/160J | |
| RTD Type | 1k PLAT_RTD | 1k PLAT_RTD | 1k PLAT_RTD | 1k PLAT_RTD | 1k PLAT_RTD | |
| Plot Settings | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | |
| Motor Settings | ||||||
| Step Mode | 16th | 16th | 16th | 16th | ? | |
| Motor Current | Normal | Normal | Normal | Normal | ||
| Max Jog Rate | 5,000 | 10,000 | 15,000 | ? | ||
| Rot Speed | 1,500 | 1,500 | 15,000 | ? | ||
| Settings | EMO 27:1 Ratio |
VOL 51:1 Ratio |
EMO-XT, KR2, TAM 100:1 |
Super Torque! Coming soon! |
EMO-300XT Coming soon! | |
PLASTIC Reservoir Heads
| Settings | SDS, HSD, and RSD Heads (with or without COD) (Various Tube Diameters, Standard Gear Ratios) |
DSD-50 (1:1) | Special (with or without COD) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1cc ET | 5cc | 10cc | 30cc | 60cc | 150cc XT | DSD-50 | HSD-10-Ardes | SDS-30XT | SDS-60XT | |
| Material | ||||||||||
| Type | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom |
| Color | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) |
| Nozzle | 1.600 | 1.600 | 1.600 | 1.600 | 1.600 | 4.00 | 1.600 | 1.600 | 1.600 | 1.6000 |
| Layer | 0.300 | 0.300 | 0.300 | 0.300 | 0.300 | 0.300 | 0.300 | 0.300 | 0.300 | 0.300 |
| Temp Info | ||||||||||
| Print Temp | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Factor | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Minimum | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maximum | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0; 75 for HSD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 130 | 0 | 0 |
| Overrides | ||||||||||
| Pulses / µL | 5.8 / 610 / 610 | 0.75 / 81 / 81 | 0.58 / 62.5 / 62.5 | 0.225 / 30 / 30 | 0.15 / 19.4 / 19.4 | 12.8 / 12.8 / 12.8 | 0.135 / 20 / 20 | ? / 900 / 900 | ? / 86 / 86 | ? / 25 / 28.8 |
| Multiplier | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1 / 2 / 2 | 1.000 | 1.000 |
| Prime | ||||||||||
| Steps | 7500 | 1500 | 3000 | 2250 | 1500 | 1500 | 1 | 9000 | 1125 | 1500 |
| Rate | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| Dwell Time (ms) | 800 | 150 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 100 | 900 | 300 | 300 |
| Before Tool Change | 2 / n/a / n/a | 2 / n/a / n/a | 2 / n/a / n/a | 2 / n/a / n/a | 2 / n/a / n/a | 2 / n/a / n/a | 2 / n/a / n/a | 2 / n/a / n/a | 2 / n/a / n/a | 2 / n/a / n/a |
| Unprime | ||||||||||
| Steps | 7500 | 1500 | 3000 | 2250 | 1500 | 1500 | 1 | 9000 | 1125 | 1500 |
| Rate | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| Dwell Time | 800 / -800 / -800 | 300 / -300 / -300 | 300 / -300 / -300 | 300 / -300 / -300 | 300 / -300 / -300 | 300 / -300 / -300 | 1 / -1 / -1 | 900 / -900 / -900 | 300 / -300 / -300 | 300 / -300 / -300 |
| After Tool Change | 2 / n/a / n/a | 2 / n/a / n/a | 2 / n/a / n/a | 2 / n/a / n/a | 2 / n/a / n/a | 2 / n/a / n/a | 2 / n/a / n/a | 2 / n/a / n/a | 2 / n/a / n/a | 2 / n/a / n/a |
| Offsets | ||||||||||
| Clone Head | Off | Off | Off | Off | Off | Off | Off | Off | Off | Off |
| X | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 |
| Y | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 |
| Z | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 |
| Head Info | ||||||||||
| Model | (varies) | (varies) | (varies) | (varies) | (varies) | (varies) | (varies) | (varies) | (varies) | (varies) |
| PCB Type | n/a / n/a / 4988/160J | n/a / n/a / 4988/160J | n/a / n/a / 4988/160J | n/a / n/a / 4988/160J | n/a / n/a / 4988/160J | n/a / n/a / 4988/160J | n/a / n/a / 4988/160J | n/a / n/a / 4988/160J | n/a / n/a / 4988/160J | n/a / n/a / 4988/160J |
| RTD Type | None | None | None | None; varies for HSD, RSD |
None | None | None | 1k_PLAT_RTD | None | None |
| Motor Current | High / High / n/a | High / High / n/a | High / High / n/a | High / High / n/a | High / High / n/a | High / High / n/a | High / High / n/a | High / High / n/a | High / High / n/a | High / High / n/a |
| Step Mode | 16th / 16th / n/a | 16th / 16th / n/a | 16th / 16th / n/a | 16th / 16th / n/a | 16th / 16th / n/a | 16th / 16th / n/a | 16th / 16th / n/a | 16th / 16th / n/a | 16th / 16th / n/a | 16th / 16th / n/a |
| Plot Settings | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) |
| Motor Settings | ||||||||||
| Step Mode | n/a / n/a / 16th | n/a / n/a / 16th | n/a / n/a / 16th | n/a / n/a / 16th | n/a / n/a / 16th | n/a / n/a / 16th | n/a / n/a / 16th | n/a / n/a / 16th | n/a / n/a / 16th | n/a / n/a / 16th |
| Motor Current | n/a / n/a / Normal | n/a / n/a / Normal | n/a / n/a / Normal | n/a / n/a / Normal | n/a / n/a / Normal | n/a / n/a / Normal | n/a / n/a / Normal | n/a / n/a / Normal | n/a / n/a / Normal | n/a / n/a / Normal |
| Max Jog Rate | n/a / n/a / 10,000 | n/a / n/a / 10,000 | n/a / n/a / 10,000 | n/a / n/a / 10,000 | n/a / n/a / 10,000 | n/a / n/a / 10,000 | n/a / n/a / 10,000 | n/a / n/a / 10,000 | n/a / n/a / 10,000 | n/a / n/a / 10,000 |
| Rot Speed | n/a / n/a / 1,500 | n/a / n/a / 1,500 | n/a / n/a / 1,500 | n/a / n/a / 1,500 | n/a / n/a / 1,500 | n/a / n/a / 1,500 | n/a / n/a / 1,500 | n/a / n/a / 7,500 | n/a / n/a / 1,500 | n/a / n/a / 1,500 |
| Settings | 1cc ET | 5cc | 10cc | 30cc | 60cc | 150cc XT | DSD-50 | HSD-10-Ardes | SDS-30XT | SDS-60XT |
| SDS, HSD, and RSD Heads (with or without COD) (Various Tube Diameters, Standard Gear Ratios) |
DSD-50 (1:1) | Special (with or without COD) | ||||||||