Filament Heads
Filament heads are how we print (using FFF or FDM) with filament-based materials which are deposited at over 150°C, depending on the head.
Note that at present, our Filament heads work with 1.75mm filament (actually, 1.6mm to 1.9mm), but not 3mm filament.
Materials for Filament Heads
The following materials can be printed from Filament heads.
- ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)
- Flame Retardant ABS
- ABS - PC Alloy
- Conductive ABS
- Smart ABS
- BendLay
- Flex 45
- HIPS (High-Impact PolyStyrene)
- LayBrick
- LayWoo-d3
- MoldLay
- Ninjaflex
- Nylon
- Taulman 618, 645, 910
- PC (PolyCarbnoate)
- PEI (PolyEtherImide) - AKA Ultem
- PEEK (PolyEther Ether Ketone)
- PET (PolyEthylene Terephthalate)
- PETG PolyEthylene Terephthalate Glycol-modified)
- PLA (PolyLactic Acid)
- EcoFlex PLA
- Conductive PLA
- SS PLA (Stainless Steel infused)
- PlastInk_Rubber
- PP (PolyPropylene)
- PVA (PolyVinyl Alcohol)
- T-Glase
- Ultem
Filament Heads
Filament-based printing is available through the following heads:
- General Filament Head Videos:
- MK1-250 Extruder for Standard Filament Videos:
- MK2-250 Extruder for Flexible Filament Videos:
- MK1-450 Extruder for High-Temperature Filament Videos:
Please see our Data Sheets as well.
Table of Filament Heads
The following table compares the properties of the various Filament heads, including which heads are recommended for which materials. The MK1 heads drive matieral from one side, with a spring-loaded bearing system to maintain pressure and positioning. The MK2 heads drive the material from both sides, and are designed for more flexible filaments.
| Head | Min Temp | Max Temp | Filament Type | Filament Size | Nozzle Type | Nozzle Sizes | Recommended For | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MK1-250 | 150°C | 250°C | Standard | 1.75mm +/- 0.15mm |
Hyrel | .35, .50, .75, 1.0mm | ABS, HIPS, LayBrick, LayWood, Nylon, PC, PET, PETG, PETT, PLA, PP, PVA, T-Glase | Standard Torque for 1.75mm Filaments |
| MK1-450 | 275°C | 450°C | Engineering | 1.75mm +/- 0.15mm |
Standard | (Standard) | PEEK, PEI (Ultem), PEKK, PPSU | Standard Torque for High Temperature 1.75mm Filaments |
| MK2-250 extra torque |
150°C | 250°C | Flexible | 1.75mm +/- 0.15mm |
Hyrel | .35, .50, .75, 1.0mm | BendLay, EcoFlex PLA, FilaFlex, Flex45, Ninjaflex, PlastInk Rubber | High Torque for Flexible 1.75mm Filaments |
| HT1-250 high torque |
150°C | 250°C | Standard | 1.75mm +/- 0.15mm |
Standard | (Standard) | ABS, HIPS, LayBrick, LayWood, Nylon, PC, PET, PETG, PETT, PLA, PP, PVA, T-Glase | High Torque for Standard 1.75mm Filaments |
| HT1-450 high torque |
275°C | 450°C | Engineering | 1.75mm +/- 0.15mm |
Standard | (Standard) | PEEK, PEI (Ultem), PEKK, PPSU | High Torque for High Temperature 1.75mm Filaments |
| HT3-250 high torque |
150°C | 250°C | Standard | 2.85mm +/- 0.15mm |
Standard | (Standard) | ABS, HIPS, LayBrick, LayWood, Nylon, PC, PET, PETG, PETT, PLA, PP, PVA, T-Glase | High Torque for Standard 2.85mm Filaments |
| HT3-450 high torque |
275°C | 450°C | Engineering | 2.85mm +/- 0.15mm |
Standard | (Standard) | PEEK, PEI (Ultem), PEKK, PPSU | High Torque for High Temperature 2.85mm Filaments |
Research Papers Citing Hyrel Filament
These are now listed by year here.
Firmware Versions for Filament Heads
Firmware information is listed on our Firmware page.
Settings for Filament 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 MK-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 (0.5mm is default) AND what path width you sliced for (recipe path or extrusion width should be nozzle diameter plus 10%). Having said that, here are our default shipping settings:
| Settings | MK1-250, MK2-250 | MK1-450 | HT1-250 | HT1-450 | HT3-250 | HT3-450 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material | |||||||
| Type | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | |
| Color | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | |
| Nozzle | 0.500 | 0.500 | 0.500 | 0.500 | 0.500 | 0.500 | |
| Layer | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | |
| Temp Info | |||||||
| Print Temp | 240 | 410 | 240 | 410 | 240 | 410 | |
| Power Factor | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | |
| Minimum | 0 | 290 | 0 | 290 | 0 | 290 | |
| Maximum | 250 | 450 | 250 | 450 | 250 | 450 | |
| Overrides | |||||||
| Pulses / µL | 78 | 78 | 175 | 175 | ? | ? | |
| Multiplier | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | |
| Prime | |||||||
| Steps | 200 | 200 | 300 | 300 | ? | ? | |
| Rate | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | |
| Dwell Time | 35 | 35 | 30 | 30 | ? | ? | |
| Before Tool Change | 2 / n/a / n/a | ||||||
| Unprime | |||||||
| Steps | 200 | 200 | 300 | 300 | ? | ? | |
| Rate | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | |
| Dwell Time | -35 | -35 | -30 | -30 | ? | ? | |
| After Tool Change | 2 / n/a / n/a | ||||||
| Offsets | |||||||
| Clone Head | Off | Off | Off | Off | Off | Off | |
| X | 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 | |
| Z | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | 0,000 | |
| Head Info | |||||||
| Model | MK1, MK2 | MK450 | MK1, MK2 | MK450 | MK1, MK2 | MK450 | |
| PCB Type | 4988/160J | 4988/160J | 4988/160J | 4988/160J | 4988/160J | 4988/160J | |
| RTD Type | 1k_PLAT | 1k_PLAT | 1k_PLAT | 1k_PLAT | 1k_PLAT | 1k_PLAT | |
| Plot Settings | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | (any) | |
| Motor Settings | |||||||
| Step Mode | 16th | 16th | 16th | 16th | 16th | 16th | |
| Motor Current | Normal | Normal | Normal | Normal | Normal | Normal | |
| Max Jog Rate | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,500 | |
| Rot Speed | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,500 | |
| Settings | MK1-250, MK2-250 | MK1-450 | HT1-250 | HT1-450 | HT3-250 | HT3-450 | |
Changing Nozzles
How to disassemble the nozzle from the MK1 head:
- Carefully:
- Heat to the printing temperature of the material loaded.
- Move the manual lever to the left, retracting material until it is free of the hobbed shaft, then remove by hand.
- Turn off heat to the head and remove it from the yoke.
- With a 1/4" driver or wrench, remove the nozzle.
- Inspect the nozzle cavity for any stray material; if found, remove with tweezers, solvent, air pressure or other means.
How to reassemble the nozzle on an MK1 head:
- Carefully:
- Ensure your MK1 has no filament loaded.
- With a 1/4" driver or wrench, attach the nozzle.
- Use normal procedure for heating and loading filament.