HOW MUCH abrasive filaments damage your nozzle!
Why 3D Printing Stack Exchange recommends it
3D Printing Stack Exchange answerers point people to it as evidence for how abrasive filaments wear nozzles and how to judge that wear, especially by checking nozzle length.
Recommended by 0 people across 0 different months, 2019 to 2023.
What it is
CNC Kitchen tests how brass 3D printer nozzles wear when printing glow-in-the-dark and carbon fiber filaments. He mills nozzles open to show the wear inside and compares print quality as the nozzles degrade. Presented by Stefan of CNC Kitchen with macro photography of the damage.
What people said
Cites Trish · 2019-05 · 3D Printing Stack Exchange · on “What is the functional difference between an e3D-Style nozzle, Makerbot MK8 and M6 Chinesium Nozzles?”
Differentiation The main differences between the e3D-Nozzle family and the "simple" Nozzle are the wrench size , body length and thread length of the nozzle. In fact, I have come across 2 different "Chinese" styles of nozzle, a "big" and a "small" one. Comparison For comparison, take a look at this photo, where I aligned the lower ends of the bodies to line up under the wrench needed to handle them. [LINK] In words, left to right: Chinese Big M6 Nozzle - Aka "Creality Mk8" size 8 metric wrench, 4 mm M6x1 thread length, 1 mm clearance, extends a minimum of 8 mm from the heater block Chinese Small M6 Nozzle size 7 metric wrench, 4 mm M6x1 thread length, 1 mm clearance, extends a minimum of 8 m
Cites 0scar · 2019-09 · 3D Printing Stack Exchange · on “When should I replace the nozzle on my printer?”
Replacing the nozzle depends on many things, the nozzle material (copper/brass, steel, hardened steel, Olsson Ruby Nozzle), the type of filament you print, how frequently you use the 3D printer. To replace a nozzle, there are probably a few reasons for doing so. A nozzle can wear out ( see: How to identify nozzle wear [LINK] ; not only from the friction of standard filament, but especially when used with abrasive filament like glow-in-the-dark PLA, and glass or carbon fibre filled filament ) causing the outer shape and the inner nozzle diameter to change size. This can result in lower quality prints or difficulty in getting the print to stick to the bed. Having a metal wire or drill bit of t
Cites FarO · 2019-09 · 3D Printing Stack Exchange · on “How to identify nozzle wear?”
According to the inner diameter doesn't change much, but, as said by @0scar, the nozzle shortens and at the end you get to the inner cavity. Check the length and you are done.
Cites towe · 2020-08 · 3D Printing Stack Exchange · on “Additional mods for printing metal filled filament with Ender 3 V2?”
Yes, metal-filled or even wood PLA will damage your nozzle. As long as you don't plan to print higher-temp materials (Nylon, Polycarbonate), a hardened nozzle will be sufficient without the potential drawbacks of an all-metal hotend. [this video]
Cites FarO · 2021-03 · 3D Printing Stack Exchange · on “Are there quantitative means of measuring nozzle wear?”
Based on CNC Kitchen measurements, the wear can be initially estimated by judging the overall length of the nozzle. Abrasive particles wear the nozzle very little on the channel (so the diameter doesn't change, for a while) but they wear out the outer surface in contact with the printed part, resulting in a shortening. Of course, once the shortening gets severe, the diameter will increase because you reach the inner chamber.
Cites Trish · 2023-11 · 3D Printing Stack Exchange · on “What is the lifespan of nozzles, and does the nozzle diameter affect the lifespan?”
Print material matters more Non-abrasive materials can leave a soft brass nozzle live for dozens of filament spools without noticeable degradation, especially if the nozzle tip is hot enough to keep it above melting point and does not scrape over cooler areas. However, abrasive filaments [LINK] can eat a nozzle within just a couple gross meters. One of the worst offenders is Carbon-Fiber [LINK] or Glass-Fiber infused material, requiring, for example, ruby-tipped nozzles, or glass-nozzles [LINK] to withstand more than about 300 meters (~2 Gross). Note that any filled filament [LINK] is abrasive to some degree, and nobody advertises with the fact that the filament is abrasive. Nozzle formfacto