The Effect of 3D Printer Head Extruder Design on Dynamics and Print Quality

In 3D-printing variations using FFF technology, the extruder governs printer efficiency. One of the important parameters is its weight, which affects the dynamics of the print head. Heavy print heads lead to high inertial forces and vibrations, limiting the printing speed and accuracy. The presented extruder solution is based on calculations of all its key elements and a simulation of heat distribution. The extruder with reduced dimensions and weight compared to the competing solutions was presented. This slightly affects the dynamics of the extruder head, which can be improved by adding passive control elements to the extruder driving system. The extruder head, being 20% lighter, allowed for about a 2% decrease in its displacement under the applied load course. This design allows for a lighter 3D printer head overall, thereby reducing its inertia and ensuring proper performance. This study presents the effect of using a 3D printer with a lighter extruder on the quality of the bearing bushings printed for ball joints. The ball joint bushings printed on the unmodified 3D exhibited a 50% damage rate, while, in the case of the modified 3D printer, the damage rate was lowered to 14%.