Rotating Head

At Formnext 2024, we unveiled PIVOT* – the Heavy Duty Rotating Printhead, capable of infinite rotation in both directions. This innovation enables the nozzle orientation to be continuously adjusted as a function of movements on the X and Y axes.
During linear movements, PIVOT maintains an orientation perpendicular to the direction of movement, ensuring increased print speeds and flow by simulating the behaviour of a 2.00 mm diameter nozzle.
At corners, the head pivots to reduce its effective diameter to 0.50 mm, ensuring optimum precision for fine detail.

The goal is to cut printing times by a factor of 3 while maintaining the print fineness of a Dia 0.50mm nozzle.

Two full months have passed since the November trade show, and during this time, we’ve continued our R&D efforts. So far, we’ve developed a total of 10 prototype iterations, including 3 major ones, and as you’ll see in just a moment, we start testing the 11th!

At this stage, PIVOT is being tested on a modified Artillery X1 3D printer. This setup allows us a complete view of the device from every angle and easy access for adjustments. On the flip side, it’s fascinating to see such a sophisticated extruder running on such a simple and affordable 3D printer.

The product has evolved considerably since the version shown at Formnext 2024:

The head is much more compact and lightweight.
2 times fewer parts than the version shown at Formnext.
No risk of material leakage! A redesigned sealing system guarantees that no material will ever leak into the head, whatever the printing temperature (up to 450°C).

For the majority of tests, we’ve used the following setup:

• Artillery X1 with Duet Controller

• Two Duet3D Roto Cards

• Liquid-cooled Pivot Head

• Copper block and nozzle.

When we began testing, we discovered a few mechanical and algorithmic issues that we’ve been systematically solving. The necessary adjustments have mostly involved the software, specifically the U angle calculation and optimization of flow rates (E values in G-code).

Below is a short video showcasing version 0.10 of the print head. Although it’s far from perfect, it highlights the current development status and the interest of our idea.

The software has come a long way, the rotation angle calculations are complete and we're in the process of refining the material flow calculations (the ‘E’ value of the g-code, as you can see from the video below, there are still some small ‘blobs’ on the 45° fill paths and in the corners).

It is launched automatically each time the ‘Export G-code’ button on the slicer is clicked. It analyses and modifies the standard Gcode, which is completely transparent to the user.

For those familiar with Gcode, the software modifies the point positions, adds a U value, and recalculates the E values. The Gcode lines for the Pivot head look like this:
...
G1 X170.53 Y151.9 U45.0 E11.32661
G1 X172.928 Y153.643 U112.5 E0.60934
G1 X169.999 Y153.18 U180.0 E0.60934
...

If you want a better understanding of how the software works, click and drag the vertical cursor in the image below. The standard GCode is shown on the left, the modified GCode on the right.
You can see the modifications made by our software.
(images from ncviewer.com)

Tests confirmed that a complete redesign of the head was essential to increase its volumetric flow.

Previous versions were limited in terms of material flow, which was a major obstacle to reducing part production times.

We have now finalised the design of the next iteration of the print head, which will overcome this limitation.

Production is underway and we should receive it in early February.

This new version will significantly increase production speeds, enabling us to reduce printing times by a factor of 3 for large parts depending on the geometry (compared with a standard 0.50 mm nozzle).

If you have any questions or misunderstandings, please fill in the form at the bottom of this page.

Thanks

Philippe BOICHUT
Technical Manager

* Patent pending

• Rounded Rectangular Nozzle

• Infinite 360 Rotation

• Precision with High Speed

Our rotating printhead solves a number of technological issues in the FFF method that others simply had to accept.

Since our printhead can rotate infinitely in both directions, it allows for continuous adjustment of the nozzle's orientation relative to the movement in the X and Y axes.

This means that the nozzle is always positioned perpendicular to the direction of movement. It is especially beneficial for creating smooth surfaces and precise details.

Our nozzle can create much sharper edges compared to traditional round nozzles. It allows us to deposit material precisely where a rounded nozzle would either leave gaps or overflow material.

We can create truly fine and precise element. The edges of 3D prints are smoother.

And at the same time, we can achieve much higher 3D printing speeds!

The design of the printhead enables faster production of parts, cutting print time by more than half while still maintaining high precision.

The head offers a material flow rate comparable to a 1.5 mm nozzle, yet achieves high precision with radii as small as 0.25 mm on sharp corners.

Internal nozzle pressure is also greatly reduced, limiting oozing.

Although it may seem impossible, it is only impossible with standard types of printheads.

Our rotating printhead makes this available to everyone as a standard feature.

The nozzle has a rounded rectangular shape, which allows it to extrude a characteristic

ribbon of material instead of a round filament thread.

Thanks to the infinite rotation capability, it can dynamically adjust the orientation of the nozzle relative to the printed path. This provides better control over the trajectory, which is particularly advantageous when printing complex patterns and achieving smooth surfaces.

A specially prepared and generated G-Code controls the rotation of the printhead.

IMPORTANT! Our printhead is compatible with most popular slicers, such as:

• PrusaSlicer

• OrcaSlicer

• SuperSlicer

without the need for any external dedicated software.

If you use the above-mentioned programs, working with our printhead will feel as natural as breathing. We use the standard Arachnée trajectory generator with some code adjustments, making integration with existing processes easy.

The complete weight of the printhead is only 750gr - excluding electronics - allowing it to be mounted on 3Dprinters without significant modifications.

It can be adapted for both Filaments and Pellets, offering total flexibility in material selection.

It provides simple maintenance and High-Temperature resistance.

The printhead is designed with a relatively small number of moving parts, simplifying maintenance and servicing.

It can operate at high temperatures, exceeding 300°C.

Its construction is entirely metal—we do not use plastics seals that are prone to deformation when working with high-temperature materials.

NEED MORE INFORMATION?
INTERESTED IN JOINING THE BETA TEST?

For detailed information or to participate in our Beta testing phase, please fill out the form below. Your input will help us refine and optimize the system. You will receive a confirmation email with the link to download the Flyer...

3D printing specialist. We have been designing heated chamber 3D printers since 2013 Our expertise has led us to make custom machines for industry and research, and we specialise in printing high-temperature polymer materials.
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Technical specifications subject to change without notice

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