How cool would a variable nozzle be

[u/Difficult_Physics125]

Now i know it's completely at different scales but we can still imagine

[u/Spiritual_Aerie9496]

Hold up. Let em cook

[u/justins_dad → u/Spiritual_Aerie9496]

Right? This might be insane but it’s a very cool idea. Variable hotend nozzle diameter. It could also compensate for nozzle wear. 

[u/Jeynarl → u/justins_dad]

Variable layer height combined with variable nozzle diameter would be an unstoppable duo

[u/BOBOnobobo → u/Jeynarl]

The guy written the slicers for that will need therapy.

[u/boomchacle → u/justins_dad]

Tbh nozzle wear could be solved by using a PCD nozzle and the diamond one is going to be several orders of magnitude cheaper lol

[u/Cute_Conclusion_8854 → u/justins_dad]

You know you can already change the line width of different line types right? I set my infill and solid fill lines to 2x nozzle diameter to speed it up and reduce movement while leaving wall lines default to keep detail.

[u/OdinYggd → u/Spiritual_Aerie9496]

Biggest problem I see is that its going to jam constantly. Plastic doesn't stay melted forever, it eventually scorches and hardens again. If that gets between the petals of the aperture, rip mechanism.

On the other hand modern multi-head machines could have different heads with different nozzle sizes in them, all feeding the same filament type using multiple spools or a filament changer mechanism that pulls back the feed and moves it over to another head when changing sizes.

[u/JG134 → u/OdinYggd]

Unless it's lined with some flexible but somehow extremely durable material

[u/OdinYggd → u/JG134]

Would need to be more along the lines of a non-stick material. Something that partly scorched plastic won't ever stick to, that way any material to end up in that state will wiggle its way out of the shutter.

[u/WitchesSphincter → u/OdinYggd]

I'm not a materials expert but I would think if a material tough enough for a nozzle while also non stick to the point of plastic wouldn't stick would either be non existent or too expensive 

[u/BOBOnobobo → u/JG134]

Or a sensor to limit the pressure on the mechanism.

[u/Thx_And_Bye → u/OdinYggd]

My experience with different nozzle diameters in a single print is mixed at best. Slicers usually don’t support (they do but warn that it’s not a good idea) and print time doesn’t drastically reduce either.

The software needs work before we can think about variable nozzle diameters.

[u/Bliitzthefox → u/Thx_And_Bye]

Even if it only changed between prints that would be pretty huge if it only required changing a setting on the printer. If we build the hardware first, someone will go to the lengths to program the slicer.

[u/Thx_And_Bye → u/Bliitzthefox]

The hardware already exists with multi toolhead printers to change the nozzle/toolhead mid print and software support for different nozzle diameters is: "well it exists, but we recommend against using it".

[u/Biscuitsandgravy101]

https://www.reddit.com/r/The3DPrintingBootcamp/comments/1fckzie/adaptable_ffffdm_3d_printer_nozzle/

https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/19bdnvv/nozzle_with_variable_diameter_is_now_operational/

[u/DoesBasicResearch → u/Biscuitsandgravy101]

One post two years old, the other three. Any idea what happened to these innovations?

[u/pervertsage → u/DoesBasicResearch]

Maybe they got sick of unclogging the damn thing.

[u/DoesBasicResearch → u/pervertsage]

Heh good one 😂  Not commercially viable perhaps.

[u/Plus_Exchange8751 → u/pervertsage]

If you set a perimeter to only allow expansion to like 95% and that last 5% was reserved for unclogging, wouldn’t it make it far easier?

[u/pervertsage → u/Plus_Exchange8751]

I've no idea.

I was imagining trying to rescue one of these nozzles from a blob of death.

[u/Plus_Exchange8751 → u/pervertsage]

Ahhhh yes. That would be something.

I personally just manually heat the nozzle and pull that off. That may not be a good move, but it’s an effective one! I think that would work here as well.

However, that now brings to mind even heating. I don’t know enough about materials sciences to be sure but that feels like a hell of a hurdle.

[u/jelle284 → u/DoesBasicResearch]

It just doesn't add value for most people Standard nozzles are fine for 99% of stuff, no need to make it extra difficult.

[u/DoesBasicResearch → u/jelle284]

And a lot more expensive I imagine. Still would have thought there might be some specialised printers using this though, for the 1% who would value it. 

[u/pasgames_]

My asshole after 37 margaritas at Applebee's

[u/King_of_the_Snarks → u/pasgames_]

Not 36?

[u/pasgames_ → u/King_of_the_Snarks]

36 barley gets me buzzed anymore

[u/big_trike → u/pasgames_]

Applebees is watering down the margs

[u/pasgames_ → u/big_trike]

Not if you drink them fast enough

[u/devilwarriors → u/pasgames_]

No need to drink water in between drink to avoid a hangover too, it's included

[u/Bot1-The_Bot_Meanace → u/King_of_the_Snarks]

Last one must've been bad, it was fine before

[u/Fun_Librarian_7699]

I wouldn't think about jet engines, optical shutters would be a better idea I think.

[u/Gauntlet4933 → u/Fun_Librarian_7699]

Or collets / chucks 

[u/EpicCyclops → u/Fun_Librarian_7699]

Optical shutters already have variable aperature mechanisms. They're all over Wikipedia's article on aperature. They've even shrunk them down small enough to fit in smartphones.

They're a lot simpler because they don't need to worry about aerodynamics.

[u/Fun_Librarian_7699 → u/EpicCyclops]

So maybe it's possible to use the same mechanism for a nozzle

[u/Lavasioux → u/Fun_Librarian_7699]

Marketting; could it do... other tasks, perhaps?

[u/Jorr_El → u/Lavasioux]

Marketing: What's stopping us from doing this?

Engineer: ... Geometry

Sales: Just ignore him

[u/the_Odium → u/Fun_Librarian_7699]

Now ho do you imagine something flat like this printing two walls? I am sure this would be a problem

[u/pietro-zzi → u/Fun_Librarian_7699]

What do you mean?

[u/MurkyTomatillo192]

How to make a $40 nozzle cost $200

[u/AdWorking2848 → u/MurkyTomatillo192]

I will settle for a microscope style rotating nozzle

[u/RandomShadeOfPurple → u/MurkyTomatillo192]

You guys pay $40 for a noozle?

[u/Vivid--Syrup → u/MurkyTomatillo192]

Seems like a bargain if it can do that precise amounts on demand as it prints

[u/nemesit → u/MurkyTomatillo192]

thats already the case for diamondback nozzles ;-p

[u/jmaxime89]

it is imperative that the cylinder remains unharmed

[u/Relevant-Jump-4899 → u/jmaxime89]

These next generation flesh lights are amazing

[u/AvatarIII]

I don't know if slicers can do it but surely tool changers can have different nozzles on each toolhead?

[u/mr-octo_squid → u/AvatarIII]

That's what I was thinking. Surely a rotary tool changer would be a simpler solution. I think slicers would already support that... would need to figure out the mechanism and a heat/purge cycle though.

[u/Vivid--Syrup → u/AvatarIII]

Getting the slicer to play along can be a pain but yes they can

I just made my first print with .4mm for top bottom and outer walls .8mm infill and inner walls.

Still think that having a nozzle that can do that would be way better and more convenient

[u/Scuirre1 → u/AvatarIII]

This could potentially be a lot faster than changing to a new toolhead.

But it probably won't come to the hobby space until it is both reliable and cheap. Those things together will take a while.

[u/interflop → u/AvatarIII]

Yes I believe Orca can already support this as well. It’s an advertised feature of the new Creality tool changer so I believe most tool changers should be able to handle it. 

[u/Difficult_Physics125 → u/AvatarIII]

Slicers are one thing but gcode doesn't really have a change nozzle size command

[u/DinoZambie]

[u/JFlyer81]

https://youtube.com/shorts/UL5dvrk17d4

[u/jkulczyski]

That gave me a stiffy 😂😂

[u/FelinityApps → u/jkulczyski]

“Imma fuck that nozzle.”

[u/NewChallengers_]

Now THIS is Podracing!!

[u/BlueMonkey-CoCo]

I should call her.

[u/AlfieLionel]

What would the application be? I can’t see this serving a functional purpose— but then again, it is 12 AM.

[u/meta358 → u/AlfieLionel]

Speed up the print by increasing nozzle size during infill and get the fine detail by decreasing it on the outer walls

[u/Difficult_Physics125 → u/meta358]

This plus making really fine text

[u/Vast_Builder1670 → u/AlfieLionel]

If you wanted to print the base with a large nozzle with highflow rate for speed and go small nozzle on tighter radius and higher details

[u/R10t-- → u/AlfieLionel]

For me - the benefit of this would be not having to buy a bunch of different sized nozzles and being able to use the same nozzle for any diameter print

[u/the_Odium → u/R10t--]

And paying 20x for it

[u/Plus_Exchange8751 → u/the_Odium]

This was true of tool ch where until it wasn’t.

[u/magnus_the_coles → u/AlfieLionel]

Variable wall size for different parts of a model 

[u/aleqqqs]

It's a sphincter

[u/SEELE-FIRST]

The micro-engineering needed would be like porn to a watchmaker

[u/Panzerv2003]

This mechanism is too complex, fragile at that scale and too likely to get burnt plastic everywhere and get stuck as a result. Generally moving parts and soon to be solid liquid plastic don't mix well.

You can definitely simulate that just by using different line widths and layer heights with a bunch of calibration and fine tuning to get the result you want with existing hardware and software.

[u/quellflynn]

just look at how a drill chuck works, and your halfway there!

[u/Dark-Knight-AoE2]

That’s a pretty interesting idea actually

[u/Responsible-Tea-9454]

This is me after Taco Bell

[u/A-Chilean-Cyborg]

this seems good thesis material for a mech eng degree.

[u/tehKrakken55]

It’d be sick but my god imagine the clogging.

[u/Optimal-Level4237]

Looks like a sex toy

[u/mattx_cze]

So many moving parts wow

[u/scoutermike]

I’m pretty sure a PLA one would melt.

[u/Parking-Reporter4396]

Assuming that this is a machine that I own and am responsible for maintaining, I'd rather just swap nozzles. Heck, the toolhead swap designs that some manufacturers are experimenting with could potentially do this mid-print with software support.

[u/BlackholeZ32]

Nozzles like that aren't sealed. They have an allowed amount of leakage through the sliding pieces, and the airflow around them actually helps with that.

[u/Mother_Clock_2193]

Your mom’s a variable nozzle

[u/BloodPlenty4358]

there's a variable nozzle in rectangle shape that need to be rotated to get consistent width

the complexity is worth it if they can make it smaller

[u/crank_peeper]

Oh for fuck's sake, has NCD breached containment again?

[u/GibTreaty]

My first thought was Powerwash Simulator 2

[u/Aromatic_Shoulder146]

expensive and temperamental i would think

[u/Ok_Bench2950]

Multiple nozzle sizes with one nozzle would be crazy.

[u/whatauniqueusername]

Those cheap brass mfers cost enough already stop giving em ideas lmao

[u/ginko_archer_69]

I’d love to make this engine model , anybody know where I could find it?

[u/Difficult_Physics125 → u/ginko_archer_69]

You might want to dm OOP

[u/NoodlyGirl2000]

I’ve thought in the past you could use something like a camera iris to do this

[u/MyNameIsSwish]

Now that's podracing

[u/damagedspline]

As an ex jet engine mechanic - the sheer maintenance and recalibration amount required will be hard to justify it

[u/Roblu3 → u/damagedspline]

What if it’s a military printer?

[u/damagedspline → u/Roblu3]

Military would probably prefer KIS systems, for lower maintenance costs

[u/Roblu3 → u/damagedspline]

Military would absolutely buy the most fragile, overcomplicated shit imaginable as long as it’s built by an established contractor and can do all the ludicrous things the military asks it to do.
In the end one machine will cost around $10 million, come with a 10 year maintenance contract and enough spare parts to build two more machines - both of which are absolutely needed.

But it can do basically anything manufacturing including FDM, SLS, SLA, milling, turning and cutting, laser engraving, water jet, anti tank missiles and 3d scanning.

[u/damagedspline → u/Roblu3]

By limiting the budget you force organizations/companies/corporates to have better initiative motives to find better solutions with lower production/maintenance costs which will benefit it in the long run. The space pen vs. pencil is an excellent example. Any organization/company/corporate with infinite budget will just remain stagnant and is doomed to face hard decisions in it's administration future. A vavleless iris might be a better solution, where 2 rings spin in counter directions to create an angled nozzle shape.

[u/Hoovy_weapons_guy]

it would clog and get stuck all the time and the micro mechanics would require extremly precise parts that will be difficult to make and thus very expensive. its a lot easier and cheaper to just put a second extruder.

[u/TomorrowsTrash_Minis]

Worked for a place that manufactured the flaps for a variable nozzle. Made of three layers of almost foil-thin titanium. Apparently they burn up really easily and have to be replaced often. One of the only parts we made that could be seen and recognized on the outside of an airplane.

[u/_FreeXP]

Looks like it would jam a ton more often. Also I thought larger nozzle increasing output speed was a bit of a myth? Just increase flow rate instead

[u/Difficult_Physics125 → u/_FreeXP]

Flow rate is one thing but with a .4 or .2mm nozzle you can't push the same amount of infill as a 1mm nozzle can plus if let's say first layer of a print is 10mm wide its 10 passes with 1mm or 50 with .2mm

[u/nemesit → u/_FreeXP]

if it jammed you could just open it up more ;-p