Hello everyone, today we are going to be further upgrading our E3D clone hot-end by TH3D namely the TH3D Tough. We have been using this hot-end for several months since our initial “Top 5 Mods for Ender 5” article, and it has done well. I have experienced quite a few jams though. Every time I have a jam with PLA, it’s because the end of the filament has retracted; cooled and then becomes jammed in the transition pipe.
Anytime the hot filament is retracted far enough into the cold end, you will likely experience a jam. I began to look for solutions to this problem to improve reliability. The first solution was to remove the heat break and polish. I did this with some fine-grit (1500 and 2000 grit) wrapped around a tiny drill bit. I followed up with some soap and water wet-sanding to get rid of any micro-abrasions in the tube. This helped quite a bit, but the design of my clone heat-break just continued to cause problems.
Eventually I found this company called 3D Passion who are creating a “smooth bore” heat break replacement for all E3D style hot-ends and decided to try. They claim to have 2 times better thermal barrier compared to the read E3D OEM heat break. Also they claim to have 14 times better thermal barrier than the Microswiss steel heat break! The description reads that they polish the interior of the heat break to a mirror finish. It’s guaranteed to EXCEED OEM quality and performance or it’s free! Sounds very confident to me, or they are just trying to get us on the hook; let’s find out.
I ordered the heat break from amazon, and it comes in a pack of two. This is a good idea, that way you have a spare in the future. Initially I was thinking this may just be a sales gimmick, and there is no way they have improved over E3D heat-break which has been proven for years. I was immediately surprised after comparing the two heat-breaks. The machining on the 3DPassion heat break is much better inside, and the bore is nearly perfect. I also noticed that the angle at which the bore was done is much sharper. The sharper bore improves reliability when retracting many times in small sections. I found more research on this and they use this diagram to show you how it’s machined, and compare it to the factory heat-break. The melt zone is improved to reduce backflow and pressure, leading to all-around better flow characteristics.
After one week printing with the 3D Passion heat-break I am thrilled to have found this product. They have not offered any incentives or free parts, I purchased these items with my own money. I want to share with everyone who is struggling with their E3D or E3D clone! Print3D is here to help anyone that needs assistance. Please do not hesitate to sign up on our forums or leave a comment for help!
NOTE FROM SELLER: BEWARE OF COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS!
