Sequoia, hot chamber and liquid cooling for large, quality prints

In additive manufacturing, the active hot chamber and liquid cooling of the print head are important for the production of parts with excellent quality characteristics, even more so on large pieces. With Sequoia, 3ntr stands out for the results that can be achieved, all with low consumption and maximum operational safety.

In additive manufacturing it is necessary to adopt specific parameters to obtain printed parts with the technical and aesthetic characteristics required by the project. The management of temperatures within the working volume is among the most important: for this reason 3ntr adopts, in addition to the heated printing plate, also the hot chamber technology and the liquid cooling system of the print head. The difference is even more evident in the presence of large printers, such as Sequoia by 3ntr, which with its operating volume of 1,200x1,100x900 mm is able to produce high quality and defect-free components thanks to precise temperature control, even with high performance super polymers.

Hot chamber technology

The hot chamber is a technology that differentiates machines for purely hobby use from professional ones. 3D printing is in fact a process that involves the subsequent deposition of layers of material, the adhesion of which represents one of the critical points of the process. By working at room temperature, the cooling of the parts is accelerated and the polymer may not have time to develop sufficiently strong bonds with the underlying layer. In the best case scenario, the resulting pieces will be aesthetically passable but mechanically unacceptable (delamination).

The same goes for the so-called "passive hot chamber", in which the deposition of the material contributes to heating the printing environment. Also in this case, a lack of homogeneity in the temperature between different points of the chamber during the process can lead to the production of parts that are out of specification.

The active hot chamber instead manages the temperature based on differentiated parameters in relation to the materials used (ABS, ASA, but also PEEK and other super polymers).

Within a large work volume, such as that offered by Sequoia, this is an indispensable feature to achieve the desired technical and qualitative results.

The cooling speed also represents an important parameter for the correct success of a print: being able to count on cycles suitable for each of the materials used is therefore also fundamental in this phase. The insulation of the walls of the machines also contributes to reducing energy consumption, while the careful study of the air flows ensures a homogeneous transition at all points of the working volume.

Decisive features for reliable and safe processes

Equally important for the process is maintaining the temperature of the print head within optimal values, to guarantee its operation and durability over time. 3ntr has chosen to equip its machines with liquid cooling systems, with which to keep the operating conditions of the print head constant regardless of the temperature reached inside the chamber.

“Our focus has always been to ensure that users of our machines achieve the desired result: a piece printed with 3D technology that presents the best technical characteristics, using only the energy and materials necessary”, confirms Davide Ardizzoia, Chief Technology Officer of 3ntr: “The hot chamber is an indispensable added value, because it allows you to print pieces with maximum solidity and adhesion of the layers on each other. For this reason we have integrated all the necessary technologies into our printers, such as those relating to the regulation and management of temperatures". However, the subsequent modification of machines without these technologies is strongly discouraged: in addition to prematurely accelerating wear, these changes represent a safety risk, as excessive overheating can produce harmful fumes or start fires.

3ntr machines are appropriately sized and, thanks to the presence of special filters, they can limit the escape of dust or vapors.

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