Flex3Drive Extruder Increases 3D Printing Speed and Precision

The Flex3Drive by Mutley3D is a highly geared high-speed direct drive  extruder that is driven via a flexible driveshaft. It is made to fit any type of FFF 3D printers and gives you many possibilities such as adjusting printer settings to overcome the issues associated with alternative bowden extruders.

Users will have a greater degree of precision control over the extrusion of filament, that allows them to improve the quality of their prints. The Flex3Drive can therefore increase the printer’s ability in terms of both speed an precision.

“With Flex3Drive you can adjust printer settings and dial out with greater ease, a lot of print imperfections including “ringing” and corner bulges which can be seen as a wave pattern when accelerating away from corners. Due to the gearing with increased torque and motor speeds the “window of optimal running” is increased and “low speed high filament loading” situations that can lead to print imperfections and other issues, are to large extent geared out of the equation. Flex3Drive runs best with higher acceleration and moderately reduced jerk values.”

The compact extruder assembly contains a pair of gears and micro bearing along with a hobbed pulley and an easily adjusted tensioner arm. The filament can easily and quickly be changed. Flex3Drive works with both 3 mm and 1.75 mm diameter filaments and has been tested with ABS, PLA, Nylon, Laywood NinjaFlex, Laybrick, Acetal, tglasse and others.

Technical specifications:

• Weight: 45grammes – without hot end
• Envelope: 50x45x45mm x y z
• Gear Ratio: 40:1
• Gear Type: Nylon IM (QDrive) Worm Wheel gear set
• Hobb Diameter: 11×8.5mm
• Filament Diam: 3mm or 1.75 no extruder change required
• Tested Filaments: ABS – PLA – Nylon (various) – Laywoo -NinjaFlex – Laybrick – Acetal – tglasse – and more

The assembled Flex3Drive extruder is available for £ 95 plus shipping from Mutley3D.