What Is a 3D Printer Extruder: Your Key to Better Prints

Have you ever seen a 3D printer make a toy, keychain, or cool shape? It all starts with a roll of plastic string. But how does that string become something solid?

The answer is the extruder. The extruder is the critical component of all 3D printers. The consumable plastic filament is melted and precisely layered through the melting process into specific areas for building your figure. It works like a special glue gun that follows a path.

In this blog, we’ll talk about what is a 3D printer extruder, the types of extruders you can use, and how extruders help make better prints.

If you like 3D printing or want to learn more about how it works, this guide is for you. Let’s find out how the extruder helps you make awesome prints.

What Is a 3D Printer Extruder? 

A 3D printer extruder is a part that helps turn plastic into shapes.

It does three big jobs:

1. It pulls in the plastic string (filament).
2. It melts the plastic to make it soft.
3. It pushes out the soft plastic to build your print.

The extruder has two parts:

• Cold End: This part grabs the plastic and pushes it forward. It has a motor and little gears to help move the filament.
• Hot End: This part melts the plastic. It has a heater and a tiny tip called a nozzle. Then, it dribbles through the nozzle and falls to the bed for a defined form.

The extruder does so repetitively to create layers, and the stack creates your final object. The 3D printer would not be able to carry out any work without an extruder.

Types of Extruders in 3D Printing

There are two main types of extruders used in 3D printers:

1. Direct Drive Extruder

• In this type, the motor sits very close to the nozzle.
• It pushes the plastic straight into the hot end.
• It works well with soft filaments like TPU.
• It's great for small, detailed prints.

Pros:

1. Easy to control
2. Good for soft filaments
3. Faster to stop and start

Cons: Heavier, so it can move a bit slower

2. Bowden Extruder

• In this type, the motor is farther away.
• It goes through the feed tube into the hot end.
• Thus, it also makes the printer lighter and, at times, faster.

Pros:

• Prints faster
• Lighter and smoother movement

Cons:

• Harder to use soft filaments
• Requires further tweaking to avoid possible problems. 

So, which one should you go for? 

• If one wants excellent control and likes to work with soft or flexible filament, Direct Drive is a good choice. 
• If you want faster printing and simple shapes, Bowden might work best.

Each has its own purpose, really. So just think about what you'd like to print, and choose the one that fits your project!

How Extruders Impact Print Quality 

The extruder does more than just melt plastic; it also affects the way your prints look and feel. 

Here’s how:

• If the extruder pushes out too little plastic, your print will have gaps or weak spots. This is called under-extrusion.
• Too much extrusion can sometimes result in blobby or messy prints, which is called over-extrusion. 
• Sometimes, there can be a clog in the extruder so that plastic cannot be pushed out at all. 

And this is where a decent extruder becomes important. It gives good finishing and strength to your prints, and it gives you what you want as well. 

Some printers come with a dual extrusion setup, meaning they can print with two different filaments at once, like two colors or even two types of material.

This is great for:

• Making strong supports that you can wash away later (with dissolvable material)
• Using different colors or materials in one print

Snapmaker makes a Dual Extrusion 3D Printing Module that works really well. You can use materials like PLA, ABS, and even soft or dissolvable plastic. It gives you more ways to create!

A good extruder makes everything easier and your prints much better.

Choosing the Right Extruder for Your Projects 

Different projects need different extruders. Here’s how to pick the right one:

Think about your material:

• PLA is easy to print and works with both Direct Drive and Bowden.
• ABS needs more heat and control.
• TPU (soft and bendy) works best with Direct Drive.

Think about your project size:

• Big prints work well with Bowden.
• Small, detailed prints do better with Direct Drive.

Want to use more than one type of plastic?

The Dual Extrusion 3D Printing Module of Snapmaker enables it to work with a combination of two filaments simultaneously. As an example, one can print their model in PLA; at the same time, one utilizes PVA (which is a dissolvable material) for the supports. After printing, the PVA  washes away easily!

Snapmaker also makes a Hot End Kit. It lets you change the nozzle size. A small nozzle is great for tiny details. A bigger nozzle is good for faster printing.

So, pick your extruder based on:

• What kind of filament do you want to use
• How detailed your model is
• How fast you want to print

A good match means better prints every time! 

Conclusion 

The extruder of the 3D printer is like the heart of the machine; its job is to pull plastic, melt it, and deposit it to form the creation. 

Choosing the right extruder 3D printer makes a big difference. Want to print with soft materials? Try a Direct Drive. Want to print with two colors or materials? Go for a dual extruder, like Snapmaker’s Dual Extrusion Module.

Snapmaker is great in that you can easily swap out the work heads. They thus allow you to always have the right tool at your disposal for whatever project comes up next. Whether it's printing toys, tools, or nifty designs, Snapmaker's modular 3D printers make it easy and fun.

Now that you know what an extruder is on a 3D printer, consider yourself prepared to take your prints to the next level!