3D Print Abrasive Materials More Quickly: 3DVerkstan Releases New Sizes and Geometries for Olsson Ruby Nozzle

Back in December, 3DVerkstan, a distributor of leading 3D printer brands like Ultimaker and Formlabs in the Baltic and Nordic regions, released its unique Olsson Ruby ruby-tipped nozzle and, according to the company, the response to the nozzle has been tremendous. The nozzle allows 3D printing with abrasive materials, and 3DVerkstan has sold several thousand of Olsson Ruby nozzles all over the world in the last six months.

“We have been overwhelmed with the success of the ruby nozzle, and the different industries and applications where it is used. From aerospace and automotive industry to particle physics and medical applications, we have received incredible feedback,” Daniel Ljungstig, CEO of 3DVerkstan, tells 3DPrint.com.

“Also, there are makers and even holy monks finding ingenious use for the Olsson Ruby. Following this, we have received hundreds of requests for bigger sizes and support for other 3D Printers, from over 30 different countries all over the world. After careful development and testing, we are happy to present 0.6 and 0.8 millimeter sizes as well as the coming High Output version as new options for 3D Printing.”

Today, the company has announced that it is releasing new versions and bigger sizes of the Olsson Ruby nozzle. The new sizes of 0.6 and 0.8 mm are available now, and this September 3DVerkstan will release the High Output version of the nozzle, featuring a new geometry. Thanks to these new versions, users will enjoy more speed and options when 3D printing with both standard and abrasive materials.

Anders Olsson, who invented the popular Olsson Block in 2015, also designed the high-tech Olsson Ruby nozzle. Olsson designed the nozzle specifically for printing hard materials, including a composite of Boron Carbide (B4C), for scientific research at Sweden’s Uppsala University. Thanks to the nozzle’s ability to quickly and easily produce quality prints, using abrasive and standard materials, users are able to “fully embrace the possibilities given by abrasive materials such as carbon- and metal-filled plastics.”

The Olsson Ruby nozzle works with a wide range of materials, including PLA and Nylon, steel, wood, and tungsten, and even phosphorescent pigment. It’s made of brass, so it has high heat conductivity, and the ruby mounted at the tip of the nozzle ensures successful 3D printing using the toughest materials. 3DVerkstan guarantees the best quality and tolerances, as the Olsson Ruby nozzle is manufactured, assembled, and tested in a high-quality facility in Sweden.

The company has been having customers from all around the world test different iterations of the nozzle since 2016, and there haven’t been too many complaints.

“For professional printing, it definitely makes sense to go for the Olsson Ruby. I used to go through between 40 to 60 hardened steel nozzles a month on just the machines printing abrasives. Unfortunately, their performance is also sub-par for standard filament due to their poor heat conductance,” said Brooker Smith, the CEO of advanced manufacturing company 3LeKtron. “Currently we use the Olsson Ruby nozzle on five of our desktop-size 3D Printers. One of our machines has printed about 17 kilograms of abrasive materials reliably without any sign of wear. We are much looking forward to using the bigger sizes now being launched. The 0.6 and 0.8 nozzles will help lowering print times and to give even higher tensile strength in large objects.”

Additionally, when Ljungstig mentioned that holy monks were using the Olsson Ruby, he wasn’t kidding. Monk Theologos with the Holy Monastery of Vatopaidi in Mount Athos, Greece explained that the monks were working to print out and place numbers on all of the rooms, so visiting pilgrims would be able to find their way around in the small, dark corridors of the old monastery. The monks used over 2 kg of an abrasive, glow in the dark filament to make the numbers, which is far more material than typical brass nozzles can handle, so the Olsson Ruby nozzle saved the day.

The new 0.6 and 0.8 mm sizes, and the upcoming High Output version, allow users to retain reliability and wear-resistance for abrasive materials, while also reaching a higher speed and throughput. The High Output version has a longer melt zone, so 3D printing time will be reduced for large objects. The Olsson Ruby is available for $90, excluding VAT/taxes, through 3DVerkstan’s network of global partners, and the new sizes are available today in Europe and the US through a premium reseller network. The High Output version, which is compatible with both the Lulzbot MOARstruder add-on and the E3D Volacano hot-end, should be available in just a few months. Discuss in the Olsson Ruby forum at 3DPB.com.