First Generation Prototype
This is the first generation prototype of the Mosquito hot end. Chris machined the whole thing on the manual mill in his garage. At this point we were still experimenting with different materials and coatings, and trying to determine if we needed an additional heat brake on the center tube.
The Test Rig
In order to test out the hot end, we set up a test rig. Here the 3rd generation prototype is on the test rig, which has multiple thermocouples hooked up to a data acquisition unit. This allows us to measure temperature gradients as we ramp the heat up and down, and make design tweaks to optimize thermodynamic heat transfer.
Printing!
We've tested the Mosquito hot end on numerous printers. Here is a shot of it on a Craftbot, where we have an external fan mounted to test how the hot end reacts to various amounts of cooling air. We've found the Mosquito heats and cools more quickly than any competing hot end we've tested.
Up Close Action Shot
Here is the Mosquito mid-print, working on a Voronoi Style teddy bear model.
Thermal Gradients
We've done a lot of thermal testing with the Mosquito! We bought a fancy infrared camera to help us to visualize the thermodynamic gradients and optimize heat transfer for better prints.
