For a time the standard extruder for 3D printers were simple: one drive gear and a spring loaded ball bearing idler with a tension that couldn’t be adjusted. And then Bondtech entered the playing field and revamped the extruder to be much more than a gear on a stepper motor. More and more printers today now feature Bondtech extruders, or even select components of a Bondtech to make it their own.

Let's break it down-

The Tech Behind Them

Every Bondtech extruder features hardened dual-drive gears to pinch filament from both sides, providing resistance against wear for advanced composite materials like NylonX, a more uniform grip on the filament and even torque no matter the material. For additional torque, these extruders are geared; rather than a 1:1 ratio of old, Bondtechs have a secondary set of gears to get the most torque out of any stepper while maintaining a compact form factor. All Bondtechs extruders have a constrained filament path and adjustable tensioner, so every material can be catered to and printed as delicately or forcefully as desired - no longer will you have flexible materials spilling out the side of the extruder as they squeeze off the drive gear.

Hardened steel gears mean any Bondtech extruder is ready for abrasive materials.
Hardened steel gears mean any Bondtech extruder is ready for abrasive materials.

Adaptable Design

The housing of each Bondtech is professionally SLS 3D printed in nylon for robust and rugged performance, allowing them to change form on the fly, like adding some new threaded inserts and mounting points for the BMG-M to allow easy compatibility with the Slice Engineering Mosquito Hotend. Other BondTech models feature a groove mount for easy integration of E3D hotends, Bowden adapters, or any other component that utilizes a standard groove mount. 3D printable adapters exist for nearly every 3D printer available , direct drive or bowden, with the Bondtech BMG being one of the most embraced extruder upgrades you can find. 

With its groove mount design, you can adapt Bondtech extruders to fit onto almost any printer.
With its groove mount design, you can adapt Bondtech extruders to fit onto almost any printer.

Upgrade Ready Kits

If you’d rather not take the time to 3D print your own mount or bracket and source your own components, Bondtech offers over a dozen different upgrade kits printed in the same black SLS nylon as their standard extruders. These kits will include all the screws, nuts, bolts, and documentation to make upgrading your machine a simple and seamless process. While 3D printing the upgrades for your 3D printer is a welcome upgrade path, being able to teardown and rebuild your printer’s extruder system in an afternoon makes everything that much easier; spend less time troubleshooting and more time 3D printing. 

From Creality to Raise3D, there are over a dozen upgrade kits available for 3D printers from Bondtech.
From Creality to Raise3D, there are over a dozen upgrade kits available for 3D printers from Bondtech.

Bondtechs’s extruder offerings are always expanding, whether with their own upgrade kits or from the support of the 3D printing community’s design acumen, making Bondtech extruders a worthwhile investment. To learn more and to order yours today, go to MatterHackers.com. 

Happy printing!