The Latest From Slice Engineering: Mosquito Prime Hotend
Just released from Slice Engineering is the Mosquito Prime hotend which is the successor to the popular Mosquito hotend. It aims to be the do-it-all, high-flow king of 3D printing hotends. We’ll take a look at the specs and price and whether or not you should consider buying one.
Brief History
Slice Engineering was founded in 2016 with a mission to deliver innovative and high-quality products to the 3D printing market. The Mosquito Hotend was born out of this commitment, addressing some of the most pressing challenges faced by 3D printer users. By offering a unique bi-metallic heat break design and improved thermal performance, the Mosquito Hotend quickly gained attention for its potential to revolutionize the industry.
Since its release in 2018, the Mosquito hotend has garnered a reputation for its exceptional performance and reliability, leading to the eventual release of the Mosquito Magnum and now the Mosquito Prime Hotend, which further expanded on the original design.
Specs
Prime has all of the features that you would expect from the successor to the Mosquito. All of the same high-quality design and materials from the Mosquito are present but with a longer form factor which contributes to its high flow.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 19.95 x 25.1 x 88 mm |
| Mass | 103–140 g |
| Cooling | Air, Liquid, or Conduction |
| Filament Diameter | 1.75 mm or 2.85 mm |
| Temperature Rating | 500°C |
| Maximum Flow Rate Capacity - PLA (1.4 mm nozzle) | 116 mm3/s |
| Maximum Flow Rate Capacity - TPU (1.4 mm nozzle) | 64 mm3/s |
| Nozzle Compatibility | RepRap (M6 x 1.0 threads, 7 mm thread length) |
| Maximum Heating Power | 150 W |
| Temperature Sensor Compatibility | 15 mm length, ø 3 mm |
| Number of Temperature Sensors | Up to 3 |
With a claimed flow rate of 116 mm3/s for PLA with a 1.4mm nozzle, that would mean that you could print a 0.2 mm layer height at 400mm/s. That’s definitely moving a lot of plastic.
A 500°C temp rating means you can print every filament that is available on the market. Whether the rest of your machine wants to or not.
Running a 150W heater with 3 thermistors gives this hotend has the power and the monitoring to quickly and evenly melt filament resulting in a perfect flow.
Design
One of the most unique design features of the Mosquito Prime is the flow-splitting die within the hot block that divides the molten plastic into three streams, enabling a steady and consistent flow rate that guarantees a fast and efficient printing experience. By encouraging laminar flow and minimizing internal turbulence, the flow-splitting die enhances extrusion efficiency and delivers high-quality prints with every use.
It also has a long 61 mm melt zone which helps give the Prime its high flow. Extending the melt zone has been the trend recently and we can expect to see it be applied to hotends from all manufacturers. It’s a simple way to increase the volumetric flow.
Versions
There will be 3 versions available: air-cooled/ water-cooled/ conduction.
Price
The Mosquito Prime starts at $999 USD.
This price is extremely high compared to the other hotend offerings on the market and will likely be out of reach for most 3D printing enthusiasts. I imagine this hotend is aimed at commercial use where big companies will be handing their money over for durable, high-quality hardware.
So far, the Prime is not available through the Slice Engineering website. You can only request a quote. I look forward to seeing the reviews and comparison videos on YouTube once this hotend is released. Will it be worth the money?
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