The Prusa FFF printers are equipped with a brass nozzle. This article will review the main information about the nozzles that can be used with your printer.
Brass has excellent heat conductivity and is tough enough to print most common filaments. However, when using abrasive filaments, the brass nozzle tends to wear too quickly, so abrasion-resistant nozzles are available.
If you need to change or replace the nozzle, please refer to our guides:
Identify nozzle size
It is possible to identify the nozzle diameter by the number of dots, or marked number, around the rim of the nozzle. Prusa Nozzles (non-E3D Prusa Nozzles) have a marking on their metal tube that also reads their size.
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Prusa Nozzle Brass
The Prusa Nozzle Brass is a reliable, general-purpose nozzle designed for a wide range of non-abrasive filaments. Made from high-quality brass, it offers excellent thermal conductivity.
Its tip ensures smooth flow and precise layer deposition. The design integrates the heatbreak directly into the nozzle, eliminating the need to preheat the hotend for installation or to use a PTFE tube to guide the filament.
Brass nozzles are ideal for everyday printing due to their cost-effectiveness, ease of cleaning, and high-quality surface finishes. However, they are not recommended for abrasive filaments, as these can cause rapid wear.
Prusa Nozzle Brass CHT and E3D Prusa Nozzle: High Flow Brass
The Prusa Nozzle Brass CHT (Core Heating Technology) and E3D Prusa Nozzle: High Flow Brass are designed to improve the efficiency of 3D printing and overcome traditional nozzles' limitations, particularly in filament flow.
The internal design includes a split core that divides the filament into three streams within the nozzle. As a result, the surface area exposed to heat exponentially increases, leading to faster heating and a more consistent temperature across the entire filament width.
Prusa Nozzle CHT® nozzles split the filament into 3 thinner strands, while E3D Prusa Nozzle: High Flow has a unique internal geometry that splits the filament into 4 channels.
Both these enhanced heating processes allow higher printing speeds while maintaining output consistency and quality. The nozzles can operate effectively even at lower temperatures than conventional ones because the heat is distributed more evenly and quickly.
This is especially advantageous when printing large objects or using materials that require high melting temperatures. Improved control over the temperature and filament flow can also lead to finer details and a higher-quality surface finish on printed objects, which is beneficial when printing models with intricate details.
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| Prusa Nozzle Brass CHT | E3D Prusa Nozzle: High Flow Brass |
Nozzles for abrasive materials
Some filaments have particles added to them that can make them abrasive. A regular brass nozzle will degrade quickly and lose its properties when printing these. To print them, you will need to use a nozzle made of another material
Most of the abrasive materials are composites and plastics with additives. Always ask your filament vendor if you are not sure about filament requirements.
Recommended cleaning methods:
- Non-abrasive cloth/rag for external use.
- Cleaning filament for internal use.
Non-recommended cleaning methods:
- An acupuncture needle or a brass brush can damage the coating.
- For ObXidian nozzles, we do not recommend cold pulls, as they can tear off the WS2 coating.
Prusa Nozzle ObXidian™
The Prusa Nozzle ObXidian™ is a high-quality nozzle designed specifically for abrasive materials and printing at high temperatures. It is made from hardened steel with a corrosion-resistant coating, ensuring exceptional durability and longevity.
These nozzles are particularly suitable for printing with abrasive materials like carbon fiber, as they maintain their hardness even at higher temperatures, delivering excellent performance and extending the lifespan of your nozzle.
Prusa Hardened Nozzle (Nickel plated)
The Prusa Hardened Nozzle (Nickel Plated) is designed for a balance between strength, heat resistance, and smooth extrusion performance. Manufactured from hardened steel and coated with a nickel plating, this nozzle offers good durability against abrasive filaments while also reducing friction during printing.
The nickel coating not only improves corrosion resistance but also minimizes material adhesion to the nozzle, making it easier to keep clean and maintain. This combination of hardness and surface smoothness extends nozzle life significantly compared to standard brass models, especially when printing with abrasive materials.
This nozzle is ideal for frequent switches between abrasive and non-abrasive materials, as it provides both toughness and a consistent, high-quality extrusion finish.
E3D Prusa Nozzle: High Flow ObXidian™
The E3D Prusa Nozzle: High Flow ObXidian™ combines the advantages of ObXidian and high-flow nozzles.
Its high-flow internal geometry is optimized to maximize melt capacity, enabling faster extrusion rates without sacrificing layer adhesion or print detail. This makes it particularly well-suited for large-format prints or situations where speed is a priority.
Thanks to its combination of abrasion resistance, heat tolerance, and flow optimization, the High Flow ObXidian™ nozzle maintains consistent performance over extended use, reducing the need for frequent nozzle changes and downtime.
E3D Prusa Nozzle: DiamondBack
The premium DiamondBack Prusa nozzles bring you the most extreme Nextruder Nozzle solution to date, designed and optimised in collaboration with E3D.
The rapid development of fibre, metal, and ceramic filaments has increased the need for abrasion-resistant nozzles. Compared with all the nozzle options on the market, DiamondBack’s diamonds deliver unmatched wear-resistance and versatility.
Unlock extreme wear resistance thanks to DiamondBack’s Polycrystalline Diamond (PCD) tips. These diamonds are composed of thousands of tiny diamond crystals with a proprietary binder that forms a matrix of crystals joined with diamond-to-diamond bonds. They retain the hardness properties of diamond whilst reducing the inherent brittleness of a single-crystal diamond, making them a fantastic choice for printing with engineering-grade metal and ceramic-filled filaments.
DiamondBack nozzles rely on a solid diamond tip to improve precision 3D printing. The tip is not a diamond coating, but rather a solid diamond insert made from the hardest material in the world.
Nextruder V6 Nozzle Adapter
The Nextruder V6 Nozzle Adapter enables your Prusa printer’s Nextruder to accept E3D V6 nozzles.
If you need to install or replace a nozzle with a Nozzle Adapter, please refer to our guides:
- Nozzle adapter for CORE One
- Nozzle adapter for MK4S, MK3.9S
- Nozzle adapter for MK4, MK3.9
- Nozzle adapter for XL Single tool, Nozzle adapter for XL Multi tool
Other nozzle diameters
If you want to use a nozzle with a different diameter from the ones that have a PrusaSlicer preset, it will be necessary to create the profile in PrusaSlicer manually.
For more information, please see Creating profiles for different nozzles.
PrusaSlicer and printer configuration
To adjust preset settings in PrusaSlicer, go to Menu -> Configuration -> Configuration Wizard -> Prusa Research and select the printer model you have, as well as the nozzle diameter you are currently using (purple squares).
Uncheck all the other models and nozzle diameters to avoid confusing the presets. You can always do the Wizard again and modify the settings.
To set a different nozzle size on your printer, navigate to Menu -> Settings -> Hardware.
Other considerations
Smaller diameters (~0.25 mm)
Almost any Composite material is out of the question. The particles in it can (and will) quickly clog or ruin your nozzle. However, filaments with fine glitter or similar "shine particles", like what is found in Prusament Galaxy Silver, should be no problem.
Flexible materials can also be problematic on a smaller diameter nozzle due to the higher pressure required for extrusion. It can buckle and tangle around the filament pulleys under higher pressure.
Slow speed - Precision takes time. Prepare yourself for printing times of 24 to 100 hours, even with smaller objects. Not only is each line thinner and narrower than usual, which results in more perimeters, but the extruder movements are also greatly reduced to accommodate the increased accuracy.
Larger diameters (>0.6 mm)
The main drawback is its resolution. The thicker and taller layer lines will print the object faster, but will have limitations regarding fine details. On the other side, functional parts may prove stronger since each line has a larger amount of solid material.
Also, thanks to the larger nozzle diameter, there will be more solid material to cool down, which may increase warping. This might be an issue for materials prone to warping during print, like ASA or PC Blend.
| Nozzle size / Material | 0.25 mm | 0.4 mm | 0.6/0.8 mm |
| Flexible materials | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
| PLA | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| ASA/ABS | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| PETG | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| wood/metal infused | ✖ | ✔ * | ✔ |
| CF/kevlar infused ABS | ✖ | ✔ * | ✔ * |
| PC Blend | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Nylon | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| PVA/BVOH | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
* Hardened nozzle