CR-10 40mm Stock Hot End Cooling Duct

thingiverse

A much lighter weight, more efficient, and quieter fan duct for the Creality CR-10 is now available. It's specifically designed to fit the stock Mk8 style red heatsink hot end. This new design works seamlessly with the stock cooling fan, ensuring that air flow doesn't blow on the heater block or go anywhere it shouldn't. Printed in its current form, this lighter weight model weighs 7g, a significant reduction from the stock metal shroud's porky 44g. The stock bolts that hold the heatsink to the X carriage are slightly too short for this design, but using M3x20mm button head screws solves this issue nicely. The stock screws that hold the cooling fan in place will thread perfectly into the holes of the printed shroud since they're sized for M3 screws. I printed this model without a layer fan as I'm working on redesigning it as well, and it turned out fine with just a few small blobs on the inner support structure and overhangs at the top of the fan opening. PSA: Some users have experienced the screws going through the shroud loosening over time due to hours worth of printing. This can cause the entire hot end to shift slightly. To prevent this, make sure you tighten the screws good and tight! Using a small amount of BLUE thread lock on them isn't a bad idea either. I've seen commentary around that PLA shouldn't be used for printing this model because it's too lightweight. However, this is incorrect. PLA is perfectly fine as long as your heatsink isn't getting hot enough to hit the glass transition temperature of PLA. If the heatsink is reaching temperatures that high, there's likely a serious issue with your printer setup. High temperatures can cause filament swelling and melting inside the tube above the heatbreak, leading to jams. Feel free to print this model out of whatever material you prefer. Keep in mind that most PLA experiences around 2-3% shrink rate, which is beneficial for a snug fit. Printing it out of PETT or PETG will result in a roughly 1% shrink rate, potentially making the model slightly looser. Edit: I've added some fan information to address concerns about quiet fans. It's essential to find a balance between airflow and static pressure when choosing a replacement fan for your Creality CR-10. The stock fan may be loud, but it provides enough CFM (airflow) and static pressure to effectively cool the heat sink. When selecting a new fan, avoid Noctua options as they don't provide enough CFM or pressure for this application. Even their thicker models won't suffice due to reduced airflow pathway. Instead, consider fans with higher CFM and pressure ratings like the ones linked below: For 10mm thick fans: https://www.digikey.com/short/qqmqmf For 20mm thick fans: https://www.digikey.com/short/qqmqp7 For 15mm thick fans: https://www.digikey.com/short/qqmqjr Super quiet Sunon 10mm fan with low CFM and pressure: https://www.digikey.com/short/qqmqr7 An even better option with slightly more noise: https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/delta-electronics/AFB0412SHB/603-1006-ND/1014337 I've also included recommendations for 50mm and 60mm fans, which are commonly used in Creality CR-10 printers. These options outperform Noctua and are likely cheaper even outside the USA: For 50mm: https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/sunon-fans/MF50151V1-1000U-A99/259-1817-ND/7652225 Also this one: https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/delta-electronics/AFB0512HHD/603-1281-ND/2560405 For 60mm: https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/sunon-fans/MF60151VX-1000U-A99/259-1802-ND/6198740 Print Settings: Printer: Creality CR-10 Rafts: Doesn't Matter Supports: No Resolution: 0.2mm Infill: 10% Notes: Printed with All Professional 3D grey PLA at 210C nozzle temperature, 55C bed temperature, 65mm/s print speed, and 120mm/s move speed.