Continously Extruding 3D Printed Tubes with Compressed Air

Jan, a maker known for multi-material 3D printing innovations, has successfully developed a technique to extrude hollow plastic tubes with compressed air running through their centers, Hackaday reports. The extruder melts two filament strands and extrudes them around a high-precision air line. Initial tests with PLA showed the concept working but proved temperamental, with inconsistent wall thickness and thermal management challenges. A switch to TPU filament and volume-based air control—using a peristaltic pump instead of pressure regulation—dramatically improved consistency. The results remain promising, and the technique has already attracted research interest from TU Darmstadt.

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