Bottom line: carbon fibre filament is abrasive and wears brass nozzles quickly, enlarging the orifice and changing line width and part dimensions. Use a hardened or wear-resistant nozzle and check actual line width periodically. Compensating with flow settings hides the problem instead of solving it.
What wear does
| Effect | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Orifice enlarges | Wider lines, oversized parts |
| Exit deforms | Rough surface, uneven flow |
| Internal wear | Pressure and flow variation |
| Carbon build-up | Partial clogs |
Nozzle selection
- Brass: PLA, PETG, TPU only.
- Hardened steel: required for CF and GF.
- Ruby or ceramic: long production runs.
- Larger orifice: reduces clog risk.
Costly mistakes
- Running CF through brass.
- Blaming shrinkage for oversized parts.
- Lowering flow to hide wear.
- Not logging print volume.
- Skipping recalibration after a nozzle change.
Buyer / engineer checklist
- Is the nozzle wear-resistant?
- How much CF has been printed?
- Does line width match the setting?
- Are dimensions drifting larger?
- Was flow recalibrated after replacement?
Tell us the material and print volume and we can help assess wear.Nozzle advice