Every extruder spec sheet leads with one big number, and that number alone won’t tell you which one to buy. If you’re searching for the best extruders for thermoplastics to print large parts, the better question is which one fits your part, your material and your robot.
This guide walks through five checks, in the order a wrong answer costs you the most: output, temperature, reinforced materials, robot integration and support. Then it runs them against the AVEX15, AVEX20 and AVEX32 as a worked example.
What “best” means here
There isn’t one best extruder, only the one that suits what you’re making. Before you read a single spec sheet, answer three questions:
- How big is the largest part, and how long can a build run?
- Which materials will you print, including glass- or carbon-fiber-filled grades?
- Which robot will carry the extruder, and how much can it lift and reach?
Once you have those, the five checks below narrow the field quickly.
1. Output: read kg/h like an engineer
Output is the number everyone quotes and the one that misleads most. A rating of 50 kg/h tells you what the screw can push under test conditions. It doesn’t tell you whether your robot can move fast enough to use it.
Start with the material. Output changes with the polymer, the screw speed and the temperature profile, so a figure with no material next to it is only half a number. Ask what it was measured on.
Then turn it into time. Take a 100 kg part:
| Extruder output | Time to extrude 100 kg |
| 15 kg/h | about 6.7 hours |
| 25 kg/h | about 4 hours |
| 50 kg/h | about 2 hours |
These are floors, not forecasts. Real builds take longer, because the robot has to travel between passes and each layer needs time to cool.
More output isn’t automatically better, either. On a small part, a fast extruder lays the next layer onto one that hasn’t cooled yet, and the shape starts to slump. And the robot has to move quickly enough to turn that flow into a bead of the right size. If it can’t, you’ve paid for output you can’t use.
For the cost side of the same question, see how large-format additive manufacturing cuts costs.
2. Temperature: what 450 °C opens up
AVEX extruders print at temperatures up to 450 °C. That ceiling decides which polymers you can run, because you need to sit comfortably above a material’s melting point.
But the ceiling isn’t the whole story. Day to day, what matters is how steady the temperature stays along the barrel. Multi-zone heating, which the AVEX series uses, keeps each stage of the melt where it should be. When you compare machines, ask about the zones as well as the maximum.
And don’t pay for temperature you won’t use. If you mostly print PP or PETG, a 450 °C ceiling is margin, not a requirement.
3. Reinforced materials: what glass and carbon fiber do to the machine
Glass fiber (GF) and carbon fiber (CF) make printed parts stiffer and stronger. They also make the melt abrasive, so if you’re shopping for an extruder for high-performance composites, this is the check that separates the field.
On the AVEX, the nozzle is the part to watch. Brass nozzles wear when you run glass or carbon fiber. Steel nozzles don’t, and the rest of the extruder isn’t affected. So, for GF and CF work, fit a steel nozzle.
Our engineers list these materials as ones the AVEX series runs:
- PP, with glass or carbon fiber
- PETG, unfilled or with glass or carbon fiber
- PC, with carbon fiber
- HDPE, with glass fiber
- PE
- PLA
Two more things matter with fibers. Keep the pellets dry, because moisture spoils the bond between layers. And remember that fibers line up along the bead, so a part is stronger in some directions than others. That’s where multi-plane printing earns its place: you can orient the beads along the loads.
Here’s a real example. We printed a yacht hardtop in carbon-fiber-reinforced polycarbonate, then carbon-fiber coated it and fitted it to a client’s yacht. The material was chosen for light weight, durability and no deflection under sun heat. The hardest part wasn’t the printing. It was redesigning the part for large-format printing, internal supports included.
4. Robot integration: the extruder is half the system
An extruder is only useful once a robot can carry it, feed it and move it at the right speed. Five things to check.
Weight. The extruder, its feed and its hoses hang off the robot’s wrist. Check what the robot can lift while it’s moving, not just standing still. The AVEX range weighs 78 kg (AVEX15), 84 kg (AVEX20) and 140 kg (AVEX32).
Reach and payload. We pair each extruder with a robot to suit your reach and payload requirements.
Feeding. Pellets have to reach a head that’s moving through space. Ask how that works and what’s included.
Control. Extruder speed has to follow robot speed. AVEX extruders are designed for robotic integration and can be used with KUKA robotic platforms, and AVENCO is a KUKA and Beckhoff partner.
Software. The AVEX series works with ENCY, Ai Build and Adaxis for robotic CAM and path planning. That matters more as soon as you print on more than one plane.
If the part is longer than the robot can reach, the thermoplastic extruder can also ride on a mobile linear rail.
5. Support: what happens after it arrives
Ask what comes with the machine. AVEX extruders are delivered with installation, commissioning, operator training and one year of free technical support. Whoever you buy from, get the same four things in writing.
Worked example: AVEX15, AVEX20 and AVEX32
Here is the AVEX series against those checks. All three models print at up to 450 °C and run glass- and carbon-fiber-reinforced materials.
| Model | Output | Screw diameter | Weight | Dimensions (mm) | Built for |
| AVEX15 | 15 kg/h | 25 mm | 78 kg | 1230 × 580 × 560 | R&D labs, universities, mid-size prototyping |
| AVEX20 | 25 kg/h | 25 mm | 84 kg | 1450 × 715 × 525 | Industrial prototyping, tooling, mold production |
| AVEX32 | up to 50 kg/h | 35 mm | 140 kg | 1810 × 686 × 570 | Heavy-duty production, large structural parts |
A university lab developing a new composite wants flexibility and a lighter head more than raw speed. That’s the AVEX15.
A boatyard or tooling shop making molds and plugs needs a balance of output and weight. That’s the AVEX20.
A manufacturer printing large structural parts is limited by output, so the AVEX32 is where to start.
Want the full specs? Download the thermoplastic extruder brochure.
FAQ
What output (kg/h) do I need for large-format thermoplastic printing?
Divide the weight of your largest part by the extruder’s output to get a floor on the print time, then add generously for travel and cooling. The AVEX series runs from 15 kg/h up to 50 kg/h.
Can a thermoplastic extruder print glass- and carbon-fiber-reinforced material?
Yes. The AVEX series supports glass- and carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastics. Fit a steel nozzle, since brass nozzles wear with fiber-filled material.
What is the difference between AVEX15, AVEX20 and AVEX32?
Output, weight and intended use. The AVEX15 suits R&D and prototyping, the AVEX20 industrial prototyping and tooling, and the AVEX32 heavy-duty production and large structural parts.
Does an AVEX extruder work with my robot?
AVEX extruders are designed for robotic integration and can be used with KUKA robotic platforms. We pair them with robots to suit your reach and payload requirements.
How do I get a quote for my application?
Use the request-a-quote button and tell us your part size, material and robot. The configuration decides the answer, so we’ll work on your details.
Next Step
If you’re weighing up an extruder, send us three things: the biggest part you want to print, the material, and the robot you have or plan to buy. We’ll tell you which AVEX fits, or whether none of them does.
