#3d-printing #hotend #e3d #kraken #multi-material #watercooling # Overview The E3D Kraken is a discontinued four-nozzle, water-cooled, Bowden-fed all-metal hotend released as a beta product in early 2014. Four independent hot ends slide into a single water-jacketed cooler block, each height-adjustable and independently temperature-controlled, giving true 4-material printing from one carriage. It shipped in 1.75 mm only and was never offered in 3 mm. E3D published dimensioned engineering drawings for it, but both of their legacy documentation hosts are now dead. No patent was ever filed on the Kraken; it predates E3D's patenting era and falls under their original open-source patent pledge. Everything that survives is mirrored locally — see [Local archive](#local-archive). # Specifications | Property | Value | |---|---| | Nozzles | 4 × 0.4 mm (included) | | Filament | 1.75 mm only | | Cooling | Water — two barbs, small pump, open reservoir, no radiator | | Feed | Bowden, integrated push-fit couplings in the cooler block | | Footprint | 40 × 35 mm | | Mounting | 4 × M3 | | Nozzle spacing | 20 mm | | Hot end lineage | Derived from E3D V5; later V6 cartridge revision (MkII) | | Temperature control | Independent per nozzle | | Launch price | $195 USD (MatterHackers, US distributor) | | Released | 2014-01 (beta) | | Status | Discontinued | Component weights: | Part | Weight | |---|---| | Heat break | 3.25 g | | Barbs | 2 g | | Cooler block | 59 g | | Heater block | 7 g | # Engineering Drawings E3D published four dimensioned sheets, listed on their wiki under **Engineering Drawings → 1.75mm Only**: | Sheet | File | Revision | |---|---|---| | Cooler block | `KR1-COOLER-Rev1-1.png` | Rev 1 | | Heat break | `KR1-BREAK-Rev5-1.png` | Rev 5 | | V6 cartridge assembly | `KR1-ASSEMBLY_V6_CARTRIDGE-1.png` | original | | V6 cartridge assembly MkII | `KR1-ASSEMBLY_V6_CARTRIDGE_MKII-1.png` | MkII | Two supplementary raster drawings also exist: `DRAWING-KRAKEN-BLOCK.png` (heater block, 2015-01-19) and `DRAWING-KRAKEN-BREAK.png`. The drawings were PNG uploads, never PDFs. ==820 px is the maximum surviving resolution — enough for general layout, not always enough to read individual dimension callouts. Where a callout is illegible, measure the STEP assembly instead; see [CAD Models](#cad-models).== ## Cooler block — KR1-COOLER Rev 1 ![[attachments/kraken/drawings/820px-KR1-COOLER-Rev1-1.png]] ## Heat break — KR1-BREAK Rev 5 ![[attachments/kraken/drawings/820px-KR1-BREAK-Rev5-1.png]] ## V6 cartridge assembly ![[attachments/kraken/drawings/820px-KR1-ASSEMBLY_V6_CARTRIDGE-1.png]] ## V6 cartridge assembly MkII ![[attachments/kraken/drawings/820px-KR1-ASSEMBLY_V6_CARTRIDGE_MKII-1.png]] # CAD Models E3D never released source CAD. Every model in circulation was reverse-modeled by Mike Kelly in January 2014 from the official dimensioned drawings — which makes these files the best surviving carrier of Kraken geometry. `Kraken.STEP` is the durable artifact: valid ISO-10303-21 AP214, 53,825 entities, a full assembly tree rather than a flattened solid, exported from SolidWorks 2013. Geometry is measurable and modifiable in any CAD package, indefinitely. Twelve files held locally, plus a companion **E3D v5** set of sixteen covering the single-nozzle hotend the Kraken cartridges derive from. Every file is listed in the [Archive index](#archive-index). Online sources, all live as of 2026-09-06: - [E3D Kraken Quad Extruder — Thingiverse (thing:236596)](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:236596) - [E3D Kraken Quad Extruder — GrabCAD](https://grabcad.com/library/e3d-kraken-quad-extruder-1) — same models, account required - [E3D v5 Extruder — Thingiverse (thing:236590)](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:236590) Mounting hardware from the Think3dPrint3d Mendel90 build: - [x-carriage_K_v0.2.stl](https://github.com/T3P3/Mendel90/blob/Dev/lasercut/stls/x-carriage_K_v0.2.stl) - [D_bracket_k_v0.2.stl](https://github.com/T3P3/Mendel90/blob/Dev/lasercut/stls/D_bracket_k_v0.2.stl) - [x-carriage-kv2.scad](https://github.com/T3P3/Mendel90/blob/Dev/scad/x-carriage-kv2.scad) # Design **Cooler block.** The defining part. A single aluminium block bored to accept up to four hot ends, with an internal water passage and two hose barbs. Each cartridge is retained by two grub screws, so nozzle height is set individually by loosening the screws and sliding the cartridge — this is how you get all four tips coplanar with the bed. **Water loop.** Deliberately minimal: silicone tubing (aquarium airline works), a small pump E3D supplied in the kit, and any waterproof container as reservoir. No radiator required. Because it's liquid-cooled rather than fan-cooled, the Kraken can live inside a heated chamber. **Bowden.** Push-fit couplings are integrated into the cooler block, so tubes can be fitted after the block is mounted. **Bed levelling.** The effective end effector becomes the 20 mm square described by the four nozzle tips, which makes bed levelling considerably more sensitive than a single-nozzle setup. **Ooze management.** Practical reports called for a full-height ooze wall plus a 20–40 °C standby temperature drop on idle nozzles; 20 °C alone was not enough. ==To verify: Kraken heat breaks are reportedly fully threaded with no spanner flats and marginally shorter than Cyclops heat breaks — confirm against `KR1-BREAK-Rev5` or by measuring `Kraken_Heat_Break.SLDPRT` before ordering or machining a replacement.== # Patent Status **No patent exists for the Kraken.** It was released in 2014, well inside the period covered by [E3D's Original Patent Pledge](https://e3d-online.com/pages/e3ds-original-patent-pledge), when the company was publishing designs openly rather than filing. E3D's actual granted IP came later and covers different products — the Revo quick-change system, the Squeezetube melt path, and ObXidian nozzle coatings. Design patents on file include: - [USD762752S1](https://patents.google.com/patent/USD762752S1/en) — Nozzle (2015) - [USD975759S1](https://patents.google.com/patent/USD975759) — Extruder for a 3D printer So there is no patent-drawing route to Kraken geometry. The wiki drawings are the whole official record. # Local archive Complete as of 2026-09-06 — 54 files, ~110 MB under `attachments/kraken/`. E3D has decommissioned both of their documentation hosts, so this local copy is more complete than anything now reachable online. Full listing in the [Archive index](#archive-index). # References Live: - [4 Extruder Printing: Duet + Kraken — Think3dPrint3d, 2014-01-10](http://blog.think3dprint3d.com/2014/01/4-extruder-printing-duet-kraken.html) — best real-world build write-up - [E3D the Kraken All-metal Quad Extruder Full Kit 1.75mm — MatterHackers](https://www.matterhackers.com/store/printer-accessories/e3d-kraken-all-metal-quad-extruder-full-kit-175mm) — original spec sheet and component weights - [I generated solidworks models for the E3D hot end and their Kraken — Maker Forums, 2014-01-28](https://forum.makerforums.info/t/i-generated-solidworks-models-for-the-e3d-hot-end-and-their-kraken/30720) - [E3D's Original Patent Pledge](https://e3d-online.com/pages/e3ds-original-patent-pledge) - [E3D Updates Patent Pledge — 3D Printing Industry](https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/e3d-updates-patent-pledge-now-targeting-commercial-infringement-249682/) Dead — local saves in `attachments/kraken/pages/` are the only copies: - `wiki.e3d-online.com/Kraken_Documentation` - `wiki.e3d-online.com/Kraken_Assembly` - `e3d-online.dozuki.com` Related: - [[3D Printers]] # Archive index Every local file, 54 in total. Paths are relative to this note. ## Drawings — `attachments/kraken/drawings/` Official E3D sheets. Three widths each; 820 px is the largest that survives. | File | What it is | Size | |---|---|---| | [[attachments/kraken/drawings/820px-KR1-COOLER-Rev1-1.png\|820px-KR1-COOLER-Rev1-1.png]] | **Cooler block, Rev 1** — the defining part. Bore spacing, water passage, barb and grub-screw positions | 121 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/drawings/615px-KR1-COOLER-Rev1-1.png\|615px-KR1-COOLER-Rev1-1.png]] | Same sheet, mid width | 82 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/drawings/410px-KR1-COOLER-Rev1-1.png\|410px-KR1-COOLER-Rev1-1.png]] | Same sheet, small width | 46 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/drawings/820px-KR1-BREAK-Rev5-1.png\|820px-KR1-BREAK-Rev5-1.png]] | **Heat break, Rev 5** — thread form and length; the sheet needed to settle the spanner-flats question | 81 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/drawings/615px-KR1-BREAK-Rev5-1.png\|615px-KR1-BREAK-Rev5-1.png]] | Same sheet, mid width | 54 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/drawings/410px-KR1-BREAK-Rev5-1.png\|410px-KR1-BREAK-Rev5-1.png]] | Same sheet, small width | 31 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/drawings/820px-KR1-ASSEMBLY_V6_CARTRIDGE-1.png\|820px-KR1-ASSEMBLY_V6_CARTRIDGE-1.png]] | **V6 cartridge assembly**, original revision — stack-up of one hot end | 181 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/drawings/615px-KR1-ASSEMBLY_V6_CARTRIDGE-1.png\|615px-KR1-ASSEMBLY_V6_CARTRIDGE-1.png]] | Same sheet, mid width | 119 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/drawings/410px-KR1-ASSEMBLY_V6_CARTRIDGE-1.png\|410px-KR1-ASSEMBLY_V6_CARTRIDGE-1.png]] | Same sheet, small width | 66 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/drawings/820px-KR1-ASSEMBLY_V6_CARTRIDGE_MKII-1.png\|820px-KR1-ASSEMBLY_V6_CARTRIDGE_MKII-1.png]] | **V6 cartridge assembly, MkII** — the later revision; use this one for a rebuild | 185 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/drawings/615px-KR1-ASSEMBLY_V6_CARTRIDGE_MKII-1.png\|615px-KR1-ASSEMBLY_V6_CARTRIDGE_MKII-1.png]] | Same sheet, mid width | 122 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/drawings/410px-KR1-ASSEMBLY_V6_CARTRIDGE_MKII-1.png\|410px-KR1-ASSEMBLY_V6_CARTRIDGE_MKII-1.png]] | Same sheet, small width | 68 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/drawings/410px-DRAWING-KRAKEN-BLOCK.png\|410px-DRAWING-KRAKEN-BLOCK.png]] | Heater block, supplementary raster drawing (2015-01-19). 410 px only | 45 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/drawings/410px-DRAWING-KRAKEN-BREAK.png\|410px-DRAWING-KRAKEN-BREAK.png]] | Heat break, supplementary raster drawing. 410 px only | 30 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/drawings/Kraken_lg.png\|Kraken_lg.png]] | Product photo from the wiki | 37 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/drawings/280px-Kraken_lg.png\|280px-Kraken_lg.png]] | Same photo, thumbnail | 41 KB | ## Kraken CAD — `attachments/kraken/models/kraken-236596/` Mike Kelly's SolidWorks models, January 2014, reverse-engineered from the sheets above. | File | What it is | Size | |---|---|---| | [[attachments/kraken/models/kraken-236596/Kraken.STEP\|Kraken.STEP]] | **The important one.** Full assembly, AP214, 53,825 entities. Opens in any CAD package; measure this when a drawing callout is unreadable | 6.1 MB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/kraken-236596/Kraken.SLDASM\|Kraken.SLDASM]] | Native SolidWorks assembly — parametric, editable if you have SolidWorks | 1.1 MB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/kraken-236596/Kraken.IGS\|Kraken.IGS]] | IGES export — fallback interchange format for older CAD | 2.6 MB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/kraken-236596/Kraken.STL\|Kraken.STL]] | Mesh export. Fine for clearance checks and printing mounts, useless for dimensions | 844 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/kraken-236596/Kraken_Cooling_Block.SLDPRT\|Kraken_Cooling_Block.SLDPRT]] | Cooler block as a single part | 538 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/kraken-236596/Kraken_Heat_Break.SLDPRT\|Kraken_Heat_Break.SLDPRT]] | Heat break as a single part | 154 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/kraken-236596/Kraken_Compression_Coupling.SLDPRT\|Kraken_Compression_Coupling.SLDPRT]] | Bowden compression coupling | 128 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/kraken-236596/E3D_Barbed_fitting.SLDPRT\|E3D_Barbed_fitting.SLDPRT]] | Water hose barb | 1.1 MB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/kraken-236596/E3D_Heat_Block.SLDPRT\|E3D_Heat_Block.SLDPRT]] | Heater block | 267 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/kraken-236596/E3D_Nozzle.SLDPRT\|E3D_Nozzle.SLDPRT]] | Nozzle | 149 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/kraken-236596/cartridge_heater.SLDPRT\|cartridge_heater.SLDPRT]] | Heater cartridge | 164 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/kraken-236596/socket_set_screw_cone_point_am.sldprt\|socket_set_screw_cone_point_am.sldprt]] | Grub screw — the cone-point set screw that retains each cartridge | 1.1 MB | ## E3D v5 CAD — `attachments/kraken/models/e3d-v5-236590/` The single-nozzle hotend the Kraken cartridges derive from. Useful for comparing cartridge geometry. | File | What it is | Size | |---|---|---| | [[attachments/kraken/models/e3d-v5-236590/E3D.STEP\|E3D.STEP]] | Full v5 assembly, interchange format | 390 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/e3d-v5-236590/E3D.SLDASM\|E3D.SLDASM]] | Native SolidWorks assembly | 294 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/e3d-v5-236590/E3D.IGS\|E3D.IGS]] | IGES export | 1.3 MB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/e3d-v5-236590/E3D.STL\|E3D.STL]] | Mesh export | 331 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/e3d-v5-236590/E3D_Heatsink.SLDPRT\|E3D_Heatsink.SLDPRT]] | Heatsink — the part the Kraken replaces with its water block | 253 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/e3d-v5-236590/E3D_Heatsink_1.75_Bowden.sldprt\|E3D_Heatsink_1.75_Bowden.sldprt]] | Heatsink, 1.75 mm Bowden variant | 67 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/e3d-v5-236590/E3D_Heatbreak.SLDPRT\|E3D_Heatbreak.SLDPRT]] | v5 heat break — compare against `Kraken_Heat_Break.SLDPRT` | 146 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/e3d-v5-236590/E3D_Heat_Block.SLDPRT\|E3D_Heat_Block.SLDPRT]] | Heater block | 267 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/e3d-v5-236590/E3D_Nozzle.SLDPRT\|E3D_Nozzle.SLDPRT]] | Nozzle | 149 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/e3d-v5-236590/cartridge_heater.SLDPRT\|cartridge_heater.SLDPRT]] | Heater cartridge | 164 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/e3d-v5-236590/thermistor.SLDPRT\|thermistor.SLDPRT]] | Thermistor | 182 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/e3d-v5-236590/E3D_1.sldasm\|E3D_1.sldasm]] | Simplified assembly | 62 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/e3d-v5-236590/E3D_Heatbreak_1.sldprt\|E3D_Heatbreak_1.sldprt]] | Simplified heat break | 67 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/e3d-v5-236590/E3D_Heat_Block_1.sldprt\|E3D_Heat_Block_1.sldprt]] | Simplified heater block | 67 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/e3d-v5-236590/E3D_Nozzle_1.sldprt\|E3D_Nozzle_1.sldprt]] | Simplified nozzle | 67 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/models/e3d-v5-236590/cartridge_heater_1.sldprt\|cartridge_heater_1.sldprt]] | Simplified heater cartridge | 67 KB | ## Page saves — `attachments/kraken/pages/` Self-contained HTML — images and CSS inlined, so each opens standalone with no network. | File | What it is | Size | |---|---|---| | [[attachments/kraken/pages/wiki-Kraken_Documentation.html\|wiki-Kraken_Documentation.html]] | **E3D's Kraken documentation index.** Source is dead; this is the only copy | 2.6 MB | | [[attachments/kraken/pages/wiki-Kraken_Assembly.html\|wiki-Kraken_Assembly.html]] | **E3D's step-by-step assembly guide** with part callouts. Source is dead | 1.1 MB | | [[attachments/kraken/pages/raw-Kraken_Documentation.html\|raw-Kraken_Documentation.html]] | Unstyled capture of the same doc page — small and greppable if you need the raw markup | 23 KB | | [[attachments/kraken/pages/think3dprint3d-duet-kraken.html\|think3dprint3d-duet-kraken.html]] | Best real-world build write-up — wiring tables, water loop, ooze findings, first prints | 6.7 MB | | [[attachments/kraken/pages/matterhackers-kraken-listing.html\|matterhackers-kraken-listing.html]] | Original retail listing — spec sheet, component weights, $195 price | 7.6 MB | | [[attachments/kraken/pages/makerforums-kelly-cad-thread.html\|makerforums-kelly-cad-thread.html]] | Mike Kelly's 2014 CAD announcement — provenance for every model above | 13 MB | | [[attachments/kraken/pages/e3d-original-patent-pledge.html\|e3d-original-patent-pledge.html]] | E3D's patent pledge — why no Kraken patent exists | 13 MB | | [[attachments/kraken/pages/3dpi-e3d-patent-pledge-update.html\|3dpi-e3d-patent-pledge-update.html]] | Later coverage of E3D's IP position | 31 MB | | [[attachments/kraken/pages/patent-USD762752S1-nozzle.html\|patent-USD762752S1-nozzle.html]] | Design patent, nozzle (2015) — context only, embedded drawing sheets | 9.3 MB | | [[attachments/kraken/pages/patent-USD975759S1-extruder.html\|patent-USD975759S1-extruder.html]] | Design patent, extruder — context only, embedded drawing sheets | 9.3 MB |