TCT 3Sixty is on and the reveal we’ve all been waiting for has come. E3D Online, the highly respected 3D printing OEM, unveiled its new much-teased innovation: the RapidChange Revo Ecosystem.

Adam Meadows from Vector 3D got a first look at the new gear and shared what he saw via E3D-sponsored Twitter coverage.

E3D describes the technology as a “nozzle-swapping ecosystem” that enables toolless nozzle swapping at room temperature and eliminates the need to hot tighten. It will fit on any FDM 3D printer, and, of course! It’s only the size of a regular hot end. In fact, one of the two variations, the Revo 6, has the same size and shape as E3D’s V6 hot end, according to Meadows. The other variations include the more compact sibling called the Revo Micro, and Revo Hemera.

The system seems simple enough, though it represents a significant evolution from past hot end constructions. E3D has elongated nozzles for the Revo beyond that of even a SuperVolcano and incorporated the threading (which screws right into the heatsink), the heat break, and a cylinder that sits inside the heater.

Because you’ll be swapping on the fly, E3D has incorporated some color-coded silicone collars into the design for rapid identification — presently ranging from 0.25 (yellow) to 0.8 mm (green).

This reveal comes at the heels of E3D’s controversial announcement just over a week ago on September 21 that the company plans to file patents on some new products. There’s presently no confirmation the RapidChange Revo is one of those patented products, but given the timing of such a significant release, it’s easy to speculate that it might be.

That said, E3D has been pretty adamant about their plans to continue contributing open-source products to the 3D printing community where possible, and given the unique Revo system, a patent on the nozzle – for example – would lock users into an E3D ecosystem for consumable parts. Given their plans to be highly specific in patent files, however, the company could simply patent the hot end and leave their new nozzles to be manufactured far and wide. The answer remains to be seen.

For now, stay tuned for more info from E3D tomorrow!