A Review of Challenges and Future Perspectives for High-Speed Material Extrusion Technology

Additive manufacturing, as an innovative manufacturing technology compared to traditional subtractive manufacturing, offers greater design freedom and rapid prototyping capabilities. Material Extrusion (MEX), the most widely applied branch within additive manufacturing (AM), operates on the core principle of heating thermoplastic polymers or composite materials to a molten state, then depositing them layer by layer through a nozzle to form the final shape. However, the inherent contradiction between printing speed and build quality remains the key bottleneck limiting its widespread adoption. Desktop Material Extrusion techniques like Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) offer high precision but require extended printing times. Meanwhile, industrial-scale Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) processes achieve high deposition rates yet suffer from insufficient accuracy. This paper systematically reviews the primary application domains of additive manufacturing technologies, elucidating their process flows and classification systems. Building upon this foundation, it systematically analyzes the contradiction and coupling relationship between high precision and high deposition speed in Material Extrusion technologies from aspects including hot-end flow, system thermal management, vibration, and printing parameters. It provides a reference for the subsequent design and optimization of high-precision, high-speed Material Extrusion (MEX) printers.