MeltCalc, built by polymer chemist Robert Samples, is a thermodynamic database covering 64 hot ends and 36 filament polymers used in FDM 3D printing. It calculates realistic maximum flow rates and print speeds, including support for Core Heating Technology nozzles.
The tool exists to replace marketing numbers with physics. Manufacturers routinely publish optimistic flow rate specs. MeltCalc's models are grounded in Samples' professional chemistry background, giving users a defensible starting point before they waste filament chasing impossible settings.
The source is on GitHub. The database interface itself lives at meltcalc.baconmilkshake.com. The methodology behind the thermodynamic modelling is where the real story is, and it is worth reading the project documentation to understand what assumptions Samples made and where the model's limits are.
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