New from Filabot, the DW25 Pellet Dryer is a desiccant wheel pellet dryer that pairs perfectly with our Filabot EX2 and Filabot EX6 extruders.
Traditional dehumidifying dryers use a large volume of molecular sieves in pellet form composed of at least 30% clay, which tends to degrade very easily over time.
The desiccant wheel instead is completely different where the pure molecular sieve is applied to a synthetic substrate, rolled into a cylinder forming a honeycomb structure, and covered by a steel protection.
Questions? Reach out at contact@filabot.com or schedule a call with us to learn more.
DW25 Pellet Dryer on filabot.com
Technical Features
The wheel pellet dryer offers a large number of important advantages:
Get these products together in one bundle here: Full Recycling & 3D Printing Setup
Understanding the Role of the Filabot Extrusion System
The Filabot system has been a helpful addition to the field of 3D printing and materials research. Its ability to convert plastic waste into usable 3D printing filament is a step towards more sustainable material usage. It is particularly useful in materials science for creating custom filaments with specific properties, aiding in the exploration and development of new materials.
Key Contributions:
The MDAC1, a noteworthy development in advanced robotics, contributes to precision and efficiency. Its design is suited for delicate tasks, making it a suitable tool for handling and testing materials, especially those developed using the Filabot system.
High Precision Handling: Crucial for experiments with delicate materials.
Efficient Material Testing: Automates and simplifies the testing process.
Exploring the Role of Cobots in Materials Science
Cobots are increasingly important in laboratory settings, particularly for their ability to safely and efficiently assist human researchers. In materials science, they are useful for automating routine tasks, managing hazardous materials, and ensuring consistency in experiments.
Cobots' Contributions:
The fusion of the Filabot system, MDAC1 represents a significant collaboration in materials science R&D. This synergy streamlines the process from material creation to testing, fostering efficient and innovative research.
The combination of the Filabot system, MDAC1 is an important step forward in materials science R&D. This collaboration not only supports sustainable and efficient research practices but also opens new avenues for material innovation. As these technologies continue to develop, their role in shaping the future of materials science and related fields is likely to be increasingly significant.
Are you in the world of advanced polymer and co-polymer creations? If so, you're likely familiar with the challenges of mixing and extruding high-quality materials. Enter the latest innovation from Filabot: the new Mixing Screw designed exclusively for the Filabot EX6 Extruder. This tool is set to improve your polymer processing, ensuring you stay ahead in the competitive field of polymer engineering.
Enhanced Performance and Precision
The Filabot Mixing Screw is specially crafted to enhance the performance of your Filabot EX6 extruder. Its unique design is not just an add-on; it's a game-changer for professionals and enthusiasts in the polymer field. Whether you're working on a new type of plastic, experimenting with different additives, or striving for a specific color consistency, this screw is your answer. It ensures a seamless and efficient blending of polymers, additives, and colorants, resulting in a product that stands out for its consistency and quality.
Innovative Design for Superior Mixing
What sets the Filabot Mixing Screw apart is its innovative mixing element. This feature is engineered to tackle the complexities of blending various fillers, additives, and colorants into polymers. It's not just about mixing; it's about achieving a homogeneous blend that translates into superior end products. You can say goodbye to uneven textures and inconsistent colors – this screw ensures that every batch you produce maintains a high standard.
Ideal for Pioneering Projects
If you're engaged in pioneering polymer or co-polymer creation, the Filabot Mixing Screw is an indispensable tool. It's particularly effective for projects that require precise incorporation of different materials. Whether you're creating prototypes, custom products, or conducting research, this screw will elevate your work.
Don't let the limitations of traditional extrusion methods hold back your creativity and efficiency. Upgrade your Filabot EX6 with the new Mixing Screw and experience a world of difference in your polymer creations.
Click here to learn more and take the first step towards transforming your extrusion process.
]]>Make sure to check out Dr. D-Flo's YouTube Channel for more content, including his video series on building a large-format 3D printer using the MDPH2 extruder from our sister company, Massive Dimension.
If you have any questions on the products used in this video, please reach out at contact@filabot.com!
]]>What is Filabot?
For those unfamiliar with the term, Filabot is a state-of-the-art filament extrusion company that allows you to recycle and create your own 3D printing filament using their equipment. This means that rather than purchasing new spools of filament, you can recycle plastic scraps, or even failed 3D prints to create new material. Filabot is making it easier than ever to be resourceful and environmentally responsible while engaging in the creative possibilities of 3D printing.
The Intersection of Sustainability and Education
Teaching sustainability starts with practical applications, and the Filabot provides a hands-on approach to integrating responsible practices into the classroom or at home. Students can see the lifecycle of a product, from plastic scrap to a new 3D-printed object, closing the loop and instilling the values of resourcefulness and environmental consciousness. The process is not just a lesson in recycling, but also in engineering, material science, and computational thinking—skills crucial for the 21st-century learner.
Back-to-School 3D Projects to Try with Filabot
Allow your students to personalize their desk space. Design a pencil holder with built-in compartments for other essentials like erasers and paper clips. Not only will they get to show off their design skills, but they'll also have a chance to see their creation come to life in a sustainable way.
Studying ancient civilizations? Why not print small-scale replicas of famous artifacts or monuments? This brings history to life in a tactile way, while also providing an opportunity to discuss the importance of preserving our own cultural artifacts and the environment for future generations.
Teaching geometry becomes significantly more engaging when students can hold and manipulate the shapes they are studying. 3D print various geometric figures to explore angles, faces, and vertices in an interactive way.
Teach a lesson in both biology and sustainability by designing and printing planters made with biodegradable filament. Students can then plant seeds and watch them grow, learning about the lifecycle of plants and the biodegradation process.
The Cost-Benefit Analysis
While the upfront cost of a Filabot system may be an investment, the long-term savings are considerable. By recycling plastics and failed prints, you dramatically reduce the costs associated with buying new filament spools. Plus, you're mitigating your environmental impact by recycling existing materials—a win-win for both your wallet and the planet.
The Filabot is more than just a filament-making machine; it’s a tool for fostering sustainable creativity. As we enter into this school year, integrating sustainability into education is not just a choice, but a responsibility. Filabot offers a seamless way to combine hands-on learning with environmental stewardship, making it the perfect companion for back-to-school 3D projects.
So this year, let's think outside the traditional box of crayons and notebooks. With Filabot, let’s print a brighter, more sustainable future for our students, one layer at a time.
Get yours today at filabot.com.
]]>Check out this collection of intriguing research and developments from colleges and universities.
Robert Anderson, a course assistant at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, received a $4,000 Sustainability Grant to address the issue of waste from discarded 3D-printed parts in his Computer-Aided Machine Design class. Using equipment from Filabot, a Vermont company, he enabled on-site recycling of 3D printing filament, thereby turning plastic waste into reusable material. Anderson worked with the Active Learning Labs staff to optimize the system for user-friendliness and efficiency. He aims to improve the system further, possibly incorporating it into student thesis projects. Displayed at the University Sustainability Fair, the initiative aims to not only recycle waste but also to instill sustainability consciousness in future engineers.
Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. (2017, May). Green idea. Retrieved September 5, 2023, from https://seas.harvard.edu/news/2017/05/green-idea
Researchers at Michigan Technological University are using Filabot 3D printers to turn old plastic into "ink" for printing various objects, from tools to fashion items. The technology can shred thermoplastics like ABS, HDPE, and LDPE, using a fraction of the energy required in traditional recycling processes. The advancement suggests a move towards making 3D printing more economical and sustainable by recycling plastics from the waste stream. The article also touches on the potential for 3D printing in food production, mentioning printers like the Foodini and ChefJet, which can print items from pasta to sugar-based shapes. However, the piece highlights that for 3D printing to become fully integrated and environmentally friendly, the technology must be capable of using multiple, biodegradable materials.
Greener Ideal. 2022. How 3D Printing Can Save Our Planet. Retrieved September 5, 2023, from https://greenerideal.com/news/technology/0204-how-3d-printing-can-save-our-planet/
Arizona State University's Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering has developed a system to recycle plastic used in 3D printing, aiming to make their 3D Print and Laser Cutting Lab more sustainable. Established three years ago, the lab aids students in engineering courses and various other projects. The Filabot recycling system, named "Bob Ross," repurposes failed or waste 3D print jobs into new filament. It works by chipping the plastic into pellets, which are then melted and extruded to form new 3D printer filament. The lab has successfully created spools of recycled material that have been used in test prints, like a USB drive holder. The initiative received strong support from ASU Zero Waste and aims to contribute to global sustainability trends by using local reprocessing solutions. Future goals include donating excess recycled material to K -12 STEM programs and extending the sustainable practices to other labs and corporations.
Arizona State University. (2018, November 14). ASU 3D print lab creates opportunity for plastic recycling. Arizona State University News. https://news.asu.edu/20181114-asu-3d-print-lab-creates-opportunity-plastic-recycling
Researchers at Vanderbilt University have developed a non-destructive testing method for 3D-printed objects that uses the optical properties of gold nanoparticles to identify defects such as missing layers. By adding less than 0.5% by weight of gold nanoparticles to the printing material, the team was able to use an ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer to scan the printed parts and detect flaws, even those not visible to the naked eye. This innovation addresses a significant hurdle in quality control for additive manufacturing, particularly in high-stakes industries like automotive, aerospace, and medical equipment. The technology is still in its early stages but holds promise for not only improving defect detection but also enabling in-service monitoring and materials design for large-scale 3D printing applications.
Tom Kevan. 2018. Gold Nanoparticles Shine Light on 3D Printing Defects. Digital Engineering 24/7. https://www.digitalengineering247.com/article/gold-nanoparticles-shine-light-on-3d-printing-defects/rapid-ready-tech
The equipment used in these studies is available for purchase at filabot.com.
]]>ecoPLAS is a manufacturing-ready biodegradable and compostable limestone (CaCO3) compound with PLA LX175 base that conforms to the FDA food contact safe (G.R.A.S.) specification (and many others) and is suitable for 3D Printing and Injection Molding.
Limestone, which is primarily calcite (CacO3) sequesters CO2 during formation and doesn’t release it unless heated above 1500˚ F. Its natural color is off-white, though ecoPLAS can be dyed to a range of colors and is used as material for additive manufacturing or as pellets for injection molding. No special equipment or conditioning is required to put this material in service.
Check out the test patterns we ran using ecoPLAS and compare them to other materials. The limestone base gives it a nice surface finish and precise outlines of complex shapes.
Pictured clockwise from the top:
But there is a simpler and more accurate way, with a big reduction in scrap. The Filameasure accessory is the perfect tool for perfect filament. Just remove the filament guide from the standard spooler and replace it with the Mitutoyo micrometer-based measuring head. Watch this video for reference and see how easy it is to install the in-line micrometer. And by the way, the display is solar powered, so ambient lighting is enough to activate the LCD display and it doesn’t require a separate power source. Once the Filameasure system is in place you can quickly get set up to start producing very precise filament spools. If you want to achieve the added quality control step to record this measurement for SPC purposes, a software package is available that connects between the gauge and a windows laptop or tablet.
Click Here to Learn More
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For years Filabot has provide a forced air cooling trough, the Filabot Airpath which sits between the extruder and the spool winder to provide the necessary cooling for improved spooling. Now Filabot has upped their cooling options by introducing the Filabot Waterbath. True to its name, with water cooling, filaments are ready for spooling quicker than with the air-cooled version.
All things being equal the water-cooled solution should result in a faster throughput, especially when processing high temperature filaments. If your Filabot Airpath seems to be a limitation in throughput, or you want to process higher temperature filaments, the new Filabot Waterbath might be the solution you are looking for. Product is shipping now. Check this link for technical details and pricing.
]]>It’s that time of year again, 2022 is coming to an end and we are looking forward to 2023. This year was packed with all sorts of new things. New projects, opportunities, products, and great fun! Overall COVID was less of an issue this year compared to 2020 and 2021. While still something to navigate through, there was a general sense of relief in the wake of this pandemic and people were feeling more connected.
In 2022 our team focused heavily on bringing large format printing solutions to our customers. Our robotic program at Massive Dimension revolved around connecting the software, hardware, and processes. All elements were integrated to ensure a seamless experience for our customers. MD products are production quality ready for customers to plug in and print. We started this focus at the end of 2021 where we attended Fabtech in conjunction with ABB to demonstrate our robotic printing cell. Continuing though this year we solidified our ABB partnership by presenting a print cell at ABB booths at Automate, IMTS, and Fabtech 2022. Each show allowed our team to advance the technology and marry the robotics aspect into the additive technology. At Fabtech 2022 our team demonstrated simultaneous 8 axis printing. This was achieved by using an IRB 4400 robot and a two part positioning system.
In furthering our relationship with ABB, Massive Dimension successfully became a designated Value Provider Channel Partner – the only additive manufacturing company to have achieved this designation. This was a lengthy process where ABB evaluated our technical competence, financial operations, and technology to make sure our company operated at a high level of quality and that we would be able to uphold the Value Provider requirements. As the only additive manufacturer to have achieved this status from ABB we are excited to see what opportunities arise from this relationship.
On another note about ABB we successfully installed extruders on the full range of robots that they offer. From the small ABB IRB 120 to the largest ABB IRB 8700, our extruders are producing prints for the whole robotic range of ABB. The ABB IRB 120 utilizes our smallest extruder, actually a filament extruder system. This setup is geared towards new users who want to learn how to work with robotic printing systems before moving to the larger robots. At the other end of the spectrum, the ABB IRB 8700 robot has a reach of over 6.4m (21ft). It’s a monster of a robotic arm.
For Massive Dimension products we launched several new solutions. Most notably, the robotic printing cells are now standard builds with turnkey options for customers who want to get started printing large objects right away. The MDPE50, a 50lbs per hour output system has been developed and is launched for pre-order. This system will give way to very large prints for customers who require high output. Another new product series was the incorporation of new build surfaces; we now have a modular build surface, a large 3ft x 5ft build surface; and a 1000mm round build surface for rotary positioner printing. All build surfaces are heated to ensure no warping of prints. We added new nozzles for increased printing capabilities, evaluated and worked with new robotic printing software, and have a new “Industrial Series” systems line that has increased wear performance for demanding applications.
Our highest profile public project was the installation of an additive robot at the Louis Vuitton 200 Trunks, 200 Visionaries Exhibit in New York City. From the first contact to printing, the elapsed time was 19 days. Our team worked around the clock to make this happen and we could not be prouder of this installation. This robot 3D printer prints “LOUIS” one very large letter at a time. Each letter takes about 3-5hrs to print. Once printed the letters are placed on a stand for display. The innovative setup for this printer was a slanted build platform that allowed for viewers on the street to see the letters while they were being printed. It’s a great and engaging introduction to robotic additive manufacturing in a very public setting.
Within the Filabot product line we launched the Filabot Waterbath. An accessory device that uses water for filament cooling. Compared to the Filabot Airpath that uses air to cool extruded filament, the Filabot Waterbath has a higher cooling capacity and is tailored towards high temperature filament and high output extrusion. Another key product launch for the Filabot product line is the introduction of the Filabot EX6 Industrial Series, this line features nitrated barrels and screws for use in applications where high wear additives are being used.
Operationally we expanded our offices spaces into a new facility, while our warehouse stayed in the previously occupied building. We are moving the last few items now into adjacent warehouse space allowing our whole team to be working in one space. We now have room to stretch our legs and work on larger projects.
Looking into 2023 we are very excited for the upcoming projects and products in our roadmap. On the Massive Dimension side we will be adding products focused on part production, multiple nozzle setups, automated build platforms, subtractive manufacturing methods, and a host of other accessories to increase the capabilities of both the Filabot and Massive Dimension lines for our production customers. Most importantly we have a key focus area of recycling post-consumer and industrial polymer waste. To that end we will be bringing to the product line, reclamation equipment, dryers, and re-crystallizers to enable our customers to participate in building the “circular economy” and reducing waste.
In closing, 2022 has been a productive year. We are thankful for our amazing team who made this happen, our customers who utilize our products, and the opportunities that we find ourselves working on. From our team to you and your family, have a great holiday season, and a Happy New Year!
]]>The standard EX6 screw and barrel are hardened through carefully controlled heat treatment to provide superior durability compared to untreated tool steel. While this hardening does increase longevity, we are now able to provide a superior alternative for even greater durability. With the introduction of our Industrial Series extruders, the screw and barrel assemblies for these systems are hardened through a nitriding process that increases the hardness up to 71 C on the Rockwell scale. Additionally, the nitriding process leaves the surface of the screw and barrel with a smooth, ceramic-like finish that reduces friction during processing and makes cleaning easier.
100x magnification of extruder barrel wall, showing nitrated layer of steel
As we continue to build products, a cornerstone of our engineering philosophy is to always learn from our prior experience and improve upon earlier designs. The Industrial Series is a highlight of that commitment. These improvements in performance will give our customers a leading edge for production functions. Moving forward we will be updating and releasing more products within the Filabot Industrial Series, so stay tuned!
We’d like to take a moment to highlight one of the less talked about machines in the Filabot lineup - the Pelletizer. The Pelletizer flies under the radar as a support system for the EX2 and EX6 extruders but can enable some extrusion options that otherwise would not be possible. Here’s a brief summary of some of the capabilities of this humble workhorse:
Let’s start with the primary reason for the Pelletizer’s existence: it can chop filament into pellets. This allows you to take any out-of-spec sections of filament you have created, such as the first section that is produced while you are getting the extrusion settings dialed in, and easily turn it back into a form that can be input to the extruder. You can feed the filament in manually with your hands, or if you have a Filabot Spooler you can set it up to feed an entire spool hands-free.
We hope you don’t regularly create entire spools of out-of-spec filament that need to be recycled, and if you do we have resources that can help you, but there are other reasons to pelletize entire spools. Custom compounding powdered additives is one scenario in which you might need to do this. Typically, when mixing powdered additives into polymers you will see dropouts and surges in your extrusion, as the mixture of powder cannot be kept consistent in the hopper. However, if you take the resulting out-of-spec filament spool and pelletize it, you will get much better results the second time around.
Depending on what printers are in your bullpen, you might simply use the Pelletizer to help you transmute feedstock from one form to another. If you have a printer that makes use of 2.85 mm filament, but can only find a particular polymer you like in 1.75 mm sizes, you could chop it up and extrude it to your own specifications. Have a pellet extruder like something from our MD line? Chop your odds and ends of partial spools that aren’t long enough for extended prints into pellets and print directly from the result!
One goal of this overhaul is to bring our focus on robotics to the forefront and provide our users with a better overview of how our products function in additive manufacturing applications.
We are highlighting our "Robotic Retrofit Kit"- all of the equipment that is needed to convert an industrial robotic arm into a large format 3D printer and the considerations that one needs to review during a robot conversion.
The website update also provides more information on our turnkey robotic printing cells. These are all-in-one options for users who do not already have a robotic arm to convert and are ready-to-print solutions.
We are working with a number of robotic companies such as ABB, Staubli, and Kuka to provide our customers with a range of movement systems, and to be able to give the best integration assistance possible for customers doing their own conversions. Please reach out to us with any questions concerning robotic printing!
Are you an EX2 owner feeling the itch of upgraditis? Maybe you have had an EX2 for years and now the EX6 has caught your eye. Or perhaps you bought an EX2 only six months ago and have already decided it was time to upgrade? Either way, we don’t want you to lose sleep over your yearnings, and as always, Filabot has a solution for your problem! Since we’re responsible for getting you hooked on this whole filament extruder idea, we want to help you along on the next stage of your journey - which is why we offer the Filabot Hardware Exchange Program! How does the program work, you ask?
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By 2016 the company had outgrown the granite shed, and Filabot packed its bags and headed to the nearby town of Barre, VT. Despite being the historical “granite city” of Vermont, this time operations were not placed inside of a granite shed. A simple warehouse with attached office spaces provided ample room for the machine shop, lab space, and fulfillment. Ample, at least, for two years. By 2018 the space was packed to the proverbial gills, doors bowing outwards as more and more was made to fit inside of one space. This was the same year that the Massive Dimension brand was launched, which meant an expanded extrusion testing lab, a profusion of prototypes filling up shelves, and gaylords of plastic stacked to the ceiling. It was once again time to upsize by moving to a new location, and the perfect opportunity was presented when a warehouse across the parking lot became available for rent.
For the past three years in this third space the company continued to expand. The additional office space was filled with new team members, more and more shop tools were purchased to aid in prototyping, and 3D printers proliferated as if they might in fact be breeding. It turns out that large format printers take up a large amount of space. We kept adding electrical drops until there was twice as much copper in the building as when we first occupied the space.
Against our best efforts to organize, recycle past projects, stack things vertically, and sweep things under the rug, the space has once again been filled.
This week marks the beginning of our transition to our newest office and warehouse space. This new space will give our team, customers, and vendors the needed space for the expansion of our operations. There are once again more offices to house current and future employees, as well as a showroom floor to highlight the newest additive manufacturing technology. A dedicated filament extrusion laboratory will provide even more space for testing, and there will be room for more robots for large format printing as well! In time, this new location will house the research and development team, customer service, and even fulfillment, while also providing the opportunity for customer visits and tours for those interested in seeing our facility.
As we prepare to begin the transitional period that will be staged in phases over the next year, we found ourselves nostalgically looking back at these distinct phases of the company, and decided to share, in brief, the story with all of you. The new facility is a long way from the dorm room where Filabot started, and we feel empowered to look at not only how far we have come, but to peer ahead to where this next location might take us. More so than ever, we are driven to innovate, and endeavor to provide solutions for the additive manufacturing industry as it moves into an increasingly prominent position. This new space will allow us to continue to grow, and we hope you’ll continue to follow along with us in this next chapter of our journey.
]]>Of course, no year in review would be complete without a mention of the pandemic that has become a fixture in all of our lives. As a COVID precaution, at the beginning of 2021, our team was fragmented, working full or part-time from home with engineers coming into work in shifts to try to minimize exposure. Like almost everyone had to, we got used to communicating and having meetings over video conferences- but we were happy to all return to the office in June after team members were able to get vaccinated. We are lucky to work from a state with the lowest COVID numbers in the country, and our team remained healthy through the year. As a relatively small team at our research and development headquarters, we are hopeful we will be able to remain in person through the course of the winter to come.
Filabot celebrated its ten-year anniversary this month, a milestone worth celebrating! A decade after its inception, the mission statement of diverting waste plastic streams into functional 3D printing feedstock is as relevant as ever, especially as industrial applications for additive manufacturing become increasingly common. This past year we invested more time into prototyping systems particularly for recycling PET into filament, though we have not yet released a product to market to help consumers with this process, we hope this year’s labors in this area will perhaps bear fruit in 2022. As a common material for soda, juice, and water bottles, there is a great deal of interest in being able to extrude it into filament, though the extrusion process itself is, unfortunately, more complex than many thermoplastics. Stay tuned for further developments there!
2021 saw additional growth and expansion of Filabot’s extrusion testing services, through which we assist clients in determining the validity of different polymers for filament creation. Though the vast majority of these tests are confidential through the protection of NDAs, suffice to say that the full spectrum of materials and additives was quite astonishing and an unending source of discovery in the filament lab. Filabot continues to strive to be an authority on extrusion variables and to assist those looking to further the field of material studies in 3D printing. Our other focus of study this year was in VOCs, what we believe to be an understudied yet crucially important field to understand to keep 3D printing safe for end-users. We sent samples of the pellets we supply on our website to independent labs for testing for VOC content and invested in sensors to utilize during material testing to measure overall VOC concentration at the point of extrusion. We partnered with Fumex, manufacturers of portable fume extraction units, in order to supply an option for customers who want to limit their exposure to VOCs during extrusion.
In the realm of new products, earlier this year we released a metal spool specifically designed for use with polymers that require higher temperatures than the melt temp for typical plastic spools. Additionally, we are preparing to bring an alternative cooling solution for the extrusion line to market in the first quarter of the new year- think water! We have also been busy behind the scenes working on accessories that will continue to make the extrusion process more automated and hands-free, which we are very excited to announce in the near future.
Filabot’s sister brand, Massive Dimension, had (if you’ll forgive the pun) a big year. In the first quarter, we released our second large-format pellet extruder, the MDPE10. The MDPE10 features five times the output of the MDPH2, a longer screw and barrel assembly, a more powerful servo motor, and customizable screw options to match different polymers. Additionally, we released the MDMCU- an automated pellet feeding system for either of the extruders in our line-up. The MDMCU is a real game-changer for running extended prints even up to multiple days long without needing any babysitting.
We expanded the MD lab to include material testing services much like what Filabot offers, running untried materials for clients on our large-format printers. We created a test bench specifically for these trials, with a data acquisition card pulling information such as torque, screw speed, and heat zone temperatures and plotting them through the course of the test. We hope to expand the data we are able to capture in the next year by adding criteria such as melt flow pressure and polymer temperature at the point of extrusion. Much of our personal experiments in the lab were involved with printing directly from regrind, an endeavor closely aligned with the mission statement of Filabot and highly desirable as a way of making recycled materials more appealing to the general public as a printer feedstock. We are releasing an accessory in the first quarter of 2022 that was designed to help make printing directly from regrind particles more reliable!
In September, Massive Dimension went to the Fabtech convention in Chicago and teamed up with ABB Robotics to create a robotic 3D printing cell. Featuring an ABB IRB 4400 with an MDPH2 extruder and using a rotary table as a seventh axis of movement, the demonstration was a huge success and we hope to put more Massive Dimension extruders on ABB industrial robots in the future. More exciting news on that front to come in the New Year as well! Between movement systems and heated beds, we hope in 2022 to transition to providing complete and custom printing solutions for additive manufacturing needs.
All things considered, and pandemic woes aside, the team at Filabot/ Massive Dimension feels like 2021 treated us pretty well. We are excited to continue our various lines of research and continue testing and innovating ways to move forward within the world of 3D printing. We are incredibly grateful to have the support of all of our readers and product users who help keep us motivated! Thanks so much for following along, see you next year!
]]>We appreciate your patience, we look forward to working with you in the New Year and are enthusiastic for the work to come. See you in 2022!
Thanks,
The Filabot Team
]]>In our latest video walkthrough we go through the basics of running an extrusion line, incorporating an EX6, Airpath, Spooler, and Filameasure in order to produce and spool correctly toleranced 1.75mm diameter filament. Check out the video below to join Jack in the Filabot lab and follow along as he walks you through the steps of turning plastic pellets into spooled filament, and be sure to check back in the future for video content with more specific tips and tricks on ideal extrusion parameters for specific polymers!
If you are trying to reach out while we are on holiday, we are grateful for your patience and understanding, and look forward to reconnecting with you after the break.
Thanks,
The Filabot Team
]]>Rather than break out the carving knives, we thought we would put our 3D printers to use and see if we couldn’t print a suitable spooky pumpkin! We ended up pulling a nice looking model from Thingiverse, “Vampire Pumpkin New” by user justinds89 (thanks Justin!), sliced it in Cura, and had our file ready to go.
Lucky for us, the Massive Dimension branding is black and orange, so most of our 3D printed parts end up being those colors. There was a decent amount of failed prints and rapid prototyping iterations stored in a container that we decided to grind up to make our pumpkins.
Rather than just go pure orange we let some other random colored prints into the blend, thinking it might create some nice variegated hues in the pumpkin to make it more “organic”. After running the plastic through the grinder, we mixed the resultant granules with clear virgin LX175, a bio-based PLA. We wanted to achieve a semi-transparent print wall so we could try to light it from within!
Once the print was finished we simply drilled a hole large enough in the base to pop a light bulb on a cord through and plugged it in! Ideally, some sort of LED light source with a battery pack would be preferable, so you could place it outside unhindered by power cords. Maybe set it on a repeating timer so it would be hidden in the dark then suddenly come on as soon trick or treaters walked past…
Have you utilized your 3D printers for Halloween decorations, costumes, etc? Let us know in the comments!
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We put together a short video covering all the basic steps involved in cleaning your extruder, aimed at novices just receiving their machines but potentially of use to more veteran users as well. The video begins with running purge compound through the machine, continues to removing and cleaning the screw and nozzle, and also shows how to clean the barrel. Check out the video below and follow along as Filabot team member Jack details the process! As always, feel free to comment with any further questions!
Mounting large-format extruders to articulated robots has enabled some of the most revolutionary shifts in possibilities for 3D printing in recent years, spurring on advancements such as non-planar slicing. We believe that these robots represent the future for movement systems to pair with extrusion technology, and cannot wait to see the IRB 4600 / MDPH2 in action at Fabtech.
Fabtech takes place at the McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois from September 12-16 and is free to register and attend. You can see the IRB 4600 / MDPH2 at the ABB Booth #B17038 in the North Hall! Our own table will be in the Additive Manufacturing Pavilion in the South Hall, A1416. Stop by and say hello if you are in the area!
]]>It has not been determined what is considered “safe” and what may pose a potential health risk in terms of VOCs. We are watching closely as the U.S. EPA and other government agencies and scientists initiate studies in this area, but such studies are only in the beginning stages. Therefore, in the meantime, as a company, we recently decided to be proactive and put additional safeguards in place within our own research lab. This is what led us to begin using the Fumex air filtration system ourselves within our own working environment. We believe it reduces our own risk when working with our machines in the lab. You could say we’d rather be safe than sorry! We have found that the line of Fumex filtration systems works well in our lab as portable devices that can be adapted quickly to the ever-changing environment presented by our research and development needs. The articulated hose on the extractor makes it easy to effectively capture fumes at the point of extrusion as filament is created. Even with the blower motor running at full speed the unit is not unreasonably loud to work around.
You can find our webstore listing for the Fume FA1-E here. We look forward to sharing additional findings with you as we continue to try to deepen our understanding of how to safely work with new materials being created for additive manufacturing. We’ve sent materials out to laboratories for analysis, and sourced machines with sensors that can monitor the air for VOC content during extrusion- so keep an eye out for future blog posts on the subject! In the meantime, if you have any sources for independent research on the subject that you think are worth sharing, please let us know!
We think it is also important to note that if you use feedstock materials including pellets in our extruders that are obtained from outside sources or suppliers other than our Company, you may want to verify the chemical composition of such materials, since they may vary, which may also affect the degree of impact of VOCs when running our machines. We cannot at this time speak to those materials and this certainly presents a challenge for us as a company, or for any governmental body or scientists in performing studies when materials inputted may vary. At this time, we can only speak to and verify the source materials, for example, for the rPETG or LX175 pellets that our company provides and sells in our webstore.
]]>Enter the Filabot metal spool - made from durable and corrosion resistant laser-cut aluminum plate capable of handling any polymer drying temperature. Designed specifically to work with the Filabot Spooler, the metal spool will retain its shape during drying cycles and will outlast plastic filament spools through repetitive use. The metal spool is sized to hold 0.5kg, with future expandability modules to be released with easily swappable wider hubs that increase capacity. The metal spool has the added benefit of being extremely lightweight, weighing in at 0.2kg, while a 0.5kg capacity plastic spool weighs nearly twice that. It doesn’t hurt that it looks good while doing it, like swapping out your winter tires on black steelies for your summer alloy rims. The Filabot metal spool is available now, see the product listing in the store here!
]]>Polystyrene is one of the most commonly used plastics worldwide- in its extruded form it can be found in everything from disposable cups and take-out containers to building insulation panels- you have probably more often heard it called styrofoam. Though it offers many advantages in industry and manufacturing, it is an ecological nightmare as it takes hundreds of years to degrade but readily fragments into microplastics that disperse into our rivers and oceans. It does not possess the density necessary to be processed and extruded using feedscrew driven machines, and when heated it releases pollutants detrimental to both the environment and the individual attempting the extrusion. In the absence of a meaningful possibility for recycling this material, we must turn towards methods of biodegradation- which is exactly what a team of researchers at the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology in the Republic of Korea hoped to find through their studies in an unlikely direction: feeding polystyrene to worms.
In fact, feeding polystyrene to mealworms is not a novel idea- previous studies have already shown that these creatures were capable of digesting the material and subsisting from a diet of styrofoam alone- though it remained a subject of debate as to whether or not they were actually degrading the polymer or simply passing it through their digestive systems more or less unaffected. The specific goal of the Daegu researchers therefore was to prove that the polystyrene was in fact being biodegraded through this process, and to identify the mechanism by which it was happening. Here they were again aided by previous established studies in which it was demonstrated that there was a positive correlation between gut microbiota in mealworms and active degradation of polystyrene- accomplished by administering antibiotics to a set group of worms and comparing degradation results against a control group. In this study there was reduced depolymerization from the digestion of worms that had been given antibiotics. The present study by the Daegu researchers hoped to further these findings by isolating the specific bacteria responsible for the polystyrene degradation, this time in the gut of not only mealworms but additionally superworms, larva of Z. atratus.
The researchers separated the guts from the superworms and cultured the bacterial strains in petri dishes in order to try to separate the several strains that occur naturally within the digestive tract. Using DNA sequencing technology they were able to identify Psuedonomas sp., a bacterial strain previously found in micro-organisms in soil to degrade polystyrene. This was the dominant strain of bacteria, comprising 35 percent of the bacterial content. In order to confirm that Psuedonomas sp. was responsible for degradation of the polystyrene, they utilized a scanning electron microscope to observe the bacterial activity on the styrofoam. Under this extreme magnification, they were capable of seeing that the bacteria had a firm connection to the surface of the polystyrene, and furthermore could see changes in the surface of the polystyrene, which was smooth after bacterial activity instead of the rough surface shown by the unaltered foam. The bacteria was able to survive on nothing but polystyrene! The researchers proceeded to confirm their findings with other scientific measurements, which you can follow up on in the link to the original article if you are so inclined- find the PDF download here.
We thought this research was pretty fascinating and as we tend to do, decided to try a similar experiment for ourselves. In the great cycle of life, superworms eat styrofoam but are in turn eaten by reptiles- which means that they are readily available as pet food. You can buy them in bulk on the internet or do what we did and shop local at your closest reptile store. We bought a few hundred superworms and put them in a tupperware container with some ventilation holes drilled into the lid, a piece of styrofoam, and a bit of bonus PLA to see if they’d have any interest. Note that if you wanted to quickly eliminate any meaningful amounts of styrofoam you would require a significantly larger number of superworms, we just wanted to see their work for ourselves on a small scale. You can actually breed them, though you have to take additional steps to do so. Remember that superworms aren’t actually worms at all, but the larval stage of beetles. What is interesting about them is that as long as they remain in contact with other larvae, they will not mature into beetles- at any point. So in order to have breeding stock, you must remove a certain part of the population and isolate them to allow them to “grow up”. Then, you need a container for adult beetles to live inside of and mix and mingle.
We didn’t want to increase our superworm population, so we kept them all to the single container. You can’t feed them solely on polystyrene, because they need to also eat something that provides them with hydration- they don’t drink water. We provided them with the highest quality iceberg lettuce to fulfill this dietary need, and they were still happy to munch on the styrofoam as well. After a few weeks they had put a serious dent in the piece of styrofoam, carving out tunnels and working away at the surface, though they didn’t touch the PLA. Unlike the scientists at Daegu we didn’t go the extra mile and perform any analysis of the “processed” material that was the result of their feasting- though it certainly appeared by visual inspection to be degraded and of lesser mass than the original input.
Since we don’t regularly work with polystyrene, there isn’t a need in our lab for a superworm population, though it was a fun experiment to observe. If you find yourself needing to throw away lots of styrofoam and have an interest in animal husbandry it may be just the solution for you. Care of superworms falls somewhere between goldfish and hamster- you don’t have to feed them every day but you do have to periodically clean out their living quarters and to be frank it isn’t often pretty. If squirmy squigglies make you squeamish, you aren’t going to like these larvae. However, they prove the case that nature often provides solutions to some of the problems we create as humans, and that is a beautiful thing.
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In this case, investing doesn’t have anything to do with stonks or making money. While casting, the investment is the name for the mold that you create and pour the molten metal into. It is arguably the most critical part of the entire process, as whether or not you get it right will determine if the cast is successful. The first step of investing involves attaching your wax object to a sprue. Sprues are also made of wax and can be bought pre-made at different sizes for different size investments. They are essentially a skinny cylinder with a larger spout at one end. They anchor your wax object in place while the investment is poured, then later when the investment is fired in a kiln and the wax melts out, the void left behind becomes the channel through which the molten metal is poured and fills the mold. You can design your prints to come off the printer bed with a sprue already attached, or simply buy them and melt the end and press it to your print to attach it. Where the sprue attaches to the print is one of the most critical factors for a successful casting. In fact, for objects with complex geometry it is more advanced than we could hope to cover in a single blog post. The basic idea of sprue logic is that you want the metal flow to be able to efficiently reach all the corners and crannies of the mold before it cools enough to turn solid and freeze. If the metal freezes and cuts off the flow to any part of your mold, you will end up with an incomplete casting.
In addition to fighting against the rapid cooling of your molten metal, you will have to battle against pockets of gas that form inside of your investment. Depending on several factors including the volume and porosity of your investment as well as whether you have some form of assistance for the pouring (i.e. vacuum or centrifuge) you may need to add a second sprue that will create a vent in your mold for these gases to escape through. In the case of casting our nozzle heater with a simple gravity-fed pour a vent was necessary to allow gases to escape and let the metal into all the corners of our mold.
Having watched a multitude of Youtube videos with people doing investment casting in varying degrees of the DIY spirit and having tried different methods here in the lab, there are a few corners that often get cut here that we would recommend putting a little bit of extra money into getting the correct supplies to make sure your efforts bear fruit. First, we recommend buying a proper casting flask and a rubber base that allows you to screw a sprue onto the base. Lots of examples can be found on the internet of people pouring their investments into cylinders or boxes they tape together out of recycled cardboard and then find some way to keep the sprue fixed in place while the investment is poured, and after trying it both ways we found it was worth the modest price to have a reusable metal flask with a rubber sleeve and reliable sprue attachment methods. You want your object to be nicely centered in the investment, with the sprue plumb so the metal pours evenly into the mold. This is more easily accomplished with a professional quality flask.
The other place where we would recommend spending a bit more money is on the investment material. Again, there are a large number of DIY casting enthusiasts who have success making investments with plaster of paris type mixtures readily available at your local hardware store, but we chose to pay roughly double to get a supply of professional jewelry casting investment. This helps take a lot of the guesswork out of the investing as well as firing processes, as the manufacturer provides extremely specific weighing, mixing, investing, and firing guidelines with the product. These variables include powder to water ratios for a given flask volume, working and curing times, and firing temperatures. Having precise guidelines for success with your investment is crucial if you are just getting started with casting and will save you a good deal of trial and error as you make some of your initial attempts. We used Ransom & Randolph Ultra-vest with BANDUST, it is supposed to cut down on airborne dust particles, though you should still wear a respirator while working with any investment materials. An ordinary “dust mask” such as we have all grown accustomed to wearing for pandemic safety is not sufficient to keep these airborne particles from getting into your lungs! R & R also offers a specific investment material called Plasticast that is designed for working specifically with plastic and wax burnout, though we haven’t tried that specific formulation.
The process of investing requires precise weighing and measuring of dry materials and water, and careful attention to timing all of the stages of the mixing and pouring to ensure that the investment doesn’t set up before you are completely finished. First you will mix your investment thoroughly with water, then the mixed investment needs to be rid of any trapped air bubbles. This is most easily accomplished with a vacuum pump, though it can be done with a vibratory table as well, and internet sources have reported some success using a random orbital sander to vibrate their investment mixtures. We have a large vacuum pump here in the lab, so I used that. Applying vacuum to the wet mixture will result in the air rising to the surface and “boiling over”. At this point it can be removed from the vacuum chamber and poured into the flask with the sprued object inside. Care should be taken to pour the mixture gently down the side of the flask and not directly onto the object, as the investment poured from a height could exert enough force to break the object from the sprue. After the mixture has been poured, vacuum is applied once more for about a minute and then the investment is left to cure. It is very important that the flask is not disturbed while the investment cures!
Cure time will vary depending on what you are using for an investment. The Ultra-vest recommends a two hour cure time. After it has cured, but before it has been fired, an investment is referred to as being “green”. Ideally, at this point you would have your kiln warmed up to initial firing temperature and pop the investment in. Since we were trying to work the casting schedule into a typical work day and the firing schedule requires many hours in the kiln, we had success making the investment at the end of one work day, and then transferring the green investment into a tightly sealed plastic bag with a damp paper towel inside of it. This keeps the green investment from drying out prematurely, which can cause cracks during the firing process. We would then fire the investment in the kiln on the following morning.
You will need a kiln for the firing of the investment, as the investment needs to reach internal temperatures of 1350F. We picked up an old Duncan ceramics kiln from the 80s on Craigslist for a few hundred dollars so we could experiment with casting, it draws a lot of electricity and doesn’t offer the most precise calibration options, but we added a k-probe to monitor the temperature inside the kiln and with a bit of fiddling had it running at the temperatures we wanted. The firing process accomplishes two things: first, the wax all melts and runs out from the mold. Note that you need to orient your investment properly in the kiln so that the sprue is facing downwards and the wax can drip out. This is referred to as the “burnout” phase. Second, the water in the investment mixture is converted to steam and released from the mold, and the investment hardens just like a piece of pottery. At the conclusion of the firing process the investment will become slightly porous, which helps gases to escape during the pouring of the metal. The entire process takes hours, and the time increases based on the volume of the investment. We tried to condense the firing schedule as much as possible to fit within a typical workday, and ended up settling on a slightly abridged schedule that was around eight hours long. The temperature ramps up in the kiln every few hours, the final target temperature is around 1350F but you can’t start with the kiln that hot or your investment will crack. An example of a firing schedule might be two hours at 475F, then two hours at 800F, followed by two hours at 1150F and finally two hours at 1350F.
At the end of the firing process the investment must be allowed to cool back down to its ideal pouring temperature, which will be dependent on the metal you are casting. Tables with suggested investment temperature for various metals are available online- don’t confuse them with the pouring temperature that the metal itself needs to be at. Usually the flask temperature is considerably lower than the pouring temperature of the metal, roughly 1000F below. If the flask is too cool the metal will cool too quickly and freeze before completely filling the mold. Conversely, if the flask is too hot it will encourage gas formations that can manifest as tiny pinprick bubbles on the surface of the casting, marring your finish.
That brings us finally to the last process and set of variables- melting and pouring the metal! This is both the most exciting part of the whole process and the most dangerous. You will need a furnace capable of achieving melt temperatures for your chosen metal, as well as adequate safety equipment to help protect you from burns. Super well-insulating gloves with sleeves that go up to your elbow are well worth the purchase for this task, and should be worn while operating the kiln as well. You can purchase kevlar/fiberglass insulated gloves that can withstand temporary contact up into the range of 2000F. A leather apron such as blacksmiths wear is a good idea, and needless to say appropriate footwear should be worn.
We bought a tabletop electric furnace to use for casting, this was the single largest expense for this venture. It holds a fairly large size crucible that the metal can be melted in, and is temperature controlled with a PID. It is quite accurate and creates reproducible results, which helps when trying to orchestrate the cooling of the investment with the melting of the metal. The pouring temperature of the metal is one of the final critical variables for the casting process. Again, there are recommendations and tables easily found on the internet for any of the metals you might want to cast with. Keep in mind some tables might list the melting temperature for metals, which is not the same as the pouring temperature, which will be a fair amount higher. If you were to try to pour metal at the precise melting point, it would solidify as soon as it hit the investment. It needs to be heated sufficiently past the melting point that it can move through the entire mold before cooling enough to become solid. Just as with the flask temperature though, hotter is not always better. Above a certain temperature the grain size of the metal will increase, resulting in a casting that has poor mechanical properties and surface finish. Additionally, you want the metal to arrive at the pouring temperature within a short window of the flask cooling to its preferred temperature- which is to say you don’t want the molten metal to be sitting at that temperature for a long time, as it will begin to oxidize.
We ran all our casting experiments with aluminum , as this is what the final prototype part was intended to be made from. Typically metal can be purchased as “casting grain” which as the name suggests comes in the form of small beads that melt faster than a solid chunk. Additionally, they can be alloys that have preferential qualities for casting. Cast aluminum differs from extruded aluminum in composition, though for our experiments we just used our bandsaw to slice up thin pieces of scrap extruded aluminum to create our pouring stock. If you have a large supply of scrap metal it can be a way to cut down your costs especially while learning the process, since you are likely to have a few failures before you achieve better quality results. If you don’t have any scrap metal at your disposal, you might as well order proper casting grains!
The last thing to keep in mind while pouring the metal is to keep calm and don’t pour too fast! The combination of pressure from not wanting to screw up at the end of a multi-step process and the danger factor of molten metal can lead to an elevated heart rate! Take a deep breath before you grab that crucible, make sure you have a clear work area and everything is arranged for the perfect pour. We set up what we now affectionately call “the litter box”, which is just a small sandbox that the investment flask can be set down in. The sand insulates the still hot flask and if there is any spillage of molten metal it gets trapped in the sand. It is counter-intuitive to pour the metal slowly as you think you want to transfer it from the heat into the mold as quickly as possible, but the turbulence of a fast pour is undesirable, and can lend itself to trapped air pockets. Pour it nice and slow, and let the metal fill up the top of the spout to form a “button”. The extra weight of the button can help force the metal into all the parts and pieces of the mold. Note that there are additional ways to force the molten metal through the mold, such as using a vacuum table or a centrifuge. We chose to see if we could get successful results with a simple gravity pour, and while we succeeded with this method we will likely still build a vacuum table in the future to try to get even better results with future casting.
Give your flask some time to cool off, then when you are ready to see the fruit of your labor you can either smack the investment around with a mallet or many investments will readily dissolve again in water. We had two failures in the form of incomplete castings before we got something that we considered a success, even though it still had a number of surface defects. Functionally, it would serve its purpose as a prototype part and was cast to the correct dimensions to interface with the specified nozzle. The sprue was cut off close to the surface of the object, and a belt grinder was used to remove the remainder of the extra material. A quick pass on each of the faces of the cube helped clean up some of the surfaces, though deeper imperfection from gas bubbles still persisted. We learned a lot, but are still relative novices to this complex process! We hope to continue to build upon the knowledge we’ve acquired thus far, and perhaps next time try casting with another material such as bronze, and make something a bit more “artful” than the nozzle heater.
If you are just getting started learning to cast or have questions about any of the aspects we discussed in this multi-part blog post, don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or comments! Though we have tried to cover the entire process to some degree, the process by and large is regularly addressed in book length- so we’ve had to be brief where you could write a treatise. Have you had success casting objects from prints? Feel free to share links to what you have made in the comments section, we’d love to see what you have created!
]]>If you have poked around on the 3D printing community on the internet you have likely seen the results of this process in some form or another, perhaps on Reddit or a Youtube channel. Casting metal is an ancient technology, and there are numerous ways to go about it ranging from methods that stay low-tech and low-cost to methods that are cutting edge and expensive. After some initial research into the various options we decided to strike somewhat of a middle ground, investing some money into tools that would help us achieve the results we wanted without spending astronomical amounts on the most up-to-date machines. We decided to try a form of casting called “lost wax”, which involves making the object you eventually want to cast in metal first out of wax, then making a mold around that object (called an “investment”), firing the mold in a kiln, which hardens the mold and also burns out the wax (hence the wax being “lost”), and then finally pouring the molten metal into the investment. Starting from the beginning, we needed to make our prototype part out of wax!
Historically, the lost wax process has been used for sculpture and jewelry, as well as dentistry. Traditionally the wax object might have been carved by an artisan, though we intended to use our 3D printers to do that tricky and highly skilled labor for us. Many people have successfully used this same process but utilize good old PLA for their prints, but we wanted to try printing with actual wax for a few reasons. The wax has a lower burnout temperature, and will burn out from the investment faster than the PLA. Additionally, it leaves less ash residue in the investment and creates less smoke. We sourced wax from machinablewax.com in the form of 1.75mm filament as well as pellets, from which we extruded our own 2.85mm filament on the Filabot EX2. Truth be told, the wax is a bit tricky to print with- it shrinks while it cools and requires extra precautions in order to keep it from warping and coming detached from the print bed.
Here is what we learned from our experience printing with wax: it is easiest to accomplish with an enclosure. Our first attempts to print with the filament were on some of our Prusia printers that do not have enclosures- you can minimize cooling by turning off the print fans but the wax was still cooling too quickly. This is likely partially dependent on ambient temperatures- these experiments were done in the middle of the winter in Vermont, where even inside our warehouse it is below 70 degrees. For printers without an enclosure, we got the best results by taping a piece of watercolor paper to the print bed and printing directly to that- the initial layer of wax sinks into the textured paper and bonds quite strongly to it.
Eventually we made our own 2.85mm filament to run on our Ultimaker and the addition of the enclosure made all the difference. We used hairspray on the glass bed for some extra stick and just ran it with the stock settings on the machine for PLA. As mentioned prior, the wax shrinks a bit as it cools, and the metal will actually shrink a small amount when it is poured into the investment as well, so you have to factor that into your printed object size if you are designing a part with precise measurements. Our cast object needed to be able to precisely fit over an extrusion nozzle. We found scaling the print up by 3% from our final dimensions ended up just right!
Once we had our wax object successfully printed, it was time to start digging into the rest of the casting process- it isn’t rocket science, but there are several stages and lots of variables that ultimately determine success or failure. We got to experience a little bit of both, tune in for the second installment of this series to follow along with our trials and tribulations, if casting from a printed object is something you’ve been considering, there should be enough information to help you get started yourself!
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Test Technician: Nasser Abdel-Fatah
Test Number(s): ET200831NA01-Spool1 & Spool2
Plastic Name: Wood Fill PLA Pellets
MSDS: N/A Need to contact Manufacturer
Manufacturer: Push Plastics
Supplier: Push Plastics
Additives: Wood
Material Form: Pellets, light brown.
Material preparation: None.
Grinding: None.
Drying: Yes, 4 hours 150C.
Extrusion Setup: EX6. Airpath (2X). Filameasure SPC Unit with Tablet, and Spooler.
Extrusion Results: The above test numbers were able to generate filament at 1.75mm with a tolerance of +0.05mm. The settings, speeds, and additions are in the correct range to generate filament. Further testing will need to look at any improvements when using a chrome screw. Also adjustments to the back and middle zone might help with consistency.
Test Settings:
Materials were extruded in the EX6 with the following settings:
Heat zone settings:
Fans Settings:
EX6 Power:
Nozzle Used:
Screw Used:
Airpath Settings:
Spooler Settings (0.5kg spool):
The positioning of Equipment: When extruding the polymer space the EX6 50mm (2in) away from the first Airpath. Have no space between Airpath 1 and Airpath 2. And space the Spooler 30cm (1-foot) between Airpath 2 and the Spooler.
Graph 1. Test: ET200831NA01-Spool1. Stock Extrusion Testing Nozzle and Screw.
Graph 2. Test: ET200831NA01-Spool2. Stock Extrusion Testing Nozzle and Screw.
Send us an email at contact@filabot.com if you have any questions or would like to receive a folder with video samples from the test as well as screenshot and Excel data for the above tests.
Use the Filabot Melt Filter Nozzle to help decontaminate your recycled materials for a clean, consistent filament. The stock nozzle is good for lower output applications where the voltage is under 25 volts.
The 2x nozzle performs better because it provides more laminar flow (less die stress at exit) and allows the filament to cool slightly during exit compared to stock. The 2x nozzle works up to 50 volts.
The 3x nozzle is used for very high index plastics like PET. It aids in the pull down on exit and allows the filament to cool even more than the 2x.
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Finally, the perfect way to measure filament while extruding. The Filabot Filameasure is the perfect addition to the Filabot Spooler, this addition mounts to the Filabot Spooler and measures freshly extruded filament.
The inline measurement allows for real time adjustments to dial in diameter for the best possible filament. No more need for consistent caliper checking with this tool. Another great feature of the Filameasure is the SPC Unit one can attach to it. With the Filalogger software one can record and save in real time filament spooled or polymers tested! This is upper handy for on the cuff adjustments and troubleshooting needs. The Filameasure and SPC unit will allow to compare and contrasts your data with other plastics and extruder settings to see what works best for you!
We feel very strongly about the value this addition can bring to you and your extrusion making! To help with the support of our product we have a couple YouTube videos you can check out here. Also, check out the Filameasure here on our website! Be on the lookout for new products to improve your recycling and extrusion needs!
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