Filament Extrusion for Use in 3D Printers

The Extrusionaire is a 3D filament recycling system that allows users to turn older or failed prints, support structures and other waste plastic back into usable 3D printer filament. It does so by melting down raw plastic material, mixing to maintain uniformity, extruding into a filament and spooling it for use by common 3D printers.

Supplies

· Melting Plastic

· Ceramic Insulation (2)

· Winding Guide Block (1)

· DS3225 25KG 270 Degree High Torque RC Digital Servo (1)

· ARDUINO UNO R3 (2)

· ARDUINO MEGA 2560 R3 (1)

· Thermal Paste (1)

· Ideal Wire Twist wire connectors (1)

· Gardner-Bender 16-14ga spade terminal (1)

· Cable Ties 4 in. Black (UV Protected) Ultra-Light-Duty (1)

· Utilitech 10-ft 15-Amp 110-Volt 14-Gauge Black Indoor Extension Cord (1)

· High temp tape (1)

· 12V DC Motor (1)

· PTC Heaters (5)

· Extruding Filament

· 1.75mm Nozzle 16mm Extrusion Screw (1)

· Variable Speed Motor Control (1)

· 28BYJ-48 and Controller (4)

· 14 Gauge A36 24"x36" (2)

· 6" ASTM 6061 Round Bar (1)

· Metal Funnel (1)

· Filament Spool (2)

· 12V DC Fan (1)

· Drawing/Spooling

· PID Controller Kit (1)

· LCD Panel (1)

· 4x4 keypad

· Power Supply

· 22 AWG Solid Wire Kit

· M4 Fastener Screws (Kit)

· M6 Fastener Screws (Kit)

· Electrical shut off box

· 14/3 Stranded Wire (10 ft)

· Chicago Electric Welding Cart

Step 1: Cart Assembly

A welding Cart is used to provide mobility to the Extrusionaire. The cart used is Chicago electric Welding cart and is assembled using the instruction provided and with a few changes as follows. The cart is designed with have three shelves, with the top at a slight angle. All shelves and supports are fastened with1/4 inch screws, lock and spacer washers, and nut caps that came provided with cart. The middle shelf of the cart is excluded and the top shelf is fastened via an additional hole that was drilled by team members at a distance of 24.25" from the ground of such that the shelf is level with the ground. This hole was created via a battery powered drill and two size drill bits, a 1/8 of an inch to start the hole and a 1/4 inch to drill through both the support arm and the shelf itself.

Step 2: Steel Cutting and Shaping

14 gauge A36 steel is used for the melting pot, insulation box and additional support structures.

The size of the sheet steel section used is 24"x36". Cut the steel using a plasma cutter or band-saw into the shapes in the above provided drawings. All dimensions are in millimeters and typical tolerances are plus or minus 1mm and 1 degree on all angles. That being said the closer these are to the given dimensions the easier the pieces will be to weld together in the next step.

Melting Pot, (Numbered 1-5): In the attached drawing the melting pot is the most complex and difficult to weld. Reference numbers are placed on the panels so you can use the Sheet Metal Cutouts drawing for proper placement to reduce waste.

Insulation Box, (Numbered 6-8):This component uses lots of material but is very easy to weld.

Support legs, (Number 9): 4 legs will be needed for the insulation box, and two for the melting pot. Drill the 12.5mm diameter hole then create a 90 degree bend at 25mm on the hole side of the piece.

Back support for extrusion screw, (Number 10): A single flat piece used to support extrusion screw and extrusion motor.

Heater clamps, (Number 11): Eight 25mmx25mm squares are cutout then bent down the middle at a 90 degree angle to make an L bracket

Bending of any pieces mentioned is recommended to be bent with a metal break, however a vise and hammer will suffice as most parts are welded on and any deviation in the bend can be compensated for when welding.

Step 3: Welding Steel Sections

The following sections will have to be welded together to create functional components

Insulation Box: Weld numbers 6-8 to create a rectangular box. The lid (top #6) shown in the drawing will be hinged.

Insulation Box Support legs:

Weld the longer sections of the bent legs to the insulation box itself with 30 mm from the front and back of the box to the edge of the leg such that the base of each leg is level.

Melting Pot:

Seam weld sections numbered 1-5, together, once welded the bent number 11 pieces can be welded in to hold the PTC heaters in place.

Weld heat clamps to the melting pot as seen in the picture such that the heaters are in contact with melting pot do not fall off during melting.

Step 4: Fabricating and Mounting Drawing Spool

The mounting spool requires the following components: two sections of A36 steel plate cut to the dimensions of 17cmx2.5cm, a 5cm square plate of A36 steel, a 10cm long, 10 cm diameter spool, a28BYJ-48 stepper motor and a linear motion screw rod kit that comes with a screw rod, two axially mounted bearings, a flexible shaft coupling, and a brass nut.
Five holes are drilled into each of the arms, two using a quarter inch drill bit spaced 1cm and 4 cm from the edge for mounting to the top shelf of the cart using M6 screws, two using 5/32 bits for mounting the pillow bearings with M4 screws and a fifth using a half inch bit for feeding the screw rod. These arms are bent 5 cm from the mounting edge to form a symmetrical L bracket pair spaced 20 cm apart. The 5cm square plate has a hole drilled into the center using a half inch drill bit such that the brass nut can fit securely inside, and four holes drilled in the corners for fastening to the spool with M4 screws. Once the brass nut is in place, use the included screws to fasten it to the steel plate. This system allows for the spool to be mounted onto the screw rod kit while remaining removable. Finally, the flexible coupling is fed onto the port side of the screw rod kit, which is used to mount the stepper motor. The stepper motor rotates the spool and screw. Its mounting and operation are explained in a later section.

Step 5: Fabricating and Mounting Alignment Device

The filament alignment system uses a 5cmx19cm A36 steel plate, a similar screw rod kit to the drawing spool but with two transverse mounting bearings and an alignment block that, a 28BYJ-48 stepper motor and a control switch.
The steel plate is bent 3 cm from the edge width wise and fastened to the alignment block with M4 screws. An additional hole is drilled near the other end to feed filament through. The block is fastened to the brass nut using the included screws and the whole system is fed onto the screw rod such that it moves laterally when the screw rod is rotated. The bearings are then fed onto the screw rod and are mounted onto the middle shelf of the cart using M4 screws 20 cm apart. Just like the drawing spool system, the mounting and operation of the stepper motor are explained in a later section.

Step 6: Fabricating and Mounting Final Filament Spool and Drive Wheel

Materials:

1-empty black standard size PLA 3D Printer Filament Spool

4- Prime-Line R 7147 Drawer Guide Roller Assembly, 1 in. Outside Diameter, Plastic Wheel on Steel Bracket

4- 4 x 9mm long M4 Pan head Screws, washers, spring (lock) washers

1- 1/8th drill bit

1- Drill

1- Sharpie

1 -3 " compression spring

1- 2 " in diameter rigid caster flat rubber wheel

1- 4 " slotted round Phillips head bolt, flat washer and nut

1-Ogrmar Flexible Coupling, 5 to 8mm

Attaching Spool Wheels:

1. Place plastic wheels on second shelf and spread out evenly, place empty spool on wheels, mark holes on wheel brackets with sharpie.

2. Drill marked holes with 1/8th in. bit

3. Attach wheels with bolts and nuts and tighten.

4. Place spool on wheels making sure it turns freely.

Attaching Drive Wheel

1. Drive out pin attaching wheel and caster by hammering carefully without bending caster assembly.

2. Replace pin with a 3" long with a 1/4 in dimeter stud by screwing in stud through wheel.

3. Install coupling and tighten fastening screws, see figures 1 and 2.

3. Place assembly directly behind a white plastic wheel, see figure 1.

4. Using sharpie mark rear hole and drill through.

5. Drive bolt through the bottom of shelf, place spring into bolt followed by caster assembly, finally attach nut, this will help to add and remove tension on spool while spinning.

6. If spool slips or comes off the track when turning loosen or tighten spring by loosening nut and tightening bolt.

Step 7: Mounting Stepper Motors for Drawing, Alignment, Final Filament Spool

Note. NEMA 17 High Torque Stepper Motors adopt a high quality motor steel material, it provides better control, high torque (42Ncm (60oz.in) ), low self-inductance reactance, responsive and can avoid system error and Low loss stators have better high speed performance.

Materials:

A36 Steel

3-Nema 17 Stepper motors

18-M4 x 8 washer + lock(spring)washer + hexnut

8-M6 x 16 washer + lock(spring)washer + hexnut

6-4 x 8mm long M3 Pan head screws

2- 1/16 in (1 1/2 x 1 )in metal brackets

1-1/8 in drill bit

1-Drill

Mounting Drawing Spool Stepper Motor

1.Drill holes using a 5/32 drill bit .5 cm from the edge of 5cmx2.5cm A36 steel for mounting the stepper motor with M4 screws.

2.Bend the sections of 5cmx2.5cm A36 steel 1.5 cm from that edge to form paired L brackets

3. Weld Brackets 5.5 cm apart onto the far edge of the drawing spool arms.

4. Attach stepper motor by using screws, lock washers, and hex nuts.

5. Run stepper motor wires through hole

Mounting Alignment Stepper Motor

1. Drill holes using a 5/32 drill but 1 cm from each edge of two sections of 5cmx1cm A36 steel for mounting the stepper motor with M4 screws

2. Bend steel section 2cm from the edge, with the shorter section used to mount to the cart shelf and are placed 3 cm apart.

3. Drill holes with a 5/32 drill bit into middle shelf 3 cm apart,such that the switch lever is parallel with the outside edge of the final filament spool. This switch is used as a control system for the stepper motor. When the switch is pressed by the alignment block, the stepper motor rotates counterclockwise for a set period, pushing the alignment system away. Once this point is reached, the stepper motor rotates clockwise, drawing the alignment arm towards the switch.

4. Fasten Switch to the cart with M4 screws such that the switch arm faces inwards, towards the alignment block.

Mounting Final Filament Spool Stepper Motor

1. Drill 1 hole through second shelf big enough to run stepper motor wire through, about three inches away from rear wall.

2. Drill a second hole through the rear wall, this will be used to run stepper motor wires to the control board.

3. Bend (1 1/2 x 1)in bracket at a 90 degree angle, see figure 3.

4. Weld straight ends onto blue drive wheel bracket assembly, see figure 3.

5. Drill holes on bent side of bracket, make sure stepper motor holes line up with brackets before drilling holes, stepper motor screws will be placed here, attaching stepper motor, see figure 6.

6. Attach stepper motor by using screws, lock washers, and hex nuts.

7. Run stepper motor wires through hole

Step 8: Materials for Electronics

WARNING! HIGH CURRENT AND VOLTAGE! HOT SURFACES! GEAR HAZARDS!

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY!

The following two lists contain the components necessary and a general overview of how the electrical system functions. Afterwards, a more detailed description of fabrication and operation is provided. Please understand the risks involved with these components before construction, as there is the possibility of fire, burns, crushed fingers and electrocution.

Prepare the components needed for the electrical system:

• 14 awg wire (stranded, preferably different colors to indicate polarity and DC/AC)

• 22 awg solid core wire (various colors)

• 14-16ga Spade Terminals

• 2x 10 amp Solid State relays (10A SSR)

• 40 amp Solid State Relay (40A SSR)

• 5x 140 Watt PTC Heaters

• Jaybva “Mypin” PID Temperature Controller kit K-type Thermocouple (comes with PID kit)

• 480 Watt 12V Power Supply

• 30 Amp Breaker box

• 2x 15 Amp Edison Base fuse

• Male 120V Wall Plug (preferably insulated repair section with 10ft length)

• 12V DC motor with gear reduction

• 3x 5V Servo Motors Arduino Mega 2560

• 2x Arduino Uno R3

• 100k Ohm Thermistor

• 100k Ohm Resistor

• IBT-2 Motor Controller

• Heat shrink wrap, various sizes

• Heat gun

• Serial 2004 20x4 LCD with I2C adapter

• 4x4 Keypad

• 120mm DC computer fan

The general step-by-step function for the electrical system is as follows:

1. User powers on.
2. User inputs preferences/settings into Arduino using the number pad.
3. User inputs temperature into PID controller.
4. Arduino Mega closes 10A SSR allowing the signal from the PID to the 40A SSR (this will turn on heaters as well).
5. PID actuates 40A SSR to achieve temperature.
6. PID displays temperature of the thermocouple.
7. When temperature is achieved the user initiates and Mega starts 12V Extrusion motor through the IBT-2 motor controller.
8. Mega actuates 10A SSR powering the Arduino unos that contain the stepper motor codes.
9. Stepper motors will drive drawing, aligning, and spooling wheels.
10. After given time, the user initiates and Mega actuates both 10A SSRs to stop heating and motors.
11. User powers off.

Step 9: Mounting PTC and Band Heaters

Place the band heaters around the extruder case equidistant from

each other. Connect the band heaters to each other using wire (gauge?) with heat-resistant wire wrap around it.

For the last band heater, connect it to the steady-state module located on the side of the cart.

For the PTC heaters, place them into the slots welded onto the back of the melting pot. The wires from each heater connect at a joint which then runs from the melting pot to a relay on the side of the cart.

Step 10: Mounting the Extrusion Motor

The extrusion motor output shaft and the extrusion screw needed to be attached in a way that they could be disassembled easily. A 50mm diameter by piece of 2024 aluminum was on hand to be machined down to the correct size, however the final outside diameter is 25mm, so if you have scrap bar stock closer to the final size it will save you machine time. A 10 mm through hole was drilled to match the extrusion motor output shaft. The coupling was then flipped in the machine and a 13mm hole was drilled half way through the coupler. To attached the couple to each shaft a cross hole was drilled at 12.5 mm from each end and drilled using a 5mm diameter drill. This hole was then tapped with an M6 tap, M6 screws were then used to hold the coupling to each shaft.

Next was to attach the extrusion motor to the cart. Start by getting section 10 on the Misc Part drawing and the Sheet Metal Cutout drawing. This part is then bent at 90 degrees in 4 places, with each half being symmetrical. Measure out the spot to bend along the long edge, first being 20mm from the edge, then at 90mm, another at 150mm and the last at 220mm.

The bent motor mount attached to the same 4 holes as the extrusion tube, match the bolt pattern. Depending on the motor used may change the motor mounting to this plate, for the motor we used, three holes were equally spaced around the 25mm center hole at 120 degrees between them at a radius of 30 mm.

Step 11: Mounting the Melting Pot and Insulation Box

Starting with the Assembled cart, the Insulation box is mounted directly to the cart using M6 screws, holes are drilled to match your insulation box legs. This should be done so in a way that the cutout in the bottom of the insulation box aligns with the extrusion tube opening.
The Melting pot then mounts directly to the flange on the extrusion tube. An additional plate was welded onto the melting pot to aid in disassembly and ease of installation. This 50mm square plate had holes drilled to match the extrusion tube mounting points then welded to the bottom of the melting pot. To aid disassembly, the M6 nuts were welded to the flange so only one side of the screw was needed.

A handle was attached to the front of the insulation box to aid in moving the cart, and another added to the top lid to open the insulation box lid. These are not needed but do help with ease of use, exact locations can be adjusted for the specific handles or height requirements that you may have.

Step 12: Fastening Components to Cart

All screws used in direct contact with the cart are either M6 12mm or 16mm screws with corresponding nut. All screws require holes be drilled into the cart using whatever method is preferred. We marked the location of a hole with a pointed edge, started the hole with a 1/8” drill bit and expanded it with a ¼” bit.

Insulation Box legs: M6 12mm screws

Each screw is located along the center of each leg, 3.5 cm from the bend. The holes in the base of the top shelf are located 5 com from the front or back of the top shelf edge, and 2 cm from the side.

Screw shaft front support beam: M6 16mm screws

Attach the front support beam to the angle arms of the cart with the bend sides facing downwards such that the top of the beam is 5 cm from the base of the top shelf. This will allow the screw shaft to be level with the top shelf and ground.

Screw shaft back support plate: M6 16 mm screws.

Align the top edge of the back plate to the top edge of the screw, drill holes into the back plate that align with the holes of the screw shaft base. These holes are 7.6 cm square apart from outside edge to outside edge. An additional hole with a diameter of [need measurement] will need to be drilled that aligns with the extrusion screw to allow for a motor to be attached to the screw itself. Four more 16 mm screws connect the back support plate to the back panel of the cart. We recommend that two of the screws be fed through both the back panel and the lip of the top shelf to provide additional support.

Step 13: Cutting Plates to Mount Relays and Displays

After welding and mounting the top holding bracket, we used plastic plates in order to mount relays and controls, the color black worked perfect to help hide them. This type of material is tough, flexible and lightweight, resistant to fatigue and abrasion, also can withstand oven temperatures of up to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, therefore it will not be affected by any heat coming off the melting pot.

Materials:

1-24 x 36in sheet Polypropylene Copoly/Copolymer Sheet, black

1 band cutting saw or skill saw will work too

1 tape measure

1 sharpie

Gloves

Safety Glasses or Face shield

1 dremel bit for grinding

Automatic Sander

Steps:

1. For top plate, which holds LCD Panel, PID Controller and keypad, measurements were ( 9 x 6 )in.

2. Triangular side plates measured, ( 7 x 6 x 9 )in, see figure 2.

3. Plate for all arduinos measured, ( 4 x 6 )in.

4. Once measuring all plates, trace with sharpie and cut accordingly. (Note, if plate does not have a perfect fit, use sander and/or strong glue to keep them in place.

5. If relays or any other parts are being mounted, when drilling holes, be careful not to drill through the plate, only drill half way, this way mounting screws will not show through the other side.

Step 14: Fabrication and Mounting of Motherboards

On the plastic board that was cut earlier, map out the placement of the Arduino UNOs and MEGA, as well as the Motor Control for the Extrusion motor. On the underside, map out the placement for 2 relays as well as the 3 motor controls for the stepper motors. Use #2 x 1/4in screws to attach the components to the board. Mount the plastic board onto the cart using JB Weld.

Step 15: Soldering and Shrink-wrapping Components

· Using a soldering tool, every male terminal on the SSR’s, motor drivers and Lcd should be attached using the solid core 22 awg wire. The normal female ends that accompany Arduino jumper wires should be avoided because they do not provide a tight fitting connection. Make certain every 14 awg line is properly wrapped and shielded, these are 120V lines.

1. Using a male pin header strip, trim to 7 pins and solder to the 4x4 keypad (the two pin holes on each side of the keypad board are not used). Then solder each wire with enough length to reach the Arduino Mega ~40cm.

2. Solder each Vin(+) and Vout(-) male pin on the motor drivers. The Vin(+) will be interrupted by a 10A SSR and all three (drawing, spooling and aligning) will go to one SSR on the NO (Normally open) terminal. The Vout(-) will each go to the (-) side of the 12V power strip.

3. Solder each signal wire to the motor drivers (IN1, IN2, IN3, and IN4) with enough length to reach the Arduino Unos (~30cm).

4. Solder the male ends of the LCD with enough length to reach the Arduino Mega (~50cm). The mega will use the 5V pin to power the LCD.

5. Slip a segment of shrink wrap over every wire and carefully apply using a heat gun over each soldered end. The free ends that connect to the arduinos will not need to be wrapped if each is trimmed and stripped accordingly. The 22 awg gives a tight fit to the female connections and keeping them free allows for versatility. Optionally, the ends could be soldered to a dev board.

6. Strip and solder ~ 60cm of 14 awg wire to the (+) red side of each PTC heater (they should all be in parallel). Tightly shrink wrap the node, making sure no wire is exposed. Repeat for the (-) black wires.

7. Trim four segments of 14 awg wire for the band heaters (~10cm).Wrap each 14 awg wire segment with high temp shielding.

Step 16: Fabrication of Circuits

1. Strip and trim wires from male 120V plug to the 30A breaker box and install fuses. Attach the ground wire to the small strip connected to the box cover.

2. Run the hot wire (~2ft or 60cm) from the breaker box to connect the 40A SSR, and 12V Power supply. Attach spade terminals to each end.

3. Connect one spade to terminal “1” on the 40A SSR. Connect one spade to terminal “L” on the 12V Power Supply. Connect and run neutral lines back to breaker box.

4. From terminal 2 on the 40A SSR wire a jumper to the (+) side of the PTC Heaters. Wire all five plus the jumper in parallel then solder and shrink wrap them. The (-) side will connect to the band heaters.

5. From terminal “3” on the 40A relay, wire to the “NO” port on the 10A SSR, then from the “CO” port to terminal “4” on the PID controller. This will interrupt the low voltage signal to the 40A SSR and allow the user to initiate heating, otherwise the heaters will be on as soon as the device powers up.

6. Wire from terminal “4” on the PID to terminal “4” on the 40A SSR.

6. Take the thermocouple and attach the spade terminals to the PID controller, blue(-) to 7 and red(+) to 8. The PID will give an error if the polarity is flipped. Affix the threaded end to the bottom of the melting pot where there is a tapped hole.

7. Take 22 awg cut with about 60 cm of length and strip ends. Strip wires and attach spade terminals and affix to the + and - sides of the 12V DC Power source. Finally plug (+) end into the Arduino Mega at the Vin port, and run the (-) from the GND port to the negative side of the power rail.

8. Wire in series and shrink wrap the 100k thermistor and resistor from the 5V pin to the ground pin. Between the two, solder a jumper wire to run back to the Mega. Affix the thermistor with heat tape to the flat vertical side of the melting pot, placing the glass end against the surface, centered and 10 cm from the bottom.

9. Connect the appropriate pins of the LCD and keypad to the Mega. The pin numbers are listed within the provided code and can be altered.

10. Connect the servo motors and their controllers to their respective pins on the Arduino Unos with ~60 cm jumper wires. One Uno is used for the drawing and alignment, and one for the final spool, this way the code can be adjusted to fine tune the speeds.

11. Using thermal paste between the contacting surfaces install all five PTC heaters under the metal tangs, beneath the melting pot.

13. After trimming and shielding the 14 awg jumpers, connect the band heaters in parallel.

14. Place One band heater on either side of the joint between the melting pot and extrusion tube. These may be adjusted to prevent the polymer from solidifying before reaching the extrusion screw.

15. Place the last band heater about 5 cm from the threaded end of the extrusion tube. This may be adjusted to fine tune temperature of the exiting polymer which is dependent on ambient conditions. Having the band heater too close to the nozzle will result in very low viscosity plastic or burning of the plastic within the tube.

16. Wire from the (-) end of PTC heaters to the first terminal on the band heaters, then from the other band heater terminal to the “N” neutral on the power supply.

Step 17: PID Tuning

· The Mypin PID controller is generally simple to use, and although the factory instructions seem confusing, the only settings necessary to be adjusted are the temperature values. From the factory, the controller is set up to run, and no settings must be adjusted. Optionally, the “d” variable was increased to reduce the percent overshoot of temperature, to prevent unwanted temperature spikes (our value was d=100). This can be adjusted by pressing and holding the yellow “SET” button and toggling with green arrows.

· To adjust the temperature:

1. Press and hold the “/AT” blue button, and toggle with the green arrow buttons.

2. Tapping the “/AT” button will shift the decimal and allow the user to change the temperatures in values of 0.1, 1, 10 and 100.

3. Press and hold the “/AT” again to finalize the temperature selection.

· We found the optimum temperature for PLA to be 216℃.

Step 18: Coding

The general algorithm works as follows.

The LCD prompts the user to select a type of plastic using the keypad.

The LCD then prompts the user to set the temperature on the PID controller. The user either confirms the temperature is set or cancels the process. If the process is canceled then the LCD reverts back to the first prompt.

Once the temperature is set, the PID begins the heating process and the LCD warns the user of hot surfaces.

After the set temperature is reached, the user throws the plastic into the melting pot. Once the plastic is melted, the user prompts the extrusion motor to begin.

Once the extrusion begins, the drawing, alignment, and final spooling motors start their process as well.

The user can cancel the process at any time, and at the end completes the process by using the keypad.

Step 19: Operating Instructions

· Prior to operation, make sure all heaters are properly fastened, the extrusion nozzle is tight and the coupling between motor and extrusion screw is tight. Also be sure the device is clean, especially the extruder screw, tube, and nozzle. Measure out any ratios of virgin material or strength additives by mass. 30% or more virgin material is recommended for strength. Note that low infill pieces will take longer to melt, and large pieces should be broken up to fit into the melting pot.

1. Move the device to a well-ventilated room, the extruder will not function well in a cold or windy environment.

2. With the breaker box in the “OFF” position, plug the device into a 120V 60Hz wall outlet.

3. Flip the breaker lever to the “ON” position. The LCD and PID should be illuminated.

4. Follow the onscreen prompts and adjust PID temperature to the desired polymer.

5. Place polymer into the melting pot and close the lid.

6. Initiate melting with the keypad, and avoid opening the lid to retain heat.

7. Once polymer is fully liquid, insert and mix any additives.

8. Close the lid and initiate the extruder with the keypad.

9. Using a flat metal utensil (eg: paint scraper) catch the plastic flowing out of the nozzle.

· The region from the extruder nozzle to a few centimeters away is extremely sensitive to temperature changes, and the 12V dc computer fan may help to stabilize the drawing process. However, do not blow air onto the nozzle itself, as it will quickly clog up. An optional aluminum eyelet can suspend the filament to the drawing spool.

10. Feed the filament over the drawing spool, through the alignment eyelet and onto the final spool, trim off the first few feet for diameter control.

11. Allow the device to run, adding polymer if desired.

12. Follow the onscreen prompts to complete the process. The device is easier to clean if all the plastic is extruded out and the components are still hot. Handle with care.

13. Flip the breaker lever to the “OFF” position and unplug the device.

Step 20: Cleaning Instructions

Warning!!! This will have to be done while system is extremely hot.

Materials:

1- 1/16in drill bit

1-0.4mm piece of wire or needle

1- 1/18 socket, or socket to fit your screw tip

1-ratchet, match drive size to socket accordingly

1-3 or 6 in extension

1-basic torch or heat gun

1-paint scraper

Steps.

1. Once extruding is complete, keep system hot and running, this will keep pushing remaining melted filament.

2. If system is cold, preheat until melted pieces start to fall out through nozzle tip.

3. Once filament stops flowing out, stop system and using gloves immediately remove nozzle tip and screw, see figures 1 and 2.

4. Using drill bit, wire or needle clean nozzle tip.

5. Using a piece of cloth, remove melted filament from nozzle tip threads

6. Peel off melted pieces stuck to screw, these usually come off easy once screw is cold to the touch.

7. Use scraper to remove any filament left behind on melting pot.

8. If there are pieces stuck on any area of the system, use torch or heat gun to melt them and help remove them.