Printing on a modern 3 D printer is carried out using plastic filament obtained from various materials. A high-quality filament for a 3D printer is created from consumables such as ABS, PLA, HIPS. The use of high-quality raw materials allows manufacturers to create materials that are unique in operational and technical properties, on the basis of which a variety of things can be made.
Main materials
The production of filaments for a 3D printer is most often carried out on the basis of two materials - this is plastic ABS and PLA (polylactide). Both materials meet the requirements of biodegradability, biocompatibility, thermoplasticity and are based on renewable resources, namely corn and sugarcane. Raw materials are ideal for the manufacture of a wide variety of products in the medical, food and other fields.
The thread for printing on a 3D printer must be of high quality so that the final product pleases with the performance properties. Plastic thread for a 3d printer is a more convenient type of raw material for such equipment compared to granules, since it is easy to replace, it can be printed in several colors at once, and the material consumption is significantly lower.
Production Features
3D printing is very expensive, due to the high cost of the consumables themselves. To reduce the cost of printing, craftsmen create portable devices for home use.
Thus, you can create a thread for a 3d printer with your own hands much cheaper. Technologically, this process is not too complicated, the main thing is to observe the temperature regime and certain proportions of the mixture. In the standard version, the production of yarn is carried out in several stages:
- First, the initial mixture is prepared. To get the substance with the right parameters, it is important to mix the main components in the right amount. The thread acquires a certain shade due to the addition of chemical coloring pigments. The accuracy of maintaining proportions is the guarantee that the color of the thread and in the future of the polymer itself will be stable.
- Loading into the hopper. After cooking, the mixture enters the dispensing tank, and then fed to the extruder.
- A homogeneous mass is being prepared. All components placed in the extruder are mixed until a plastic mass is created.
- A plastic thread is produced for a 3d printer. The homogeneous mass is pressed through the screw through a special nozzle. It has a certain diameter, which is equal to the thickness of the future thread.
- The thread is cooled and dried. Viscous plastic already in the form of threads enters the bath with water, where they are cooled. They also gain flexibility. From the cooler, the finished thread is fed through special rollers to the dryer, where it dries under the influence of hot air.
After drying, the thread for the 3D printer is wound on a bobbin. Due to its flexibility, strength and plasticity, it is ideal for use on any type of printer. The diameter of the thread is different - 1.75 mm or 3 mm, which varies depending on the nozzles used on the equipment. The use of various pigments makes it possible to achieve a variety of color schemes of the plastic thread.
Filabot original
You can make plastic threads for a 3D printer, but for this you need to create your own extruder. How to do this, we will tell a little later. In addition, it is easiest to purchase ready-made portable and mobile devices, for example, Filabot Original. This equipment for the production of filaments for a 3D printer allows you to make filaments from plastic, the diameter of which is 1.75 or 3 mm. The equipment works with a variety of types of plastic - ABS, PLA and HIPS.
The device works with plastic granules, allowing you to control the temperature. There is a filter to prevent contamination. Universal power is enough to use the device at home. To obtain different colors of the thread, dyes are used. High productivity speaks in favor of choosing this equipment: it takes about 5 hours to get one kilogram of thread.
Filabot wee
The modern filament production line for 3d printers is represented by the Filabot brand. Equipment with a wooden case is much cheaper, and you can buy it both in the finished form, and as a kit for assembly yourself. Like the device described above, this one works on the basis of popular types of plastics. A wide color palette is achieved using granular dyes. You can also add granular carbon fiber to the mixture, which will increase the strength of the finished bar. The model is equipped with two interchangeable nozzles, so it is possible to produce filament for a 3D printer with a diameter of 1,075 or 3 mm.
Filastruder
In the 3D industry, the Filastruder extruder is known for its universal assembly, so anyone can set up the production of plastic yarn at home. Thanks to its well thought-out design and ease of use, the model is ideal for extrusion.
Having such a device at home, you can arrange the creation of threads for 3d printers with your own hands. The only caveat is to correctly select the proportions of the used components, dyes. In just 12 hours of operation, the equipment is capable of producing 1 kg of thread, while the final productivity depends on parameters such as nozzle diameter, extrusion temperature, and materials used.
Lyman extruder
This device is unique in that it was one of the first to be used for the production of plastic rods. It is noteworthy that the equipment design won the main prize at the Desktop Factory Competition held in 2013. Due to the extreme simplicity of the design, the equipment itself was the cheapest compared to other analogues. Another interesting fact is that all instructions are in the public domain. You can download drawings and create an extruder to make a filament for a 3D printer at home.
About creating homemade appliances
Very often, those who want to work with 3D printers begin to create devices for producing plastic filament themselves in order to reduce their expenses. In fact, such devices, with their efficiency and utility, are still not so good:
- the thread may turn out to be of poor quality, insufficient or incorrect thickness, which will affect the deformation of the final product or the inability to print it at all;
- when heated, plastic can emit harmful substances that will have to be breathed during printing and during processing of raw materials;
- reprocessing the dyed plastic will not be possible, since you will not know about the composition of the plastic and the dye.
It is difficult to create truly high-quality plastic on extruders made with your own hands. Therefore, it is better to purchase portable equipment of proven brands.
About ways to get a cheap thread
To produce a filament for a 3D printer, the use of ready-made ABS plastic granules is required. But it is too expensive and expensive, therefore, at home, you can create material on the basis of an ordinary plastic bottle. The essence of the event is simple:
- a bottle of PET is crushed into flakes;
- the resulting mass is heated until it reaches the melting point;
- through the hole of the extruder mechanism, the thread of the desired diameter is extruded (the tip is responsible for it);
- the resulting plastic thread is cooled under a stream of air, and then wound on a drum.
In general, setting up production is not as difficult as it seems. It is more difficult to choose high-quality materials so that the thread is strong, reliable, safe and suitable for use in the field of 3D printing.
Speaking of plastic recycling. In some countries, socially-oriented campaigns are being conducted to recycle plastic caps. Spanish scientists propose creating threads for printing from them, since the basis of the bottle caps is high-density thermoplastic polyethylene. 3D printing based on PET is a popular phenomenon, which allows creating an alternative to PLA or ABS plastic at a very low cost. The only difficulty is that this process, when it is economical, is too long, and you will have to work hard to create the thread in the right amount.