Filabot: Plastic Filament Maker I would like to share a project that I am currently working on, it is called Filabot. Filabot is a personal extruding system that will allow users to make their own 3D printing filament from recycled plastic. Right now we are raising funds on kickstarter, with 9 days left in the funding period. There is a bunch more information on the kickstarter page, please check it out. Filabot: Plastic Filament Maker 6682220445_156729f057_z.jpg mod_embed_images_loadimage('351b35e73f6b9311e639a1c03b5dc179', '/forum/thumbcache/4de/a4a/9da/39f/f31/dd1/ab1/39a/6eb/999/57_800x400.jpg', 'http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6682220445_156729f057_z.jpg', 'https://reprap.org/forum/addon.php?1,module=embed_images,check_scaling=1,url=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm8.staticflickr.com%2F7167%2F6682220445_156729f057_z.jpg', '', 113722, 800, 400, 'Loading image ...', false); This is some test filament that was extruded on the prototype extruder. 6686637819_df8af61c4c.jpg mod_embed_images_loadimage('5636a95b87f7a342c4b5e7be223dc275', '/forum/thumbcache/c6f/021/f31/dc3/04b/f94/2a4/b68/09a/311/09_800x400.png', 'http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6686637819_df8af61c4c.jpg', 'https://reprap.org/forum/addon.php?1,module=embed_images,check_scaling=1,url=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm8.staticflickr.com%2F7024%2F6686637819_df8af61c4c.jpg', '', 113722, 800, 400, 'Loading image ...', false); https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113722#msg-113722 Mon, 13 Jul 2026 08:51:51 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,133638#msg-133638 Re: Filabot: Plastic Filament Maker https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,133638#msg-133638
I'm eager to see this working in a chain with my eagerly desired printrbot:)

The only thing that confuses me is what would be an outcome of using several sources of abs plastic melted into one thread? Unstable melting temperature? That's really really cool to be able to produce the filament by yourself, but how to overcome the fact that different sources have different additives and thus different physical properties? Also, is it OK to recycle the same bit of plastic several times?]]> Anonymous User General Sun, 20 May 2012 08:17:11 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,118959#msg-118959 Filabot: Plastic Filament Maker https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,118959#msg-118959 Donneperth General Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:27:02 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,114848#msg-114848 Re: Filabot: Plastic Filament Maker https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,114848#msg-114848 -------------------------------------------------------
> @Filabot,
>
> Can you say anything about whether and/or how you
> keep voids (AKA bubbles) out of the resulting
> filament?


The pressure from the extruding process removes the air bubbles. A cross section of plastic was sliced and we did not find any air bubbles.]]> Filabot General Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:25:21 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,114158#msg-114158 Re: Filabot: Plastic Filament Maker https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,114158#msg-114158 fusion94 General Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:55:29 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113876#msg-113876 Re: Filabot: Plastic Filament Maker https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113876#msg-113876
Can you say anything about whether and/or how you keep voids (AKA bubbles) out of the resulting filament?]]> Larry_Pfeffer General Sat, 14 Jan 2012 11:21:17 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113825#msg-113825 Re: Filabot: Plastic Filament Maker https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113825#msg-113825 NelsonRap General Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:52:30 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113787#msg-113787 Re: Filabot: Plastic Filament Maker https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113787#msg-113787 -------------------------------------------------------
> How are you going to overcome die swell? The
> images show a series of rollers, though that will
> simply squish the filament in one direction,
> making the cross section an oblong - unless I'm
> missing something?
> It's a project that has been discussed a few times
> here, that I've seen, so congratulations for
> committing to making one.

The rollers have semi circular grooves of, I assume, 3mm and 1.75mm diameters. This will be great when you get it working!

What are the exact issues you were having with the sizes and what's your solution? Jumping the gun, but... was is burrs (like casting lines) caused by only vertical rollers? and would additional horizontal rollers solve this?

Also are the rollers heated at all or does the filament carry enough residual heat from the extruder?

I was a bit sceptical when I saw the filament being heated over little oil burner but this design seems infinitely better and I am eager to see the results you got once the bugs are ironed out.

Also you say you can recycle cds, how do you get the metallic film off them before grinding them up? Is there a nack or just patients/brute force?

Keep up the great work, this is exactly the kind of development that will accelerate the community!]]> yellow_fish General Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:57:11 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113771#msg-113771 Re: Filabot: Plastic Filament Maker https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113771#msg-113771
Pass me a flux capacitor.]]> richrap General Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:03:07 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113767#msg-113767 Re: Filabot: Plastic Filament Maker https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113767#msg-113767 Mr Fusion?]]> Buback General Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:47:44 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113739#msg-113739 Re: Filabot: Plastic Filament Maker https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113739#msg-113739 garyhodgson General Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:08:23 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113735#msg-113735 Re: Filabot: Plastic Filament Maker https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113735#msg-113735 It's a project that has been discussed a few times here, that I've seen, so congratulations for committing to making one.]]> yydoctt General Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:02:13 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113725#msg-113725 Re: Filabot: Plastic Filament Maker https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113725#msg-113725 Filabot General Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:15:00 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113723#msg-113723 Re: Filabot: Plastic Filament Maker https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113723#msg-113723 DeuxVis General Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:05:19 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113722#msg-113722 Filabot: Plastic Filament Maker https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,113722,113722#msg-113722
Right now we are raising funds on kickstarter, with 9 days left in the funding period. There is a bunch more information on the kickstarter page, please check it out. Filabot: Plastic Filament Maker



This is some test filament that was extruded on the prototype extruder.

]]> Filabot General Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:02:13 -0500