3d printing using paper Hello all, I am a new user and this is my first post. I saw the mcor iris and matrix the other day, thought it was a great idea. The use of paper as a raw material for 3d printing means that we now have a printing method that is cheap, renewable, biodegradable, and possibly simple to use too (all you need is paper, which is abundant). The products of the machine apparently resemble wood quite a bit, which is great I think. The machines for sale however are quite expensive, so I was wondering if there was a diy project started by someone that mimic's mcor's machines. So far I have not found any such project. Mcor do own patents for their device, which may be why no one else is copying it, but surely there are ways of circumventing patents by changing the process, afterall ideas cannot be patented. https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236303#msg-236303 Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:30:13 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,251639#msg-251639 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,251639#msg-251639 -------------------------------------------------------
>
Quote

For example would it be impossible to make
> an extruder that took plastic pellets rather than
> preformed filament?
>
> It's possible:
>
> [blog.reprap.org]
> r.html
> [reprap.org]
> [www.youtube.com]
>
> and summing this up in german:
>
> [reprap.org]
> ruder.pdf
>
>
> Regarding the original topic, there was even a
> (korean?) company which used the original toner as
> glue. They printed sheets on a standard laser
> printer, baked all parts together somehow, then
> dissolved the not glued paper away to peel out the
> model. Sounds much like an easily DIY-able
> process.

What if one were to go a step further and use the toner itself as the build material? What I am thinking is that the first layer would print onto a substrate (perhaps even a paper) and then that would be printed onto repeatedly layer by layer.

With a colour laser printer one could even have four different materials, perhaps one of them soluble for support. I'm not sure what materials could be used as toner but I guess it just needs to be something that is easily charged with static electricity and that will melt and set under the heater of the printer. At my workplace there is a colour laser printer/copier that makes exactly the same smell as my 3D printer extruding ABS, making me think that the toner is at least very similar to ABS. (Either that or some plastic part of the printer is overheating)

I noticed that when printing colour photos at max quality one can very easily feel the varying height depending on the colour, darker being higher possibly because there would be three or four colours printed on top of each other.

I think a test could be done very easily without any modification. One could just manually feed back the paper time after time into the printer, printing layer upon layer. I on;t know how high each layer would be but perhaps thirty or so layers might be enough to see if the concept works.

I would try it myself but I don't have a laser printer.

If it works then there would probably not be much work needed to modify it. The main thing would be to provide a moving platform to replicate the movement of the paper through the printer. Apart from going forward during the print it would also need a Z-axis to move it a layer thickness away from the print drum for each layer.

I am thinking all of the electronics, the firmware and 95% of the mechanicals would be retained and a separate controller would take care of moving the platform based on the motion of the paper feed roller, and at the end of each 'page' it would move down a layer thickness, and reverse back to the starting position. One may need also to put in some relays (operated by the new controller) that would simulate the operation of some microswitches, for instance ones that detect out of paper or paper jams.

The feasibility of this all will depend a lot on the actual layout of the printer. In particular you would want a paper path that is linear rather than a convoluted path through many rollers. This probably means a large old printer rather than the newer ultra compact ones. There are even some colour printers that are designed to print on boards or stiff plastic sheets. That would be inherently ideal but such printers are not that common.]]> lister6520 General Fri, 04 Oct 2013 13:04:32 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,251587#msg-251587 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,251587#msg-251587
Quote

For example would it be impossible to make an extruder that took plastic pellets rather than preformed filament?

It's possible:

[blog.reprap.org]
[reprap.org]
[www.youtube.com]

and summing this up in german:

[reprap.org]


Regarding the original topic, there was even a (korean?) company which used the original toner as glue. They printed sheets on a standard laser printer, baked all parts together somehow, then dissolved the not glued paper away to peel out the model. Sounds much like an easily DIY-able process.]]> Traumflug General Fri, 04 Oct 2013 10:49:42 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,251562#msg-251562 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,251562#msg-251562
For example would it be impossible to make an extruder that took plastic pellets rather than preformed filament? Perhaps it could take plastic scrap that was cut into small pieces at home with some sort of shredder?

...R]]> Robin2 General Fri, 04 Oct 2013 09:13:58 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,251540#msg-251540 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,251540#msg-251540 martinprice2004 General Fri, 04 Oct 2013 08:01:06 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,238258#msg-238258 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,238258#msg-238258
Could aluminum foil be used? saran wrap? is the glue applied by an inkjet nozzle or just a spray over the whole print platform?]]> paucus General Wed, 21 Aug 2013 13:01:31 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,237900#msg-237900 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,237900#msg-237900 ultrasonic consolidation, where they deposit strips of metal before milling them to shape (but in this case they are depositing before cutting).

If you can recycle thin strips, wouldn't it be just as easy to recycle a big sheet? Or are you thinking that the strips would be so narrow that the cutting would essentially be a "digital" process, where thin strips are cut to length and then placed where they should go? I guess in the limit of very thin strips, there wouldn't be any waste at all...]]> MattMoses General Tue, 20 Aug 2013 11:58:55 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,237820#msg-237820 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,237820#msg-237820
My first thoughts are a three stage machine, one that produces a sheet feeding across to a cutting head and then across to the deposition / glue station.]]> martinprice2004 General Tue, 20 Aug 2013 08:12:23 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,237242#msg-237242 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,237242#msg-237242 -------------------------------------------------------

> So go ahead and buy 1000 tonnes of pellets, and
> with your hand cranked extruder you can put all
> these rip-off companies out of business!
>
> Seriously, comparing bulk raw material prices with
> finished product is nonsensical. You could say why
> doesn't everyone buy flour in bulk and make their
> own bread? It would be much cheaper. The point is
> you simply can not buy sufficient bulk of
> materials nor spend time making everything from
> scratch to make it worthwhile. People pay for
> convenience.
>
> It's the processing in the middle that costs, and
> most people have no idea what is actually involved
> at industrial scales, so it's easy to think its
> simply paying one guy to crank an extruder and
> feed it pellets.
>
> However, the major factor that makes things cheap
> is volume of sales, the filament market is
> relatively minute. Prices would come down if the
> market was bigger.

I have been involved and know what's involved in the processing plastics from pellets. The link to thingiverse I posted is already used by some makers to produce filament for $6 a kilo at home and some are making it for $15 a kilo. It does take time though because the machine is home made just like the 1st rep raps. With time and effort I am sure these machines will improve and become efficient and then the price will drop as people move to other local small scale manufacturers. A few users of the diy filament makers are even shredding plastic bottles to make their own free filament from PET. I believe that fact speaks for itself.
I could never compete with a factory producing tons of the stuff but if I had the equipment I would easily out compete the manufacturers who are selling for $40 a kilo.
I agree with the second point, the price will come down as other companies join in and the market grows.]]> mikefiatx19 General Sun, 18 Aug 2013 05:58:00 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,237139#msg-237139 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,237139#msg-237139 forums.reprap.org]]]> VDX General Sat, 17 Aug 2013 18:38:02 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,237085#msg-237085 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,237085#msg-237085
Quote
tom10122
I remember there was a company that had a machine that cut sheets of plastic

The Solido SD 300 does LOM with a plastic film.]]> MattMoses General Sat, 17 Aug 2013 15:31:44 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236939#msg-236939 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236939#msg-236939 -------------------------------------------------------
> theodleif Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > Filament isn't exactly raw material. It has
> clear
> > specifications (diameter) and is quite
> difficult
> > to make.
>
> OK, when I said 100 times that amount I was
> pushing it but filament is not difficult to make.
> In fact it's really really really really easy.
> Below is a link to a DIY filament extruder, You
> take pellets of ABS plastic and use a heated
> mechanism to push it through a hole the size you
> want it, it cools in the hole and out comes
> filament. If the cooling material is subject to
> shrinkage, you make the hole larger to compensate.
> It's so easy to make I included a second link
> below showing a hand crank filament extruder
> called the filabot that uses a naked flame to heat
> the output nozzle to make the filament. ABS
> pellets can be bought for less than $1 per kilo if
> you buy 1000+ tons at a time. I am sure the
> factories producing the filament are buying in
> huge bulk amounts and are therefore making a lot
> of profit selling it at near $40 a kilo. There is
> no reason that it should cost more than $5 a kilo
> for the end user to buy. I would not be surprised
> if there is some kind of price fixing taking place
> between the manufacturers of the filament.
>

So go ahead and buy 1000 tonnes of pellets, and with your hand cranked extruder you can put all these rip-off companies out of business!

Seriously, comparing bulk raw material prices with finished product is nonsensical. You could say why doesn't everyone buy flour in bulk and make their own bread? It would be much cheaper. The point is you simply can not buy sufficient bulk of materials nor spend time making everything from scratch to make it worthwhile. People pay for convenience.

It's the processing in the middle that costs, and most people have no idea what is actually involved at industrial scales, so it's easy to think its simply paying one guy to crank an extruder and feed it pellets.

However, the major factor that makes things cheap is volume of sales, the filament market is relatively minute. Prices would come down if the market was bigger.]]> bobc General Sat, 17 Aug 2013 06:24:26 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236889#msg-236889 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236889#msg-236889
The tricky part is about the variance of the diameter.]]> theodleif General Fri, 16 Aug 2013 21:20:33 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236846#msg-236846 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236846#msg-236846 -------------------------------------------------------
>
> Filament isn't exactly raw material. It has clear
> specifications (diameter) and is quite difficult
> to make.

OK, when I said 100 times that amount I was pushing it but filament is not difficult to make. In fact it's really really really really easy. Below is a link to a DIY filament extruder, You take pellets of ABS plastic and use a heated mechanism to push it through a hole the size you want it, it cools in the hole and out comes filament. If the cooling material is subject to shrinkage, you make the hole larger to compensate. It's so easy to make I included a second link below showing a hand crank filament extruder called the filabot that uses a naked flame to heat the output nozzle to make the filament. ABS pellets can be bought for less than $1 per kilo if you buy 1000+ tons at a time. I am sure the factories producing the filament are buying in huge bulk amounts and are therefore making a lot of profit selling it at near $40 a kilo. There is no reason that it should cost more than $5 a kilo for the end user to buy. I would not be surprised if there is some kind of price fixing taking place between the manufacturers of the filament.

[www.thingiverse.com]
[www.kickstarter.com]]]> mikefiatx19 General Fri, 16 Aug 2013 18:12:09 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236698#msg-236698 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236698#msg-236698 -------------------------------------------------------
> so I dont see why we should pay
> 100 times that amount for the raw material.

Filament isn't exactly raw material. It has clear specifications (diameter) and is quite difficult to make.]]> theodleif General Fri, 16 Aug 2013 10:46:42 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236667#msg-236667 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236667#msg-236667
I think the real solution to 3d printing being cheap is that plastic should come down to a realistic price, $40 a kilo is a rip off price for raw plastic filament. Usually, a firm pays a few cents per plastic component if they mass produce in China using ABS so I dont see why we should pay 100 times that amount for the raw material. I have no idea what PLA costs to produce but i am sure that it is nowhere near the price we are paying.
Regards
Mike]]> mikefiatx19 General Fri, 16 Aug 2013 10:30:02 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236628#msg-236628 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236628#msg-236628 Thanks for pointing that out, I found this thread as a result. LOM reprap]]> repraplover General Fri, 16 Aug 2013 08:09:20 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236623#msg-236623 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236623#msg-236623
[en.wikipedia.org]]]> martinprice2004 General Fri, 16 Aug 2013 07:41:54 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236593#msg-236593 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236593#msg-236593 theodleif General Fri, 16 Aug 2013 05:38:52 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236558#msg-236558 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236558#msg-236558
And the material is also existing - called papermicarta - also made from linon - for knife handles e.g.]]> Optimist General Fri, 16 Aug 2013 04:43:45 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236536#msg-236536 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236536#msg-236536 repraplover General Fri, 16 Aug 2013 04:24:16 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236415#msg-236415 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236415#msg-236415
I second theodleif's comment: Has this been patented using sheets of metals? This seems like a much easier angle to approach 3d metal printing compared to the patented SLS process.

Eric]]> RP Iron Man General Fri, 16 Aug 2013 02:03:01 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236319#msg-236319 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236319#msg-236319 theodleif General Thu, 15 Aug 2013 19:50:43 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236317#msg-236317 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236317#msg-236317 The device I was talking about does exactly that. It cuts each layer out from a4 paper, places it, hot presses it, applies glue, then repeat.]]> repraplover General Thu, 15 Aug 2013 19:48:04 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236315#msg-236315 Re: 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236315#msg-236315 tom10122 General Thu, 15 Aug 2013 19:41:07 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236303#msg-236303 3d printing using paper https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,236303,236303#msg-236303 I am a new user and this is my first post. I saw the mcor iris and matrix the other day, thought it was a great idea. The use of paper as a raw material for 3d printing means that we now have a printing method that is cheap, renewable, biodegradable, and possibly simple to use too (all you need is paper, which is abundant). The products of the machine apparently resemble wood quite a bit, which is great I think. The machines for sale however are quite expensive, so I was wondering if there was a diy project started by someone that mimic's mcor's machines. So far I have not found any such project.

Mcor do own patents for their device, which may be why no one else is copying it, but surely there are ways of circumventing patents by changing the process, afterall ideas cannot be patented.]]> repraplover General Thu, 15 Aug 2013 18:54:30 -0400