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Filament making
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 12:27 pm
by jdurand
How filament is made:
[youtube]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEkksADFjP8[/youtube]
I do wonder how you get dry filament if it's cooled with water...
Re: Filament making
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 1:07 pm
by teri1337
THE CAKE IS A LIE!
Re: Filament making
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 1:20 pm
by jdurand
I asked about the water cooling. The filament is hot-air dried as it comes out of the last tank and then the spools are baked.
Of course hot filament isn't going to pick up much water anyway. Starting with dry pellets means the core will be dry and also there won't be any popping in their extruder.
Re: Filament making
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 1:29 pm
by teri1337
That makes sense. I had wondered about that as well. It also makes me wonder about the do-it-yourself filament makers out there (Filabot, Strooder, etc.). Those systems are much smaller and simpler than the one shown in the video.
Re: Filament making
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 2:16 pm
by bubbasnow
The do it yourself extruders (filastruder) use a different method in such that the plastic is forced out with pressure instead of these huge industrial machines where the filament is pulled out. That is how maker geek is able to use the same nozzle size for both 1.75 and 3mm filament.
Re: Filament making
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 2:53 pm
by bot
The plastic is definitely forced out with pressure on the large scale machines too. The screws have compression stages tuned to specific ratios that determines the pressure. The difference is just more complex systems. The same principles apply to both: heat, pressure, extrusion.
Re: Filament making
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 4:55 pm
by Nylocke
The latest version of the Lyman's uses a similar system.