Tools Open Source, Mostly 3D-Printed Filament Maker

Andy

Andy

Controlled Chaos
Staff member
I guess these guys just won a Dyson award for this design. I don't love having to pull the bottle apart instead of automating it like the rest of the process, but I really like the rest of the overall design:
www.reiten.design

Polyformer — Reiten Cheng

Polyformer is an open-source project that aims at help solving world's plastic waste problem. It is a 3D printed machine that turns plastic bottles into filaments for 3D printers.
www.reiten.design www.reiten.design
 
Yeah it is!! Someone showed off a version of this does a straight path from the bottle to the printer so there is no human involvement until the filament runs out. I can’t find the video because it was one where the host was going from table to table and looking at a lot of different things. I believe it was at this year’s mid west reprap festival.

I was able to find this one though which does the more sensible solution of winding up the filament.


The fact that they get really decent results while the filament is hallow and straw like is astounding. So many filament manufacturers are chasing that 0.002+/- accuracy and clearly it’s not relevant for a benchy. PETG always has much more ugly print quality with good filament compared to PLA that their results look hardly degraded at all given how the best PETG filament comes out.
 
I just dusted off my filament extruder today as well to install insulation on the wall behind it. I haven't had much motivation to turn it on with how slow it runs but I really want to get a improved motor on it and get it going again!
 
It is really interesting how the hollow filament works--I didn't even realize it would be like a straw! I wonder if that property could be exploited/expanded on, like you guys did with the 3D printed filament. Maybe rolling another material (like a commercial filament) inside of it?

I don't know what the benefit would be--it might be one of those "because it exists" things, but it might give some interesting options for color.
 
That is a fun idea, I bet they could take another color of soda bottle and make a much smaller strip cut that fits in there too so they could be both pulled through. I do have extra heater blocks and motors if anyone else wants to try and make one. I will someday but I know I have to finish my workshop remodel first.
 
I might take you up on that. We don't use much that comes in bottles, but I'd still like to try one of those out. I'll let you know if I get to that point!
 
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