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Step 1 - Basics

It all starts here.

By following the material's journey from raw material to spooled filament, we will understand the basics of extrusion and get to know the Filament Maker features.

This is an overview of the extrusion process and some unique terminology that is commonly used. For clarity, we have the features of the Filament Maker highlighted in bold, while the important terms  in italics. 

Solid material goes in...

1. The Hopper is the entrance where the material is fed into the machine for processing. The associated term and action is feeding.
2. Next up is the Screw inside a barrel: the core of the extrusion system. As the threads of the screw pushes the particles forward, flow is created.
3. Heat is applied from four Heaters around the outside of the barrel, melting the material along with friction and added pressure.

...liquid material comes out..

4. The Nozzle provides the narrow space for the material to flow out. It is not a filament yet, only an output, ready to be cooled. Simply put, this is extrusion. 
5. It is the Fans' job is to solidify the material so that it can be measured and pulled. This crucial section of cooling allows the material to become filament.

...and the material is turned into filament.

6. The Sensor measures the filament diameter. The information is collected and sent to the Puller which then helps refine the whole process.
7. By reacting to the collected data, the Puller wheels automatically adjust to allow for a consistent diameter within set parameters.
8. The Winder then winds the filament up into a neat spool. This is the final stage known as spooling.












Extrusion Run

Even if we understand the components of the machine, we still have to practice using it. Step 2 will expand on these phases in detail but it is always good to have an overview first. These are the basic phases of an extrusion run:

Phases
1. Start
This phase focuses on setting everything up and starting the process. This includes preparing all the materials and tools, turning on the machine, inputting the machine settings, and waiting for it to heat up. The goal is to prepare for a safe extrusion run.
2. Flow
Now that the machine is ready, the extrusion can begin. The screw starts turning, the material flows in from the Hopper, through the machine and out at the Nozzle. The goal is to get a good flow, without any blockage, clogging, or feeding issues.
3. Finetuning
We have a safe and constant flow of liquid material. Time to turn it to filament by cooling it down with the fans, and running it through the Sensor and Puller Wheel. The goal is to achieve our desired filament quality.
4. Spooling
Once we are happy with the quality of the filament (this can include texture, color, and diameter), we are ready to spool. The goal here is to ensure the filament is automatically spooled without any interruptions.
5. Cleaning
(The cleaning, called purging, is crucial for Filament Maker maintenance. However, this phase will not be used for this extrusion run as the 3devo supplied PLA is a low risk and safe material to use without purging. This can be explored after Onboarding.)

Why start with PLA?

The grade of PLA supplied by 3devo is the perfect material to get started with. It is safe to leave in the machine, it is easily turned into filament, and it requires no pre-processing. It has been validated on our machines and is so reliable we use it as the standard monthly quality check for the Filament Maker. Extruding 3devo supplied PLA is the ideal way to safely and smoothly start using the machine.