We live in a time where 3D printing has become so accessible that the waste it generates as a byproduct is now of concern. Building projects are easier than ever, but often supports or failed attempts pile up in the trash and end up going to some landfill instead of being recycled. But what if you could actually recycle all that filament? It’s not a novel concept; large-scale extrusion machines already exist, but they’re expensive — that’s what the ExtrudeX aims to change with its Kickstarter campaign.
ExtrudeX: 3D Printable Machine to Recycle Waste 3D Prints into Filament – YouTube
Made by the folks over at Creative3DP, the ExtrudeX does exactly what it sounds like: it’s an extrusion machine that you can build yourself at home with 3D printing. You need some hardware like a motor, temperature controller, fans, etc., but nothing that will break the bank. In fact, CNX Software calculates the cost of those things at around $180-$250.
So, how does the device work? There’s a base upon which everything is mounted, starting with the hopper on the right. You throw in your pellets here, and they go through a churning barrel that heats them up, with a nozzle on the other end. The barrel is powered by a DC motor, and there’s a temperature controller that you’ll use to set the desired heat level before turning on the power supply.
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Once the reborn filament starts to ooze out, you gently pluck the strand with tweezers and connect it to the puller on the left end, which continues to extract the filament and do the job for you. The process becomes automated after a little manual intervention at the beginning.