Filament Splicer

Project cancelled, click here to read why
The idea for Filament Splicer was born about a month after our Ultimaker 3D Printer was build. As cool as 3D Printing is, printing in one color is boring.

Users of normal, single head FFF/FDM printers are stuck with single color unless they join filament pieces together to produce one multi-colored string. It is not very complicated but process is quite awkward and you will get fed up very quickly.

If you want to have proper, stable filament join you need to have right temperature on the tip of plastic when you connect pieces together. This is hard to achieve when you use some arbitrary heat source. You either underheat or overheat and burn the plastic. Using print head of your printer is best 'ad-hoc' solution but it leaves quite a mess on it, you cannot print when you splice and plastic which is in the head slowly gets burned while you take time to splice your string.

Then, of course there is issue with forming of the joint, carpet knife and fingers where our favorite tools for that job but it took quite a long time to form each joint.

We have had our share of failed prints due to broken joints / stuck filament and finally decided to create a device which will help to splice filament. Initial idea was to create fully automated unit: you place filament ends on copper block, close it, push the button and viola - you have your joint. That was the theory.... In practice this is impossible because PLA and ABS expand during heat-up and contract during cool down, this results in either no joint at all or bubble-filled mess.

Many headache filled days [Even best PLA is really nasty stuff when you breath it in for a while] later we dropped the idea and went for 'open' model with precisely manufactured grooves which help to quickly heat up, connect and form joints.

Thermal insulation was another challenge, we wanted to allow up to 260c temperature but nothing could properly insulate enclosure from hot copper block for prolonged period of time. Ceramic fiber thermal tape can take that heat but one needs a lot of it and then there is itching... Chinese tape is horrible and even best branded, made in USA [ThermoTec] tape is not flawless. We eventually gave up on ceramic fibre and went with PFTA [Teflon] plates. Since PFTA can be outright poisonous at high temperatures, we decided to use high quality - made in Europe material - this way we are sure that maximum temperature of 235c is well within safety limit.

Availability

Filament splicer can be pre-ordered via our campaign on Indiegogo, it is available as a DIY kit or fully assembled unit.

 

Assembled
Assembled
Kit
Kit

 

Open Source

Filament splicer blueprints are released under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License and can be downloaded from Thingiverse and Youmagine.

Tags: 
projects
filament splicer

54430 Comments

Anonymous

JamesVob (not verified)

on

Fri, 09/26/2025 - 19:32

кракен — уникальная service для secure transactions, обеспечивающая максимальную степень security и анонимности ваших информации. Благодаря innovative methods шифрования и обеспечения личной информации, Kraken гарантирует complete конфиденциальность при conducting transactions любого уровня. Входи на актуальный сайт Кракен и launch безопасные операции today. Платформа предлагает user-friendly интерфейс, который подходит как для professional пользователей, так и для тех, кто только начинает работать с защищенными онлайн-сервисами. Благодаря high level безопасности, вы можете быть уверены в конфиденциальности ваших personal details и безопасности каждой операции. Кракен continually совершенствует свои технологии и provides maximum конфиденциальность для всех пользователей. Go to платформу с смартфона и start perform transactions safely, используя рабочие ссылки и адреса. Кракен — это ваш secure partner в мире anonymous операций, который позволяет вам сохранять privacy и контроль над своими данными в любое время и в любом месте.
<a href=https://fundacionrafanadal.org/>вход на kra38.cc кракен маркет</a>

Anonymous

zanyglowtoad4apold (not verified)

on

Fri, 09/26/2025 - 19:59

J’adore l’intensite de Stake Casino, c’est un casino en ligne qui explose comme un volcan en eruption. Le repertoire du casino est un magma de divertissement, comprenant des jeux de casino adaptes aux cryptomonnaies. Les agents du casino sont rapides comme une etincelle, avec une aide qui fait jaillir des flammes. Les retraits au casino sont rapides comme une coulee de lave, mais les offres du casino pourraient etre plus genereuses. Dans l’ensemble, Stake Casino est une pepite pour les fans de casino pour les joueurs qui aiment parier avec panache au casino ! A noter le design du casino est un spectacle visuel en fusion, facilite une experience de casino volcanique.
<a href=https://hindesfinancial.com/apprendre-les-probabilites-pour-jouer-sur-st... stake</a>|

Anonymous

glimmerfizzytoa... (not verified)

on

Fri, 09/26/2025 - 19:59

Estou completamente vidrado por BetorSpin Casino, oferece uma aventura de cassino que orbita como um cometa reluzente. O catalogo de jogos do cassino e uma nebulosa de emocoes, com caca-niqueis de cassino modernos e hipnotizantes. Os agentes do cassino sao rapidos como um foguete estelar, dando solucoes na hora e com precisao. O processo do cassino e limpo e sem turbulencia cosmica, mesmo assim mais giros gratis no cassino seria uma loucura estelar. Na real, BetorSpin Casino vale demais explorar esse cassino para os viciados em emocoes de cassino! Alem disso a plataforma do cassino brilha com um visual que e puro cosmos, faz voce querer voltar ao cassino como um cometa em orbita.
<a href=https://faithandentertainment.com/matematica-e-emocao-o-nucleo-do-betors... levantamento</a>|

Anonymous

glitteryfizzypa... (not verified)

on

Fri, 09/26/2025 - 20:04

Sou louco pelo feitico de SpinGenei Casino, da uma energia de cassino que e pura magia. A gama do cassino e simplesmente um lampiao de delicias, com slots de cassino tematicos de fantasia. Os agentes do cassino sao rapidos como um desejo concedido, dando solucoes na hora e com precisao. As transacoes do cassino sao simples como um feitico, mesmo assim mais recompensas no cassino seriam um diferencial encantado. No geral, SpinGenei Casino vale demais explorar esse cassino para quem curte apostar com estilo mistico no cassino! Vale dizer tambem a navegacao do cassino e facil como um passe de magica, faz voce querer voltar ao cassino como num desejo concedido.
<a href=https://projects.crisance.com/alfarkad/2025/08/27/decrypter-les-probabil...|

Anonymous

wildbananafox3apold (not verified)

on

Fri, 09/26/2025 - 20:07

Je suis accro a Riviera Casino, il propose une aventure de casino qui brille comme un bijou mediterraneen. La selection du casino est une promenade de plaisirs, incluant des jeux de table de casino d’une elegance cotiere. Le service client du casino est une etoile du littoral, avec une aide qui brille comme une vague. Les gains du casino arrivent a une vitesse de yacht, cependant des recompenses de casino supplementaires feraient rever. Globalement, Riviera Casino est un joyau pour les fans de casino pour ceux qui cherchent l’adrenaline glamour du casino ! En plus le site du casino est une merveille graphique ensoleillee, ce qui rend chaque session de casino encore plus glamour.
<a href=https://commertech-me.com/theorie-des-probabilites-au-riviera-casino-pou... riviera royal casino mandelieu</a>|

Pages

Add your comment

More information about text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.