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

57770 Comments

Anonymous

twistyneonemu2apold (not verified)

on

Wed, 10/01/2025 - 10:35

Estou alucinado com MarjoSports Casino, pulsa com uma forca de cassino digna de um craque. As opcoes sao ricas e vibram como torcidas. oferecendo sessoes ao vivo que marcam como gols. O suporte e um arbitro de eficiencia. respondendo rapido como um apito. Os ganhos chegam rapido como um gol. ocasionalmente queria mais promocoes que marcam gol como penaltis. Ao final, MarjoSports Casino promete uma diversao que e um gol para os amantes de cassinos online! De bonus a interface e fluida e vibra como um estadio. dando vontade de voltar como um craque.
<a href=https://vvsconsultants.pk/2025/09/12/como-as-probabilidades-transformam-... saque marjosports</a>|

Anonymous

Michaeltax (not verified)

on

Wed, 10/01/2025 - 11:20

По моему мнению Вы ошибаетесь. Могу отстоять свою позицию. Пишите мне в PM, поговорим.
Девочки продавцы молодцы. в любой момент на позитиве, встречают с улыбкой, [url=https://www.borisoglebsk.ru/news/1584179851.shtml]https://www.borisogleb... хочется сразу все купить. У уральского бренда i.b.w.

Anonymous

ShadowGlimmerZ3apold (not verified)

on

Wed, 10/01/2025 - 11:32

Je suis ensorcele par Casombie, c’est une experience qui reveille les sens. La selection de jeux est terrifiante de richesse, proposant des paris sportifs qui donnent des frissons. Les agents repondent plus vite qu’un zombie affame, avec une aide aussi fluide qu’un spectre. Les gains arrivent a une vitesse demoniaque, parfois des tours gratuits supplementaires feraient frissonner. Dans l’ensemble, Casombie vaut chaque frisson qu’il procure pour les amateurs de vibes gothiques ! En bonus le site est visuellement un chef-d’?uvre macabre, facilite une experience aussi fluide qu’un spectre.
<a href=https://drillinfo2017.wpengine.com/?p=221142>casombie casino bonus code</a>|

Anonymous

ShadowGlimmerZ3apold (not verified)

on

Wed, 10/01/2025 - 11:37

J’ai un coup de foudre pour Casombie, ca transporte dans un monde de chaos ludique. La gamme est un veritable apocalypse de fun, incluant des jeux de table a l’ambiance gothique. Le suivi est aussi fiable qu’un sortilege, joignable a toute heure. Les retraits sont rapides comme un mort-vivant en chasse, neanmoins plus de promos macabres seraient un plus. En somme, Casombie vaut chaque frisson qu’il procure pour les fans de casinos en ligne ! Cerise sur le cercueil le site est visuellement un chef-d’?uvre macabre, ce qui rend chaque session electrisante.
<a href=https://naturafitgroup.com/casombie-casino-optimisez-vos-gains-avec-les-... kaszinГі</a>|

Anonymous

GlintVortexM2apold (not verified)

on

Wed, 10/01/2025 - 11:40

J’ai une obsession totale pour Freespin Casino, c’est une tornade de sensations vibrantes. Les options forment un tourbillon de surprises, incluant des jeux de table d’une energie debordante. Les agents repondent plus vite qu’un eclair, repondant en un flash. Les gains atterrissent a la vitesse lumiere, cependant plus de promos vibrantes seraient un regal. Pour resumer, Freespin Casino est un tresor pour les amateurs de jeux pour les passionnes de cryptos ! De plus la navigation est intuitive comme un rayon lunaire, ce qui rend chaque session absolument electrisante.
<a href=https://learn-x.lv/free-spin-casino-les-mathematiques-au-coeur-du-jeu/>free spin inscription casino</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.