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

36159 Comments

Anonymous

JamesAgemn (not verified)

on

Sat, 11/30/2024 - 08:59

Каждый день миллионы водителей сталкиваются с опасностью, которую трудно увидеть — усталостью. Она не только снижает внимание, но и может стать причиной серьезных аварий. Не дайте усталости взять верх над вами - [url=https://forumsilverstars.forum24.ru/?1-5-0-00003289-000-0-0-1730186667]глонасс gps мониторинг транспорта[/url]

Anonymous

Brettvoisa (not verified)

on

Sat, 11/30/2024 - 13:53

Seaman rescued after more than 20 hours at sea off Australia’s east coast
[url=kra12]https://kra2gl.cc[/url]

A seaman who fell off a cargo ship survived almost 20 hours at sea before being rescued off Australia’s southeastern coast on Friday, according to emergency services.

The man in his 30s drifted several kilometers in the open sea before he was pulled from the water by a recreational angler, local rescue authorities have said.

He had last been seen aboard Double Delight, a Singapore-flagged bulk carrier, at 11:30 p.m. on Thursday. Details on how he fell from the cargo ship are not immediately available.
kra12
https://kra14-gl.cc
The ambulance service in New South Wales state responded to reports that a seaman had been found at 6:20 p.m. Friday, a spokesperson said. They added that it came from Boatrowers Reserve, near Blacksmiths Beach south of the city of Newcastle.

“The patient, a man in his 30s, was conscious, breathing and alert when assessed by NSW Ambulance paramedics and treated for suspected hypothermia before he was transported to John Hunter Hospital in a serious but stable condition,” NSW Ambulance said in a statement on Friday.

NSW Ambulance paramedic Erin Laughton told CNN’s affiliate 9News that the man was about three-and-a-half kilometers out to sea “waving his arm around” and “bobbing around in the water,” when he was found.
“He was wearing a life jacket, he was conscious, he was able to communicate with us, he was very cold, he was hypothermic and exhausted – he was absolutely exhausted,” she added.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said local officials told them earlier in the day the sailor had reportedly gone overboard the previous evening, about 8 kilometers southeast of Newcastle.

The authority said it had deployed water police and marine rescue units for the rescue, as well as two sea vessels and two helicopters.

Anonymous

CathyThilk (not verified)

on

Sat, 11/30/2024 - 14:57

Casino is not just a game of luck; it's a thrilling challenge that can be mastered with the right strategy. Imagine the excitement of hitting 21 and beating the dealer with confidence. Whether you're a novice or an experienced player, learning [url=https://casinorealmoneybe.com/]nouveau casino belge en ligne[/url] can transform your gaming experience and lead to significant wins. Don't miss out on the opportunity to improve your skills and enjoy the rewards. Start playing blackjack today and take the first step towards becoming a pro!

Anonymous

where to get cy... (not verified)

on

Sat, 11/30/2024 - 18:57

I tried reading some of the funny parts to my wife, but she didn t get them it was all that s horrible to her <a href=https://cytotec2buy.top/>where to buy generic cytotec tablets</a> Although secondary hyperparathyroidism is present in most patients with chronic renal disease, hyperphosphatemia rather than hypophosphatemia occurs in such patients owing to decreased phosphorus excretion in the urine as a consequence of the fall in GFR

Anonymous

Francesnek (not verified)

on

Sat, 11/30/2024 - 20:52

[url=https://casinorealmoneyie.com/]best online casino offers[/url] bietet eine spannende und bequeme Möglichkeit, Ihre Lieblingsspiele bequem von zu Hause aus zu genießen. Mit einer großen Auswahl an Optionen können Sie jederzeit und überall Casino-Klassiker wie Poker, Blackjack und Spielautomaten spielen. Online-Casinos bieten ein spannendes Spielerlebnis mit realistischer Grafik und Live-Dealer-Optionen. Tauchen Sie noch heute in die Welt der online casinos ein und erleben Sie die Aufregung und die Vorteile des virtuellen Spielens Ihrer Lieblingsspiele.

Anonymous

Michaelbandy (not verified)

on

Sat, 11/30/2024 - 23:07

В среде Kraken ваша безопасность и анонимность are a priority. Эта онлайн-площадка offers удобный доступ к разнообразным сервисам, которые ensure maximum privacy. Здесь правила обычного интернета не действуют, что allows you freely interact internet services.
<a href=https://krnlink.biz/>ссылка Kraken</a>

Anonymous

Justinrem (not verified)

on

Sat, 11/30/2024 - 23:08

В world of Kraken защита данных и confidentiality are a priority. Эта digital platform гарантирует удобный доступ к various services, которые обеспечивают полную скрытность. Здесь правила обычного интернета не действуют, что даёт вам возможность freely use ресурсами сети.
<a href=https://krnlink.biz/>кракен онион</a>

Anonymous

JamesAgemn (not verified)

on

Sun, 12/01/2024 - 00:43

Сертификат ТР ТС – документ, подтверждающий безопасность продукции и соответствие требованиям
конкретного технического регламента Таможенного Союза. Быстро оформим [url=https://rentry.co/zdzw5csv]сертификат тр тс.[/url]

Anonymous

buy cytotec 10 pills (not verified)

on

Sun, 12/01/2024 - 00:57

Role of cytokines in endometriosis <a href=https://cytotec2buy.top/>buy cytotec 10 pills</a> Undergraduate degree from Harvard College Medical degree from University of Chicago Residency training in Ophthalmology from USC, Doheny Eye Institute LASIK training with Stanford master surgeon Thousands of successful LASIK and PRK surgeries in 20 years of practice

Anonymous

JamesAgemn (not verified)

on

Sun, 12/01/2024 - 03:16

Предлагаем вам высококачественный тротуарный бордюр – идеальное решение для обрамления дорожек, газонов, цветников и других элементов ландшафтного дизайна.
Наш тротуарный бордюр отличается прочностью, долговечностью и устойчивостью к воздействию внешних факторов, что делает его идеальным выбором для любых условий эксплуатации - [url=https://the-dots.com/https://www.dmxzone.com/support/13984/topic/149323/]брусчатка цена[/url]

Anonymous

Jamesfrake (not verified)

on

Sun, 12/01/2024 - 08:18

Отель Мишель предлагает комфортабельные номера с кондиционером в Анапе. Бассейны, игровая зона для детей, конференц-зал для деловых встреч и мероприятий. Ждем Вас в гости круглый год https://mishelhotel.ru

Anonymous

Jamesfrake (not verified)

on

Sun, 12/01/2024 - 08:48

Отель Мишель предлагает комфортабельные номера с кондиционером в Анапе. Бассейны, игровая зона для детей, конференц-зал для деловых встреч и мероприятий. Ждем Вас в гости круглый год https://mishelhotel.ru

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.