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

41291 Comments

Anonymous

FrancisDuh (not verified)

on

Wed, 01/01/2025 - 08:28

Бесплатный доступ к онлайн курсам, тренингам и книгам. Большой выбор образовательных курсов. Скачивайте бесплатно уже сейчас https://piratehub.site

Anonymous

FrancisDuh (not verified)

on

Wed, 01/01/2025 - 08:56

Бесплатный доступ к онлайн курсам, тренингам и книгам. Большой выбор образовательных курсов. Скачивайте бесплатно уже сейчас https://piratehub.site

Anonymous

FrancisDuh (not verified)

on

Wed, 01/01/2025 - 09:06

Бесплатный доступ к онлайн курсам, тренингам и книгам. Большой выбор образовательных курсов. Скачивайте бесплатно уже сейчас https://piratehub.site

Anonymous

FrancisDuh (not verified)

on

Wed, 01/01/2025 - 10:33

Бесплатный доступ к онлайн курсам, тренингам и книгам. Большой выбор образовательных курсов. Скачивайте бесплатно уже сейчас https://piratehub.site

Anonymous

Gambaraapold (not verified)

on

Wed, 01/01/2025 - 23:47

If you’re searching for a premium online casino, <a href=https://1win-casino-login-bet.lol>1Win Bitcoin casino</a>|
is exactly what you need! With an impressive selection of games like progressive jackpots, it offers thrilling gameplay. Claim an exclusive promotion to kickstart your journey, enjoy fast payouts, and play on the go with the mobile app. Join fans of online gaming and discover why 1Win is everyone’s favorite. Whether you’re seeking thrills, 1Win offers exciting opportunities for everyone. Don’t wait—start playing and experience the thrill today!
Play live dealer tables and withdraw winnings with fast payouts. Whether you’re a casual gamer, 1Win provides exciting chances.

Anonymous

AnthonyTug (not verified)

on

Thu, 01/02/2025 - 10:53

SEO-продвижение это комплекс работ направленных на оптимизацию веб-сайта под требования поисковых систем, с целью последующего улучшения его видимости в поисковой выдаче. Если вы хотите чтобы ваш сайт начал выше показываться в поиске, и его посещаемость увеличилась, мы готовы вам с этим помочь <a href="http://1st-seo.ru/">продвижение сайта в москве частником москва</a>

Anonymous

AnthonyTug (not verified)

on

Thu, 01/02/2025 - 11:20

SEO-продвижение это комплекс работ направленных на оптимизацию веб-сайта под требования поисковых систем, с целью последующего улучшения его видимости в поисковой выдаче. Если вы хотите чтобы ваш сайт начал выше показываться в поиске, и его посещаемость увеличилась, мы готовы вам с этим помочь <a href="http://1st-seo.ru/">http://1st-seo.ru/</a>

Anonymous

AnthonyTug (not verified)

on

Thu, 01/02/2025 - 11:30

SEO-продвижение это комплекс работ направленных на оптимизацию веб-сайта под требования поисковых систем, с целью последующего улучшения его видимости в поисковой выдаче. Если вы хотите чтобы ваш сайт начал выше показываться в поиске, и его посещаемость увеличилась, мы готовы вам с этим помочь <a href="http://1st-seo.ru/">seo частник москва</a>

Anonymous

Gregoryginly (not verified)

on

Thu, 01/02/2025 - 14:52

The mysterious cities of the dead carved into the sides of cliffs
[url=https://kraken3yvbvzmhytnrnuhsy772i6dfobofu652e27f5hx6y5cpj7rgyd-onion.net ]kraken2trfqodidvlh4aa337cpzfrhdlfldhve5nf7njhumwr7instad[/url]
The ancient Lycians knew a thing or two about democracy. Two thousand years ago, the one-time rulers of modern-day Turkey’s southwestern corner had a fully functioning democratic federation that centuries later inspired America’s political structure.

While democracies everywhere might be facing turbulent times, another Lycian legacy remains steadfastly present in the Mediterranean region they used to call home. And this one is focused almost entirely around death.

Drive around the coast of this beautiful region and you’ll never be too far from a spectacular city of the dead – elaborate tombs carved by Lycians into the sides of cliffs overlooking towns, valleys and shorelines.
https://kraken3yvbvzmhytnrnuhsy772i6dfobofu652e27f5hx6y5cpj7rgyd.info
kraken6gf6o4rxewycqwjgfchzgxyfeoj5xafqbfm4vgvyaig2vmxvyd
That’s not all. Scattered throughout the countryside and towns are imposing sarcophagi that likely once held the remains of high and mighty denizens of Lycia. Indeed, they’re such a familiar sight that they’re often casually included as part of urban landscapes.

For visitors, especially those interested in history, tracking them down is an adventure all on its own.

While some are preserved in ticketed archaeological sites, others are free to explore — but can require Indiana Jones-level exploration skills, clambering up vertiginous hillsides, riding boats and delving into the undergrowth to find.
A good starting place is Fethiye, a low-key port city that’s a useful jumping-off point for great beaches and attractions all along Turkey’s so-called Turquoise Coast riviera. After a day of swimming in those glorious waters, it’s worth a sunset trek to the overlooking cliffs.
[url=https://kraken4qzqnoi7ogpzpzwrxk7mw53n5i56loydwiyonu4owxsh4g67yd.cc ]kraken6gf6o4rxewycqwjgfchzgxyfeoj5xafqbfm4vgvyaig2vmxvyd onion[/url]

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.