this post was submitted on 16 Oct 2024
39 points (97.6% liked)

3DPrinting

15433 readers
157 users here now

3DPrinting is a place where makers of all skill levels and walks of life can learn about and discuss 3D printing and development of 3D printed parts and devices.

The r/functionalprint community is now located at: [email protected] or [email protected]

There are CAD communities available at: [email protected] or [email protected]

Rules

If you need an easy way to host pictures, https://catbox.moe may be an option. Be ethical about what you post and donate if you are able or use this a lot. It is just an individual hosting content, not a company. The image embedding syntax for Lemmy is ![](URL)

Moderation policy: Light, mostly invisible

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

I saw a 3d printer using plastic pellets instead of filament.

Is this a good idea? Because I never saw anyone doing this.

Seller says "in this way it won't run out of filament" but I have the impression of imprecise extrusions (machine was fitted with a big 0.8mm nozzle)

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

there's this: https://greenboy3d.de

Not cheap though, and I think the first batch hasn't shipped yet.

the main merit to me would be printing super soft materials that cant even be made into filament reliably becomes possible

[–] [email protected] 1 points 21 hours ago

Looks good, thanks for sharing! If they add Bambu support, I'll probably buy it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Like chocolate? I would love a food safe 3d printer to print chocolate. Just sayin'

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 21 hours ago

Very expensive for what's basically a gimmick. Though I'd probably buy one if I owned a confectionery.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

he does say you can do chocolate. apart from the hot end, auger, and mechanical parts it's all 3d printed though. I guess you could go through the cursed endeavour of setting up an all stainless printer to print all the parts in one of those so called food grade filaments but I don't trust that much. Or you can just operate off the understanding that we are all saturated in plastic already.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Imagine, if you will, hot glue sticks, only in chocolate.

You won’t need to have the entire printer be stainless, just the hot end/heatblock and heat break.

Then a feed system that drop more sticks in as the next gos down.

The stick can be driven by a food safe silicone rubber wheel. Maybe some sort of squashy tread so you get better contact/traction.

Wouldn’t be able to have super-high retraction, since it’s not a continuous length… but details.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

I think one of the existing chocolate printers actually used that design. I was concerned about chocolate pellets in a printed hopper though.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

Chocolate sticks can be printed easily, though.

12-25mm diameter filament.

Use an all metal hot end (stainless steel, preferably,). And slow its feed rate down with a gear reduction.

You wouldn’t even need them to be round if you milled out your own heat block. Just of a consistent cross section.