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)

  • Grass@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    11·
    22 hours ago

    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

    • Tony N@lemmy.mlEnglish
      4·
      20 hours ago

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

      • FuglyDuck@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        15 hours 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.

      • Grass@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        4·
        20 hours ago

        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.

        • FuglyDuck@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          15 hours ago

          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.

          • Grass@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            1·
            14 hours ago

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