Fabbaloo friend Joris Peels has written an extensive interview with Marek Senický, whose new venture, Filamaker, promises to shake up the filament industry.
The Filamaker is a device that can recycle unwanted ABS 3D prints. It’s not a complex device; it simply grinds up chunks of ABS, heats and extrudes it into precision filament. You can see how the process works in this short video.
The USD$500 device is not yet available, as Senický is still developing a kit for future sales on Indiegogo. However, he did show off a prototype at the Rome Makerfaire, attracting significant interest from those wishing to avoid paying USD$50 for colorful 1kg spools of plastic filament.
We think this is a way that could make 3D printing even more green, but there could be challenges:
- If you’re interested in a specific color, you might be out of luck unless you can gather up enough leftovers of appropriate color.
- There is the possibility of creating new colors by mixing differently-colored pieces, or even introducing colorant into the process somehow. But we suspect you’d be hard-pressed to consistently deliver the exact same shade.
- Your leftover ABS pieces may or may not have come from previous prints. In fact, any old ABS could theoretically be used. This means you may not have providence on the material and it could contain toxic elements, potentially causing nasties.
Nevertheless, if you happen to have a metric ton of half-completed 3D prints – and who doesn’t? – then you might consider looking for this item when it comes available.
Via VoxelFab
