I attended this session with 11 other participants. Most were hobbyists or engineers, with one couple that designs high-powered foam bullet toys. Participants came from Vancouver, Camas, Hillsboro, Seattle, and Atlanta to attend this event. Proto-Pasta is one of the few independent 3D filament shops around that allow consumers onto their shop floor to see how the process works. Much of their equipment is cobbled together out of repurposed machinery. I appreciated their conversation about how their work flow is an iterative process and they are constantly learning and improving their design to achieve the best quality filament possible.
Proto-Pasta’s production line consists of 4 stations, each with the ability to produce 1.75 and 2.85 filament sizes. Chris and Jarek did all the hard work of cranking out our filament while we eagerly watched them work. All of the Proto-Pasta computer software is developed in-house and continues to be a work in progress as they refine their practices and grow to meet demand.
Proto-Pasta grinds and produces all of their bases in-house, using a completely dry process, which gives them better quality control and more consistent printing. They create their materials in bulk and splice them out into “recipes” for creating different effects.The materials look like plastic pellets. The pellets are measured and weighed to the recipe specifications, then combined. The dry pellets are then dropped into a hopper, which feeds them through a hot end and extruder into a trough, which cools the liquid plastic to create the long rope to be spooled.
Having re-spooled filament by hand, I am very jealous of their filament spooler setup!
At this workshop, we worked with Alex, a 3D printer innovator. Using his expertise, we experimented with creating unique color and base combinations. All attendees were able to make 2 1-kg spools of filament and each spool was unique. Alex even ran a few spools for participants looking to achieve a very custom color. Proto-Pasta then saves the recipes so if any of the attendees would like to re-order their spool color, they have it on-hand.
I already knew from my own experience that how a filament reacts during the 3D printing process can vary widely within not just types of filament, but also within the same type, color, brand, environment and printer. I learned at this workshop that the base used within the filament (even by the same brand and with the same color) can also impact printing outcomes. Just within the HTPLA line at Proto-Pasta, they use 4 separate bases to achieve the desired print effect. All of the components affect printing outcomes.
I cannot wait for our 2nd printer to return to us from repairs at Lulzbot to use our glittery filament! After speaking with Alex and learning more about the filament-creation process, I am now working with Proto-Pasta to design some metal filament printing workshops. Due to the public demand on our main 3D printer, we’ll need to wait to expand our printing opportunities until the 2nd printer returns to the branch. Through the library’s 3D printing certification for the public, I have connected with a community member and volunteer for a high school robotics team. The team is interested in printing custom parts with carbon fiber filament, and I was able to connect her with Proto-Pasta for a community partnership.
Filament #1: Green Glitter Goodness
Filament #2: Purplesaurus Rex
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