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Step 2 - Extruding PLA

Time for some hands-on practice!

To ensure that you have a good first extrusion, we have outlined the instructions neatly below. We recommend reading it in its entirety and taking notes, before you turn on the machine. Then you can follow the written steps and focus on the machine whenever you need to. Remember to not rush any of the phases, observe how the machine and the material behave, and proceed with safety above all else!

All the best and see you on the other side!

PLA extrusion run

Tools required:

- Filament Maker (with power cable, Hopper and Spool Holder attached)
- 3devo PLA
- measuring jar
- plier
- (optional) heatproof gloves
- extrusion bib
- spool

Step-by-step process:

Start Phase

1. Plug in the machine and turn it on with the Power button next to the power cable. Press the button next to the touchscreen.
2. Enter the Extruder temperatures menu, and input the heater settings that works best for our 3devo PLA. You can enter each temperature on the number pad or use the slider.
Heaters 1 to 4 (starting from left) 160℃ 165℃ 170℃ 165℃
Hit ‘Confirm’ and wait while the Heaters meet their set temperatures, about 15-20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, open the door to the extrusion area to prepare for the first output. Turn the filament fans out and away from each other. Install the extrusion bib. Lastly, fill the Hopper with at least 200grams of 3devo PLA.
4. Enter the Extruder Speed menu. If the Heaters are still heating, then the option to hit ‘Play’ on the screw speed will be unavailable. Once the Heaters reach within 5℃ of their set temperatures, then it is safe for the screw to start turning and you can continue. Input 5 RPM and hit ‘Play’. This means the screw will start spinning and we can soon expect some output from the nozzle. While in this menu, set the Puller speed at 20 RPM. This will be later adjusted in the Finetuning phase.

Flow Phase

5. Observe the output for a few minutes. If it looks consistent without any unmelted lumps (too cold) or gas bubbles (too hot), we can continue to the next phase. As this grade of PLA is validated on the FM TWO, this phase will take barely 5-10 minutes, just to confirm there are no issues. For other materials this phase might take longer or even take the focus of the extrusion run, to fully allow time to research how those materials behave in the machine before turning them into filament.

Finetuning Phase

6. Let’s turn the output into filament.
Enter the fan settings in the last tab, the Settings menu. We recommend the Hopper fan to be at 100% strength, and the Filament Fans to be at 70% for 3devo PLA. Enter the values and hit ‘Confirm’. In the same menu, set the filament diameter to 1.75mm. With the fans on, the Sensor set, and the Puller wheels turning, we can start measuring.
7. Cut the filament with a pair of pliers below the Nozzle, remove the extrusion bib along with any waste, and angle the Filament Fans back facing each other. They should blow air on the filament but not on the Nozzle. This might cause unnecessary cooling and cause a clog.
8. Using pliers or a heatproof glove, lead the filament through the Sensor gap and in between the two Puller wheels. Wait for 5-10 minutes for the flow and cooling to stabilize, while monitoring the filament ovality on the machine display. You can do this in the Material diameter menu.
9. So far the Puller wheels have been on manual. Time to change them to automatic. Enter the Settings menu and change the Adjustment strength and Adjustment speed to 3. Enable ‘On’. The Adjustment strength dictates the RPM changes in the Puller wheels, while the Adjustment speed dictates the frequency of the changes.
10. Monitor the diameter and quality of the filament. If you find the Puller wheel is squashing the filament then you can reduce the tension the Puller wheels enact on the filament by adjusting the Tensioner on the left side of the wheels. Too strong and it might squish a flexible filament, but too loose and it might cause filament slipping. Make adjustments as you see fit.

Spooling Phase

11. Once the diameter is stable, we can begin spooling. First, enter the measurements of your chosen spool in the Settings menu. We recommend using a digital caliper as it will provide the most accurate results, but an analog caliper or ruler can also be used.
‘Set diameter’ is already 1.75mm.
‘Set spool right’ to align the spool’s inner rim. Start with 1.5mm and visually check through the front window to see if the positioner eyelet is lining up with the innermost side of the spool.
‘Set spool width’ from side to side and enter that value. This is how the positioner will know where to start spooling, and how far to move. 

‘Set spool inner diameter’ by measuring the internal cross section of the spool. This is important as the larger the diameter of the spool, the slower the spool rotation will have to be.
Next, for the best accuracy, set the positioner guiding arm so the friction wheel is closest to the edge of the spool.
Lastly, set the Tensioner stiffness to 3. For stiff materials (e.g. PEEK) it’s advised to set the tensioner arm to 5 to allow for a smooth tautness, whereas for flexible materials (e.g. HDPE) set the value to 1. For 3devo PLA, 3 is ideal.
12. Now we can finally spool. Go to the Extruder speed menu, to be on standby ready to press ‘Play’ on the Positioner.
Using heat gloves or pliers, cut the filament below the Puller and guide it through the positioner eyelet, while keeping tension on the filament. 
Thread it into a notch of the spool from the inside and place the spool on the spool holder. Press ‘Play’ on the Positioner. 
Press the spool down for 2-3 seconds so the chuck jaws expand and grab onto the spool. The tension of the filament will help hold the spool in place.
13. From here on out, we can monitor the spooling without interacting with the machine. Close the door, and make sure the Hopper is always full. If it runs out of material, the machine will display on error message. You can then fill up the Hopper again.

Clean up Phase

14. When you are ready to stop spooling, simply press ‘Pause’ on the Positioner in the Extrusion speed menu to stop the rotation of the spool. Cut the filament, remove the spool by rotating it clockwise on the spool holder, and secure the end of the filament to the spool to stop it from unwinding.
15. Normally, this phase also includes purging, which is the technical term for cleaning the barrel and screw, however this is not necessary with 3devo PLA right now.
16. Lastly set all the Heaters to 0, stop the screw rotation, and turn machine off with the Power button at the back, and unplug the power cable. The Heaters and the remaining PLA in the barrel will slowly cool down and leave the machine in a safe state. Please note this can only be done with 3devo PLA, not other grades.
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