Device for Fusion and Spooling of Filament Feedstock for 3-D Printers

• Vanessa Pineda
• Jack Zaley
• Shaun Wollenweber
• David Mcdermott

Additive manufacturing changed the way rapid prototyping was performed by engineers with the creation of affordable, effective, and easy to use 3-D printers. University makerspaces such as the one at UIC have used 3-D printers to provide engineering students with a means for prototyping their designs. Often, the UIC Makerspace will dispose of filament feedstock reels that do not contain enough filament to complete an entire print cycle. To reduce or eliminate this waste, a method was developed that would allow two reels of filament to be combined onto a single reel. This would involve fusing the ends of two strands of filament together and then spooling the continuous strand onto one of the reels. After a decision-making process and consideration of various failure modes, a final design was reached. Using computer aided design (CAD), our team generated 3-D models of each component and then assembled them. Finite element analysis (FEA) software was employed to conduct a steady-state thermal analysis and evaluate the temperature distribution around the point of fusion between the two strands of filament. Once a satisfactory design and simulation results were achieved, the design was finalized and components were manufactured or purchased. A program was developed that would enable a user to control the device and receive feedback through a user interface. The prototype was assembled and final testing was performed to ensure that the device met all required criteria.