{"id":78630,"key":"3D_printable_Polymer_Pelletizer_Chopper_for_Fused_Granular_Fabrication-Based_Additive_Manufacturing","title":"3D printable Polymer Pelletizer Chopper for Fused Granular Fabrication-Based Additive Manufacturing","latest":{"id":1223233,"timestamp":"2026-01-08T22:11:59Z"},"content_model":"wikitext","license":{"url":"https://www.appropedia.org/Appropedia:Copyrights","title":"CC-BY-SA-4.0"},"source":"{{MOST}}\n\n[[File:OSpellets.JPG|thumb]]\n\n{{Publication data\n| type = Paper\n| cite-as = Aubrey L. Woern and Joshua M. Pearce. 3-D Printable Polymer Pelletizer Chopper for Fused Granular Fabrication-Based Additive Manufacturing. ''Inventions'' 2018, 3(4), 78; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions3040078 [https://www.academia.edu/37860682/3-D_Printable_Polymer_Pelletizer_Chopper_for_Fused_Granular_Fabrication-Based_Additive_Manufacturing open access]\n}}\n\nAlthough distributed additive manufacturing can provide high returns on investment, the current markup on commercial filament over base polymers limits deployment. These cost barriers can be surmounted by eliminating the entire process of fusing filament by three-dimensional (3-D) printing products directly from polymer granules. Fused granular fabrication (FGF) (or fused particle fabrication (FPF)) is being held back in part by the accessibility of low-cost pelletizers and choppers. An open-source 3-D printable invention disclosed here allows for precisely controlled pelletizing of both single thermopolymers as well as composites for 3-D printing. The system is designed, built, and tested for its ability to provide high-tolerance thermopolymer pellets with a number of sizes capable of being used in an FGF printer. In addition, the chopping pelletizer is tested for its ability to chop multi-materials simultaneously for color mixing and composite fabrication as well as precise fractional measuring back to filament. The US$185 open-source 3-D printable pelletizer chopper system was successfully fabricated and has a 0.5 kg/h throughput with one motor, and 1.0 kg/h throughput with two motors using only 0.24 kWh/kg during the chopping process. Pellets were successfully printed directly via FGF as well as indirectly after being converted into high-tolerance filament in a [[recyclebot]].\n\n** Just the code: https://osf.io/6t4dn/\n** STLs alone: https://www.youmagine.com/designs/3-d-printable-polymer-pelletizer-chopper-for-fused-granular-fabrication-based-additive-manufacturing\n\n{{Pearce publications notice}}\n\n== Trouble Shooting ==\n\n[[File:PowerSupply.jpg|thumb]]\n\n=== No current to motor ===\n\n* If power supply is plugged in and hooked up to motor and motor does not run, check to make sure voltage output wires are properly connected to terminals\n* the voltage terminals are shown properly connected to the red and blue wires\n* Red wire connects to the (-V) terminal in the middle, blue wire connects to (+V) terminal (second from right)\n* there should be one unconnected terminal between these two, otherwise the current will be zero\n\n=== Filament gets stuck in rotating blade ===\n\n* This usually occurs when the filament is significantly smaller than the feed hole diameter and deflects away from the blade. The result is the filament getting caught and sheared in the blade rather than being evenly cut.\n\n== Inspired Designs ==\n\n* Bill Dube's - [https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4886192 Filament Pelletizer Cutter, Pellet Maker, Filament Recycle]\n\n{{MOST-recycle}}\n\n== In the News ==\n\n* [https://www.3ders.org/articles/20181128-researchers-at-michigan-technological-university-invent-3d-printable-polymer-pelletizer-chopper.html Michigan Tech researchers invent 3D Printable Polymer Pelletizer Chopper] 3Ders 105k [https://www.longroom.com/discussion/1270572/michigan-tech-researchers-invent-3d-printable-polymer-pelletizer-chopper Long Room]\n* [https://3dprint.com/230737/cutting-costs-with-an-open-source-material-pelletizer/ Cutting 3D Printing Costs with an Open Source Material Pelletizer] 3D Print 48k, [http://blog.ichibanelectronic.com/3d-printers/cutting-3d-printing-costs-with-an-open-source-material-pelletizer-3dprint-com/ Ichiban Electronic]\n* [https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/make-your-own-filament-with-this-3d-printable-pelletizer-from-mtu-144747/ Make your own filament with this 3D Printable Pelletizer from MTU] 3D Printing Industry 63.5k\n* [http://www.stamparein3d.it/il-chopper-per-pelletizzatore-il-polimerico-stampabile-in-3d-dalla-michigan-technological-university-27144-2/ Il chopper per pelletizzatore il polimerico stampabile in 3d dalla Michigan Technological University] Stamperein 3D\n* [https://3druck.com/forschung/forscher-aus-michigan-entwickeln-einen-3d-gedruckten-polymer-granulator-zerhacker-1977940/ Forscher aus Michigan entwickeln einen 3D-gedruckten Polymer-Granulator-Zerhacker] - 3DRuck\n* [https://hackaday.com/2018/12/05/the-filament-pelletizer-for-fused-granular-fabrication/ The Filament Pelletizer For Fused Granular Fabrication] Hackaday 9.2k\n\n{{Page data\n| license = CC-BY-SA-3.0\n| part-of = MOST completed projects and publications\n| keywords = additive manufacturing, distributed recycling, energy conservation, polymer recycling, life-cycle analysis, recycling, recyclebot, 3-D printing, plastic, composites, polymer composites, extruder, upcycle, 3D printing, Polymer recycling, Polymers, Plastic bottles, Energy efficiency\n| sdg = SDG12 Responsible consumption and production\n| organizations = MOST\n| authors = Aubrey L. Woern, J.M.Pearce\n| description = A pelletizer chopper simplifies 3D fabrication. Appropedia details its design, benefits, and how it supports local open-source production.\n}}\n\n[[Category:Recyclebot]]\n[[Category:Polymer recycling]]\n[[Category:Energy efficiency]]"}