From the course: Additive Manufacturing: Tips, Tricks, and Techniques

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Recycled filament

Recycled filament

- [Instructor] Consumer level 3D printers are fundamentally very simple machines. We often say that they're essentially motorized hot glue guns, yet they manage to create incredibly detailed prints with millimeter scale features. How does that work? A lot of it's because the precision of the printer is really dependent on the quality of the filament. It's crucial that the filament's diameter and its material properties to be extremely consistent. If the filament diameter is too large, the printer can jam. If it's too small, your prints might be under-extruded and weak. If there are lumps of pigment or foreign material, your printer may clog. Even if it doesn't clog, variations in melting property can lead to alternating areas of too much and too little material. Experienced 3D printer users know that very opaque filaments, particularly black and white ones, can be prone to clogging because of inconsistent pigment…

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