Ben's Success

Ben has big plans. He has researched well, thought of the
big picture and then ordered equipment.

An exciting new field that he would like to be part of, the 3D
printmaking phenomenon.

So he waited patiently for the gear to arrive, a machine to
fabricate the filament to go into 3D printers, and a spool
machine to wind on the created filament.

Also a more up to date 3D printer of his own to test out the
process, and the product he created.

Tinkering with it to produce both simple, and more complex
models, from sleek design elephants to intricate Trilobites.

In hand, a supply of small plastic beads and even dye to
colour to order the plastic.

Yesterday we were given the first demonstration of the process.
Plastic beads were fed into the hopper of the first machine,
and then attaching and winding on the freshly created filament.

Very promising and exciting.

 This is the spool machine, which Ben had to adjust for more aligned, and even winding.

 Starting up took some concentration to make sure the filament was taken up and rolling on properly.

 Some heat, steam or vapour was noted emanating from the machine 

melting the plastic beads and producing the filament.

 We all waited with baited breath as the demo took place, checking out the exciting result.

 This foreshortened view shows one machine loading onto another.

 Very funky retro lettering on the Filabot.

 Here to the left of the picture can be seen the raw material, the little plastic beads 

in the hopper about to be melted and turned into filament.

Below is the Spooler, and between them there is very low levels 

of noise while in production.