How to produce PLA for 3d-printers. Report from the workshop
Pistol shot served as a signal to create a business.
In order to dispel the myths that plastic coils for 3d printersgrow on trees, you can only buy and resell, and also that it is enough to buy an all-in-one extruder and start your own business, I went to explore for Moscow manufacturers of ABS and PLA (and HIPS). Indeed, I got into a professional shop with industrial equipment, with measuring and control devices of high accuracy, high standards for cleanliness (for the production process is very responsible) and sociable founders (willing to share knowledge with a curious and thinking audience), who have a lot of technical ideas and plans to seize the world market. (+5 to the level of national pride)
As the co-founder of the company told me: “At first we saw a printed fruit knife, and an orange peeled from it, then the video with Cody Wilson’s gun was shocked and it started ...”
At the time when I wrote the first 2 articles about 3d printers on Habré (spring 2013), these guys have already started to create a plastic business. Interestingly, a similar idea occurred to me and them, how to supplement the saying, they say, a person can look endlessly at fire, water, how another person works and how a 3d printer prints.
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Polylactide (PLA) is a biodegradable, biocompatible, thermoplastic, aliphatic polyester whose monomer is lactic acid. The raw materials for production are annually renewable resources such as corn and sugar cane. Used for the production of products with a short service life (food packaging, disposable tableware, packages, various containers), as well as in medicine, for the production of surgical threads and pins.
Under the cut - the main stages of turning raw materials into coils with PLA for 3d printers
The vein was corn, then it is processed into balls like this and put in such boxes
About 900 kg of plastic are produced from a ton of raw material.
Since it is a natural product, it is afraid of light and moisture, so it is protected by such a bag and a piece of silica gel.
And this is a “vacuum cleaner”, which is scooped 100 kg of “corn balls” and sent to the container
Here the raw material is dried, and the smell is as in a candy store.
Add a “pinch” dye (also completely natural, Austrian quality)
Here the raw material is heated and turns into a viscous mass.
Under the pressure of the shaft pass through the heating elements.
The diameter of the outlet of the “firebox” is about 3 mm, the plastic acquires the required diameter (1.75 mm) due to the fact that it is immediately pulled, and the thrust is very precisely adjusted
Bosh. For ABS and PLA different temperatures
The diameter of the cooled plastic is measured by a laser device. Set the permissible error diameter of the thread ± 0,03 mm
Remote monitoring of plastic diameter
The speed of the thread pulling through the laser is 55 meters per minute
Management of the burden. It is the thrust that creates the desired diameter. With the help of this node, you can very accurately select the thrust of the motors and thereby adjust the diameter of the plastic.
"Spindle" - controls the speed of winding on the coil. No to the COIL.
Here it is - COIL.
Without plastic
It is important to note the uniform filling of the coil
After the big coil is filled, it is removed and rewound the thread into small (usual for everyone) coils.
Ordinary coils fall into the caring hands of the girl who completes the box
Dust-proof bag, moisture-proof silica gel , heavy box, protected from direct sunlight and stickers. The labels indicate the recommended melting point (for ABS and PLA they are different), the thread diameter, weight and material.
From here they will travel throughout Moscow and the CIS countries.
What I noticed is that the workshop is very clean, all measures have been taken to keep as little dust as possible: windows are taped with adhesive tape, cleaning is often done, antistatic fluid is used, and important places are covered with plastic.
A couple of tips on how to choose a good plastic.
PLA is very sensitive to storage (in the dark, dry and dust free). A twig should be clean without any inclusions, even, without peeling, on the surface - light shine.
The presence of foreign bodies is checked at the place of rupture. If you pull up and break a piece of plastic (and breaks where it is “thin”), then the gap should be homogeneous - this is a sign of good quality.
(picture for environmental investors)
but the data is similar to the truth
PLA examples
In order to dispel the myths that plastic coils for 3d printers
As the co-founder of the company told me: “At first we saw a printed fruit knife, and an orange peeled from it, then the video with Cody Wilson’s gun was shocked and it started ...”
At the time when I wrote the first 2 articles about 3d printers on Habré (spring 2013), these guys have already started to create a plastic business. Interestingly, a similar idea occurred to me and them, how to supplement the saying, they say, a person can look endlessly at fire, water, how another person works and how a 3d printer prints.
')
Polylactide (PLA) is a biodegradable, biocompatible, thermoplastic, aliphatic polyester whose monomer is lactic acid. The raw materials for production are annually renewable resources such as corn and sugar cane. Used for the production of products with a short service life (food packaging, disposable tableware, packages, various containers), as well as in medicine, for the production of surgical threads and pins.
Under the cut - the main stages of turning raw materials into coils with PLA for 3d printers
Panorama of the shop
From right to left
The vein was corn, then it is processed into balls like this and put in such boxes
About 900 kg of plastic are produced from a ton of raw material.
Since it is a natural product, it is afraid of light and moisture, so it is protected by such a bag and a piece of silica gel.
And this is a “vacuum cleaner”, which is scooped 100 kg of “corn balls” and sent to the container
Here the raw material is dried, and the smell is as in a candy store.
Add a “pinch” dye (also completely natural, Austrian quality)
Here the raw material is heated and turns into a viscous mass.
Under the pressure of the shaft pass through the heating elements.
The diameter of the outlet of the “firebox” is about 3 mm, the plastic acquires the required diameter (1.75 mm) due to the fact that it is immediately pulled, and the thrust is very precisely adjusted
Bosh. For ABS and PLA different temperatures
The diameter of the cooled plastic is measured by a laser device. Set the permissible error diameter of the thread ± 0,03 mm
Remote monitoring of plastic diameter
The speed of the thread pulling through the laser is 55 meters per minute
Management of the burden. It is the thrust that creates the desired diameter. With the help of this node, you can very accurately select the thrust of the motors and thereby adjust the diameter of the plastic.
"Spindle" - controls the speed of winding on the coil. No to the COIL.
Here it is - COIL.
Without plastic
It is important to note the uniform filling of the coil
After the big coil is filled, it is removed and rewound the thread into small (usual for everyone) coils.
Ordinary coils fall into the caring hands of the girl who completes the box
Dust-proof bag, moisture-proof silica gel , heavy box, protected from direct sunlight and stickers. The labels indicate the recommended melting point (for ABS and PLA they are different), the thread diameter, weight and material.
From here they will travel throughout Moscow and the CIS countries.
Purity
What I noticed is that the workshop is very clean, all measures have been taken to keep as little dust as possible: windows are taped with adhesive tape, cleaning is often done, antistatic fluid is used, and important places are covered with plastic.
soluble plastic
high-strength polystyrene (HIPS), which by its characteristics is very similar to ordinary ABS (for which Rep 2X is “optimized”). HIPS is soluble in limonene, a citrus-based substance. Complex objects can be printed with standard ABS or PLA, and HIPS can be used as a material for supports. The final product is immersed in a lemon bath, where HIPS dissolves in a few hours. In addition, HIPS has a close working temperature, is well glued to the ABS and the platform. The consumption of limonene is needed a little, since most of the support is usually removed by hand. The lemon bath is a slightly more complicated procedure than if it was ordinary water, but it has its own advantage: after bathing, the part smells like lemon.
high-strength polystyrene (HIPS), which by its characteristics is very similar to ordinary ABS (for which Rep 2X is “optimized”). HIPS is soluble in limonene, a citrus-based substance. Complex objects can be printed with standard ABS or PLA, and HIPS can be used as a material for supports. The final product is immersed in a lemon bath, where HIPS dissolves in a few hours. In addition, HIPS has a close working temperature, is well glued to the ABS and the platform. The consumption of limonene is needed a little, since most of the support is usually removed by hand. The lemon bath is a slightly more complicated procedure than if it was ordinary water, but it has its own advantage: after bathing, the part smells like lemon.
A couple of tips on how to choose a good plastic.
PLA is very sensitive to storage (in the dark, dry and dust free). A twig should be clean without any inclusions, even, without peeling, on the surface - light shine.
The presence of foreign bodies is checked at the place of rupture. If you pull up and break a piece of plastic (and breaks where it is “thin”), then the gap should be homogeneous - this is a sign of good quality.
Durability / Biodegradability
(picture for environmental investors)
but the data is similar to the truth
PLA examples
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/238053/
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