How filament is made

Every good 3D print starts with plastic, usually in the form of colorful strands wound neatly on spools.

Pla filament

Pla filament

Filament extruder

Filament manufacturers

Filament laravel production

They all use the same basic principle: mix plastic pellets with color and property enhancing additives; melt it, extrude it, cool it, and wind.

Though the 3D printing hobby is jampacked with do-it-yourselfers, making your own filament is still out of reach for most home workshops. High-quality filament requires expensive heavy-duty machinery, a lot of space, and a ton of energy.

I’ve had the opportunity to visit three factories making 3D printing filament in person, and a fourth virtually: Prusa Research, Printed Solid, Printerior and ProtoPasta.

They all use the same basic principle: mix plastic pellets with color and property enhancing additives; melt it, extrude it, cool it, and wind it on a spool. Easy, right?

David Randolph, CEO of Printed Solid in Newark, Delaware, recently gave me a tour of his factory’s four filament lines.

3D printing filament is created using a process of heating, extruding and cooling plastic to transform nurdles into the finished product.

Three were built by his company to produce affordable PLA and PETG, under the brand name “Jessie”. The fourth was installed by Prusa Research after his company’s friendly acquisition by the Czech Republic manufacturer.

I wa

how tungsten filament is made

what is filament made up of