User Manual

Rev 2.0
Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction to the ProtoCycler+ 3

1.1 Safety 3
1.1.1 General Safety 3
1.1.2 Extrusion Safety 3
1.2 ProtoCycler+ Layout 4

2.0 Grinding 6
2.1 Grinder Operation 6
2.1.1 Grinder Safety 6
2.1.2 Grinder First Time Setup 6
2.1.3 Operation 7
2.2 Sorting Ground Material 7
2.3 Ground Material Size & Extruding Recycled Plastic 8

3.0 Important Things to Know Before Extruding 9

3.1 Puller Wheel Storage 9
3.2 Cleanliness 9
3.3 Plastic Care: Dry vs Wet - Clean vs Dirty 10
3.4 Opaque vs Transparent Plastic 11
3.5 Spooler Set Up 11
3.5.1 Spooler Assembly Instructions 16
3.6 Light Guide Alignment 17
3.6.2 Light Guide Alignment Overview: 18
3.6.3 Step 1 - Adjusting the sensor height 19
3.6.4 Step 2 - Evenly lighting the sensor 20
3.6.5 Step 3 - Calibrating the readings 21

4.0 Extrusion Operational Instructions 23

4.1 Overview 23
4.2 Initial Extrusion Steps for both Manual and Automatic: 23
4.3 Automatic Extrusion 24
4.3.1 Automatic Extrusion Steps 24
4.3.2 Diameter Sensor Check 26
4.4 Manual Extrusion 28
4.4.1 Manual Extrusion Steps 28

5.0 Intro to the ProtoCycler+ Purge Procedure (PPP) 30

5.1 Purging 30
5.1.1 Short Purge 30
5.1.2 Disco Purge 31
5.2 Purge Tips 31

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6.0 Congratulations! 32

7.0 Appendix 33

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1.0 Introduction to the ProtoCycler+

Welcome to the ProtoCycler+ community! The team here at ReDeTec is excited that you have
chosen to walk the path of sustainable 3D printing! We’re here to ensure your success with your
device. Operating the device requires a knowledge base and it is strongly recommended that
you read this entire manual before use.

Upon completion, you will know your way around the device, understand its key limitations, and
be able to operate in both automatic and manual extrusion modes. Most importantly, you will be
able to operate it safely.

If the manual doesn’t cover what you’re looking to understand, or raises further questions,
please visit: www.redetec.com/support

Please consider the environment before printing any copies of this manual.

1.1 Safety

Please do not compromise safety for anything. ProtoCycler+ brings industrial grade technology
to the desktop, and should be fully understood before operation. Please thoroughly review the
safety precautions before operating your device. Failure to do so may result in damage to
your device or may cause bodily harm.

1.1.1 General Safety

1.1.2 Extrusion Safety

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Note: If you have a High Temperature model, temperatures may reach as high as 500°C!

Never extrude PVC or any unknown plastic. The fumes could be lethal! ProtoCycler+
currently supports PLA, ABS, HDPE*, LDPE*, PA12, PETG, HIPS (*special printing hardware is
required to print HDPE/LDPE).

The device provides the ability to experiment with new materials and colors via the manual
extrusion mode. Please do not attempt to extrude any unknown materials unless you
understand the chemical reaction that occurs when the material is thermally broken down. For
example, PVC releases chlorine gas and under no circumstances should you try to extrude it
with the ProtoCycler+.

Always ensure proper ventilation when extruding any plastic, from the supported list or
otherwise.

1.2 ProtoCycler+ Layout

Before we dive in any further, let’s learn the basic anatomy and terminology used for the device.
The following images label the key features.

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 Figure 1: ProtoCycler+ Front View (labeled)

Figure 2: ProtoCycler+ Side Views (labeled)

Figure 3: ProtoCycler+ Inside View (labeled)

Figure 4: From left to right - Nozzle Screen, Nozzle Breaker Plate, Nozzle Cap

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2.0 Grinding

(skip over this section if you have a Grinderless Unit)

2.1 Grinder Operation

The ProtoCycler+ must be powered on at all times to operate the grinder. The grinder
relies on an electromagnet interlock that engages the grinder drive train only when supplied with
power. The electromagnet is calibrated to disengage the interlock at set torque limit value to
prevent damage to the gear train. The grinder will only work if the two interlock switches are
engaged while the unit is powered on. One switch is engaged by the grinder lid, and the other
by the grinder drawer.

2.1.1 Grinder Safety

Please thoroughly review the safety precautions before operating the grinder. Failure to
do so may result in serious injury or irreparable damage to your device.

2.1.2 Grinder First Time Setup

Installing the Grinder Handle:

1. Remove the Grinder Crank Arm and Allen Key from the Accessories Box.
2. Use the Allen Key to remove the screw and washer from the Grinder Crank.
3. Place the support washer onto the crankshaft.
4. Install the Crank Arm over the hex on the Grinder Crank with the handle facing outwards
Note: the hex size is 5/16”.
5. Replace the screw with the washer under it, and tighten until snug.

Grinder Drawer Preparation:

1. Remove the Grinder Drawer from the side of the ProtoCycler+

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 2. Uninstall the Grinder Sorter from the drawer in preparation for use.
3. Insert the now empty Grinder Drawer back into your ProtoCycler+ in preparation for use.
Note: the Grinder Sorter should never be installed in the Grinder Drawer when
operating the Grinder as this could cause plastic build-up and jamming. The
Grinder Sorter should only be installed in the Grinder Drawer for sorting ground
material

2.1.3 Operation

Note: It is not advised to operate the Grinder while the Extruder is running. Grinder
operation may shift or vibrate the unit which may affect filament quality.

1. Power on your ProtoCycler+

2. Remove the Grinder Lid and place the part you wish to grind into the grinder hopper.
Place the lid back in the hopper. The lid and drawer must be correctly installed in order
to operate the Grinder. While the lid only needs to be partially in, the drawer must
be fully seated against the back wall. Particulates may block this, and so it is
necessary to make sure the drawer slot is clean of debris before reinserting the
drawer.
3. To grind, first rotate the Grinder Handle counter-clockwise to ensure the interlock is
engaged. Then press down on the Grinder Lid Plunger and rotate the Grinder Handle
clockwise. Viewing through the clear area of the Grinder Lid, you will see the Grinder
Teeth spin inwards.
4. During operation, if at any time the load on the grinder teeth exceeds the maximum, the
Grinder Interlock will disengage. Reverse the grinder all the way until the part is pulled
off of the teeth by the clearers, and then attempt grinding again. If unsuccessful, you
may need to fully remove the part and reduce its size by other means, or otherwise
reduce the number of parts you are grinding at one time.
5. When you are done grinding, remove the Grinder Drawer to retrieve the ground material.
Sort the particulates and re-grind the oversized bits. See the following section on sorting
ground material for extrusion.

2.2 Sorting Ground Material

Depending on the material type, density and shape, it may be necessary to sort the ground
material using the provided sorting mechanism. The Grinder Sorter is a liner comprising two
levels of offset holes which are used to sift through the ground material and only allows ground
material of appropriate extrusion size through.

1. Read section 2.3 on desired ground material size.

2. Install the Grinder Sorter into the Grinder Drawer
3. Lift the sorting mechanism most of the way out of the drawer, and hold it so they are still
overlapping.

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 4. Shake the two side to side, up and down, until it seems the only particles left in the sorter
are too large to fall through.
5. You may also wish to shake the sorter over a large pan or bucket to allow a little more
freedom of motion. Make sure whatever you choose for your “catch container” is clean of
contaminants. Rubbing alcohol is an excellent choice for cleaning your container as it
dissolves and cleans surface contaminants while evaporating quickly. Using soap and
water is fine, but make sure your grinder drawer/container is fully dry before using it with
your ProtoCycler+ system.
6. Remove the sorting mechanism and pour the large particles that remain in the sorter
back into a container for re-grind or back into the Grinder Hopper. Pour the small
particles that made it into the drawer (or catch container of your choice) into a container
or plastic bag to save for extrusion.
7. You will want to collect ground material and dry it as a large batch before packaging or
using it for extrusion. See section 3.3 on wet/dry plastic .

2.3 Ground Material Size & Extruding Recycled Plastic

The size of pellets/ground material particles entering your extruder is very important. If
the plastic media is too large in any dimension, it can jam your extruder. Using 100% regrind
can also lead to jamming. De-jamming is a difficult process which may require partial
disassembly of your unit.

1. The appropriate pellet size that can be used in your ProtoCycler+’s Extruder is 0.125" to
0.2" in diameter. Pellets that do not fit in this size range will not pass through the
Extruder Hopper Filter. Particles over 0.2" in any dimension may jam your extruder.
While having some portion of pellets be undersized is fine, the extruder hasn't been
tested with high concentration of small particles yet.

WARNING: The Extruder Hopper Filter does not replace the act of proper
pre-sorting. The Extruder Hopper Filter is a final protection for the Extruder to
reduce the chances of issues. It is your responsibility to ensure proper sorting
before using ground recycled plastic. Use the sorting mechanism to ensure all of
your ground particles are small enough.

2. Ground material must be mixed with virgin pellets. 50% recycled plastic is the
recommended ratio, though tests with higher percentages of recycled materials have
been successful (important factors are size, dryness, and quality of the ground material).
Extruding 100% regrind may jam your extruder! High consistency in size of your ground
material will improve filament quality.

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3.0 Important Things to Know Before Extruding

3.1 Puller Wheel Storage

The plastic is pulled from the extruder nozzle using two wheels. These two wheels have soft
silicone tires, and use a spring to hold force between them for gripping the filament. If left
stationary in one position for an extended period of time, the tires can develop a flat!
Therefore, it is important to disengage the spring and rotate the puller idler wheel out of
position when not in use to avoid developing a flat. The following images depict Puller
operation and Puller storage positions.

Figure 5: Puller idler wheel spring engaged (left image), and disengaged (right image).

3.2 Cleanliness

It is important to make sure your device is clean before use. We thoroughly clean each unit
before shipping, but dust accumulation occurs over time. Before extruding, inspect your extruder
hopper for dust and other contaminants. If material other than the plastic you wish to
process makes it through the system, you risk defects in the output filament.

ProtoCycler+ also uses two light sensors to read filament diameter output. We recommend
using a canister of dry compressed air (“computer duster”) to blow-out any dust or particles that
may obstruct the light sensor. We will show you how to know if there is dust getting in the way of
the LED or photoresistor in the “Light Guide Alignment” section 3.6 of this manual. If
compressed air doesn’t do the trick then we also recommend using a softer material (a skinny
piece of PLA filament works very well) to clean the photoresistor “slot” on the UI panel where
the LED shines light into. Never use metal or anything sharp to clean the diameter sensors,
as permanent damage can occur.

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Lastly, if other un-meltable materials or dissimilar materials with higher melting temperature than
your plastic of choice enter your system, you may find over time that your nozzle becomes
clogged. Referring to Figure 4 (Nozzle parts), inside of the Nozzle Cap there is a breaker plate
and screen whose purposes are to aid in building stable pressure, and to act as a last line of
defense against contaminants entering your filament. In the event that your screen becomes
clogged, please contact ReDeTec support for assistance in how to clean your screen! This
process requires special care and safety when executing and a trained specialist will be happy
to advise.

3.3 Plastic Care: Dry vs Wet - Clean vs Dirty

Similar to filament, you want to make sure your plastic is dry and kept clean prior to use. All
plastic is inherently “hygroscopic”, meaning it readily absorbs moisture from the air into its
molecular structure. This moisture is your enemy when it comes to extrusion! Extruding with wet
plastic will cause the moisture to be vaporized during extrusion, causing bubbles in the output
and vastly changing the extrusion properties. In most cases this will prevent you from achieving
high quality consistent filament.

It is very important to follow a strict regimen of properly drying, and managing your dried
plastic before extrusion.

The drying process is simple and may be done using an oven, toaster oven, or food dehydrator.
If using an oven or toaster oven the moist air must be removed for proper drying. Plastic
manufacturers will give specific recommendations on drying temperatures and times.
Temperatures and times used for ABS and PLA are shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Drying Guide for PLA and ABS.

Make sure your drying system is already preheated before starting the timer for the drying times
stated in Table 1.

After drying, the plastic must be immediately stored in an air-tight container or bag with
desiccants until use for extrusion, otherwise it will quickly reabsorb moisture from the air again.

Ground plastic will have had plenty of time exposed to the environment, and must always be
dried for best results.

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Just as your extruder should be kept clean of contaminants prior to and during operation, the
same applies to the plastic itself. We take special care to avoid contaminants entering the
plastic supply. If dirt or a higher melting temperature plastic makes its way into the plastic you
are extruding, you may encounter inconsistencies in the melt output and/or irregularities in the
consistency of your filament diameter. Clean and dry plastic will yield a smooth and consistent
output if all other conditions are correct as well.

3.4 Opaque vs Transparent Plastic

The diameter sensors work best with opaque plastics. For a naturally transparent plastic such
as PLA, colorants must be added to make the filament opaque. Your order comes with colorants
that are to be used with the pellets for extrusion. You can purchase more from our website, or
your local shop.

3.5 Spooler Set Up

Gather the materials required to set up your Spooler. You will need the Spooler Kit, which can
be found in the ProtoCycler+ accessories box, and the Spooler Base which slides out from the
side of the ProtoCycler+

Figure 6: 1. ProtoCycler+ accessories box 2. Spooler Kit which can be found within the
ProtoCycler+ accessories box and 3. Spooler Base shown pulled out from its recess.

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Before setting up your Spooler, please check to ensure all of the parts in the image below are
included as part of the Spooler Kit.

Figure 7: Spooler Kit Parts; 1. Spooler Motor Bracket 2. Spooler Support Bracket 3. Spooler
Hub with Magnet 4. Spooler Spacer 5. Spooler Pin 6. Spooler Shaft and Clutch Assembly 7.
Spooler Hub with Nut 8. Timing Belt

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The following illustrations outline how to assemble the spooler and correspond to the set of
written instructions that follow.

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3.5.1 Spooler Assembly Instructions

Warning: The ProtoCycler+ must be powered-off when installing and plugging in the
spooler. Unplugging or plugging in the spooler while ProtoCycler+ is powered on can
permanently damage the main circuit board.

1. Remove the bubble wrap from the Spooler Motor Bracket.

2. Slide the Spooler Shaft and Clutch Assembly through the bearing in the Spooler Motor
Bracket in the direction shown.
3. Slide the Spooler Spacer onto the shaft so it rests against the bearing and is clear of the
pin hole in the shaft.
4. Slide the Spooler Pin into the hole in the shaft. Hold the pin in place.
5. Slide the Spooler Hub with Magnet onto the shaft as shown, ensure the Spooler Pin
seats properly into the groove in the spooler hub.
6. Place a spool over the shaft so it rests against the tapered face of the spooler hub.
7. Thread the Spooler Hub with Nut onto the shaft.
8. Tighten the spooler hub until it is contacting the spool. The spool should now be firmly
held in place by the two spooler hubs.
9. Slide the Spooler Support Bracket onto the shaft.
10. Ensure the thumb screws on the Spooler Base are as loose as possible.
11. Place the spooler assembly into the spooler base as shown, ensuring that the Spooler
Motor Bracket is above the longer arm of the spooler base. Tighten the screws so the
Spooler Motor Bracket and Spooler Support Bracket are secure.
12. Slide the Timing Belt over the clutch handle and onto the spooler shaft so that it is sitting
on the upper pulley wheel
13. Gently slide the timing belt over the lower pulley wheel, ensuring that the Timing Belt is
on the outside of the bearings on the tensioning arm.
14. Insert the Spooler Base back into the side of the ProtoCycler+
15. Plug the spooler stepper motor and the spooler sensor cables into the receptacles
located on the left side of the ProtoCycler+
16. Now it is time to turn on your ProtoCycler+ and set the spool geometry settings in
ProtoCycler+'s User Interface. First, measure the inside width of your spool with a pair of
calipers. Enter this measurement as “spool width” in ProtoCycler+ Settings.
17. Then, align the spreader guide so that the inside edge of the guide (away from the user)
is exactly aligned with the inside edge of the spool (away from the user)

The spooler is now set up and ready for extrusion! However, the clutch system may still need
adjustment. When extruding for the first time, loosen the clutch off until the spool just stops
spinning. Then, tighten the clutch one full turn. Check to ensure that the spool is still permitted
to slip against the pulley - this is required for the diameter control system to function properly.

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3.6 Light Guide Alignment

Light guide alignment is key to your ProtoCycler+’s vision system to verify and maintain filament
diameter. Every unit is aligned and tested for performance before shipping, but sometimes
things are bumped and moved between when the unit ships to the next time it is turned on again
by you, the owner. Ensure your light guides are properly aligned.
Depending on when your unit was built, you may have one of two variants. One is not better
than the other in terms of function. They both work to align the LED beam of light, but an
iteration was made to improve fabrication and assembly time. The following image details the
two types of light guides:

Figure 9: Light Guide V1.0 (left). Light Guide V1.1 (right).

3.6.1 What you need to check Light Guide Alignment:

● You’ll need two sizes of dowels. Drill bit shafts are an excellent option (use the smooth
shank, not the cutting flutes side). It’s very important that the dowels are a
consistent, known size - DO NOT use extruded filament!
● ReDeTec uses a 1.83mm and a 2.56mm dowel to align the light guides, but you can use
anything close within +/- 0.1mm. The larger dowel size is used for the sensor closest to
the nozzle, and the smaller dowel size is used for the sensor closest to the puller wheel.
For reference we will call these the Puller Sensor and the Nozzle Sensor.
● You will also need to be connected to a computer, to use ProtoCycler+ Command Center
(“PCC”).

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3.6.2 Light Guide Alignment Overview:

With ProtoCycler+ connected to PCC, start manual mode extrusion via the ProtoCycler+ User
Interface (For guidance, refer to the ProtoCycler+ Command Center Overview). You will see a
screen that looks like this upon manual mode startup:

Figure 10a: Startup screen of manual extrusion with all readings toggled off (by clicking the
“Labels” button above the “Time” readout).

The two flat lines seen in Figure 10a represent the raw data read by the light sensor
photoresistor array for the diameter of filament at the nozzle (left - brown line) and the final
diameter of the filament at the puller wheel (right - dark green line). These lines being flat at a
value of 255 (with a small amount of “drop-off” on the right) is a good sign that your light guides
are well aligned. If the light guides are lower than 255 or have severe angles to them, such as
Figure 10b below, then alignment is required.

Note that “alignment” refers to two separate tasks. The first is to ensure the light is evenly
lighting the sensor. The second is to ensure that the readings are accurate.

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 Figure 10b: Two examples of incorrectly aligned light guides – the nozzle sensor is very bad
and the puller sensor has too much drop off on the right side to work.

3.6.3 Step 1 - Adjusting the sensor height

1. The first step is to ensure the sensors themselves are aligned. Each sensor has a
thumbscrew that, if loosened, permits the sensor to move up and down, as shown below
in Figure 11. The sensors are adjusted from the factory and neither sensor should
be adjusted unless the filament is seen to be frequently “falling off the edge” of
the sensor.

Figure 11: UI Thumbscrews for adjusting the height position of the photoresistors.

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 2. Typically the puller sensor’s photoresistor will be positioned all the way at the bottom
range of its movement for best results. It has been adjusted this way from the factory,
and should not need adjustment!
3. The nozzle sensor is a little more tricky depending on what material is being extruded
and at what diameter; both of which will affect how the filament passes the first diameter
sensor at the nozzle. Typically, the nozzle diameter sensor’s photoresistor will be
positioned ~1mm (~0.04”) above the midpoint of its range of motion. The nozzle sensor’s
photoresistor height can also be fine tuned during operation; this will be addressed in the
extrusion instructions of this manual.
4. If adjustment is required, loosen the thumbscrew holding that sensor, and move the
sensor up and down. Take extreme care to ensure the sensor remains correctly
oriented in its slot - it cannot be angled or offset sideways, or it will be impossible
to align the LED lights.

3.6.4 Step 2 - Evenly lighting the sensor

1. If the sensor is not evenly lit (Figure 10b), the LED needs to be re-aimed to ensure that
the response curve shown in Figure 10a is obtained. The process is the same for both
the Nozzle and Puller sensors.
2. Both light guide versions 1.0 and 1.1 allow the LED to be angled up or down, to ensure
the light guide is evenly lit. Their operation differs however - see step 3 for version 1.0
and step 4 for version 1.1.
3. Version 1.0 has two screws facing “up”, which push on opposite sides of a lever to angle
the LED shaft. To aim the LED up, first loosen the front screw (farther from the user),
then tighten the back screw (closer to the user). To aim the LED down, first loosen the
rear screw, then tighten the front screw. Adjust the LED incrementally, monitoring the
response pattern shown on the screen until it is an even response as shown in Figure
10a. Finally, ensure both screws are tightened to prevent further movement. Always
loosen one screw before tightening the other. Also, be sure to not overtighten the
screws - they should just be snug.
4. Version 1.1 has only one screw facing “up”, that clamps the LED shaft in position. To
adjust the LED, first loosen the screw. Then use the shaft knob on the left side of the
light guide to adjust the angle of the LED. You may want to support the other end of the
shaft with your thumb for more control - see Figure 12 below for reference. When the
desired response pattern as shown in Figure 10a is obtained, simply re-tighten the
screw.

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 Figure 12: How to grip the light guide shaft to adjust LED angle.

3.6.5 Step 3 - Calibrating the readings

1. Finally, we need to ensure the light guide readings are accurate. This is where we’ll use
the dowels. The procedure is the same for both the puller and nozzle sensor, with minor
differences that will be noted as required.
2. Place the ~1.83mm “dowel” in between the puller wheels as shown in Figure 13.
Similarly, check the nozzle sensor using your ~2.56mm dowel of choice. Do your best to
align the dowel with the nozzle output as seen in Figure 13. Make sure the puller idler
wheel’s spring is attached! This will effectively position the dowel at the right
height as it squishes the puller wheel into position.

Figure 13: The light guide alignment dowel positioned in between the puller wheels on the left,
and aligned with the nozzle on the right, in preparation for light guide alignment.

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 3. Looking at the GUI (graphical user interface) of your PCC, you should notice that the flat
raw data line (representing light being read by the photoresistor) is now a “U-shaped”
trough. This is representative of the shadow cast by the LED shining on the dowel, and
is shown below in Figure 14.

Figure 14: Puller sensor raw data reading with 1.83mm dowel.

4. If either light sensor is not reading the correct value in the Raw Data Stream (“Nozz” and
“Final” diameter readings) then the light guides require adjustment by sliding them
forward and backward.
5. Both light guides V1.0 and V1.1 have a screw on their side, facing to the user's right. In
both cases, loosening this screw allows the light guide to be slid forward and backward,
which in turn decreases or increases the reading respectively. To be clear, sliding the
LED mount back towards the user increases the diameter reading. Conversely, the
diameter reading will decrease as you move the slider carriage closer to the sensor. This
is how you achieve nominal reading based on your dowel’s true diameter. This is only
effective if the angle of the LED is correctly aligned.

In all likelihood you will only have to adjust the LED’s angle. This is more subject to
movement if accidentally bumped when compared to the slider position.

Note that the nozzle sensor’s reading can be a little “off” from nominal - up to 0.1mm -
and still operate just fine. The software will adjust the puller speed accordingly. What is
critical is that the final diameter sensor’s reading be as accurate and precise as possible.

Diameter sensor alignment can sometimes be an iterative process. Sliding the LED mount
forward or backwards may necessitate repeating Step 2, evenly lighting the sensor. Similarly, If
the sensor itself is moved up or down, and adjustments are required to evenly light the sensor,

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the sensor should be re calibrated (Step 3) to ensure a correct reading. Ultimately, you want to
achieve Figure 14’s response for both sensors -the key points are that the shadow is
right in the middle of the sensor response pattern, that the pattern is a flat line at 255
where it’s not blocked by the filament, and that the diameter reading is exactly accurate
as reported.

4.0 Extrusion Operational Instructions

4.1 Overview

Now that we are all tuned up and have assured our ProtoCycler+ is clean and diameter sensors
are aligned, we can extrude filament! We will guide you through Automatic Mode Extrusion and
Manual Mode.

Before starting either automatic or manual extrusion, please make sure you’ve set up
your Spooler correctly, including Step 16 and 17 of Spooler Set Up (setting spool
dimensions on the ProtoCycler+). If this step is not completed the filament will not spool
properly.

Please be sure to operate your ProtoCycler+ in a clean, dry environment, at ambient air
temperature (~23C is ideal temperature for your room to be). All ProtoCycler+ units have been
primed with PLA and calibrated before leaving ReDeTec. This means there is plastic already in
your melt section! Depending on how much time has passed since the ProtoCycler+ was
calibrated, the plastic in the melt section may have absorbed moisture from the air. If too much
moisture has been absorbed into the melt section plastic, purging may be required - simply run
the unit for ~10 minutes to flush out the old plastic with new, dried plastic.

4.2 Initial Extrusion Steps for both Manual and Automatic:

1. Fill your hopper with dry plastic and colorant. Remember colorant is critical if the plastic
you are processing is naturally clear when melted (PLA is clear). Mix 11g of colorant for
every 500g of plastic.
2. After powering on ProtoCycler+, choose whether you would like to connect to your
computer or not.

Automatic extrusion does not require a computer, but it is useful for experimentation and/or
troubleshooting with new materials or different ambient conditions. To connect to a computer,
follow the procedure in the ProtoCycler+ Command Center guide. For manual extrusion, you
must be connected to the ProtoCycler+ Command Center.

3. Navigate to the “Extrude” screen using the buttons on the front panel. Press the right
button to select Extrude and then either “Automatic” or “Manual. Finally, select “Begin
Extrusion” – and proceed to the corresponding section below.

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4.3 Automatic Extrusion

One of the best features of ProtoCycler+ are the automatic profiles, which allow your unit to
extrude filament completely automatically. ProtoCycler+ comes with some preloaded extrusion
profiles, and more can be added depending on your firmware version. It is important that you
have the most recent firmware and EEPROM loaded onto your ProtoCycler+ for these profiles
to work optimally. Starting with firmware 1.05 and greater, ProtoCycler+ also allows you to
upload and run your own custom profiles via the PCC. Please refer to the ProtoCycler+
Command Center Overview manual for guidance on what all the different variables are. Custom
profiles must be created and uploaded via the PCC. We suggest creating, testing, and
uploading in manual mode extrusion before proceeding with custom automatic profile extrusion.

4.3.1 Automatic Extrusion Steps

1. After completing steps 1-3 in “Initial Steps for Extrusion”, above, your ProtoCycler+ will
begin preheating to thermalization temperature. Once up to temperature, the extruder
will hold here for 100 seconds to thermalize the melt section. This allows the hot (melt)
section of your device to reach a uniform temperature throughout before initiating the
rest of the extrusion start-up sequence. This may take a few minutes depending on
ambient conditions and the type of plastic you are using. Following thermalization, the
extruder will preheat to the extrusion temperature of your selected plastic.
2. Once up to extrusion temperature, you will hear a chime and a prompt on your
ProtoCycler+’s UI screen saying “Filament Ready”. At this time, you can now use
tweezers or needle nose pliers to feed the plastic from the nozzle in between and
through the puller wheels. Be careful! - The nozzle is extremely hot at this point in the
startup sequence; follow safety guidelines to avoid personal injury or harm. Make sure
you have engaged the puller wheel idler spring! See Figure 15 for reference.

3. Once the filament is being correctly pulled through the puller wheels, select “Filament
Ready” on the button pad to confirm to ProtoCycler+ that it may begin stabilization. Note
that for safety concerns, there is a 2 minute timeout feature, and if you fail to select
“Filament Ready” within this time, ProtoCycler+ will automatically begin to cool down.

24
Figure 15: Using tweezers or pliers to feed the filament from the nozzle to the puller wheels

4. ProtoCycler+ will now enter the “Stabilization” phase. Your ProtoCycler+ control system
will wait for the filament diameter to become consistent enough to proceed to the
spooling phase. In the meantime, just let the filament “dump” off the front-side of the UI.
Stabilization may take a few minutes (3-5) depending on material and ambient condition
influences. Ensure that the filament does not begin to wrap around the puller wheel
during this time!
5. Once the output filament has stabilized you will hear another chime and a prompt on the
UI screen saying “Spooler Ready”. The fan speed will reduce to allow the filament to
soften to a point that it is able to start spooling. Using the yellow handle snips that come
with every ProtoCycler+, snip the excess filament that has been extruding off the front
side of your UI. Now feed the filament through the spreader guide. See Figure 16 for
reference.

Figure 16: Feeding filament through the Spreader Guide.

6. After feeding the filament through the spreader guide, you must attach the filament to the
spool. The spreading and spooling system expects the filament to start against the edge

25
 of the spool, as close to the user as possible, and tightly wound with no slack or loops.
Different spools will require different methods of attaching the filament - some have
strategically placed holes that you can feed the filament through, and others may require
strategic taping. In all cases, ensure that the filament is tightly attached to the
spool!
7. Once filament is taped to the spool, select “Spooler Ready” using the button pad. If you
don’t do this, the extrusion cycle will timeout after 2 minutes, and extrusion will need to
be restarted.
8. Now that we’ve accomplished all of the setup work required to begin extrusion, the
control system will take over fully. Before the diameter control engages, the ProtoCycler+
waits 60 seconds to allow filament to reach steady state while spooling. At which point
the puller wheel speed and fan speed will constantly adapt to changes in output and
disturbances to the system to maintain consistent filament diameter.

Note: For best results, close the door to the UI to avoid any cross-wind affecting your
filament output - i.e. if a cross-wind cools the filament at the nozzle too quickly, the puller
wheel won’t be able to draw-down the filament to its desired final diameter.

9. And there we have it! You are now off to the races and creating your very own filament!

Note: If connected to a computer, now is a good time to check how your diameter sensors are
doing. In particular, your nozzle sensor alignment may need tweaking. Refer to the section
below.

4.3.2 Diameter Sensor Check

Depending on the rate of output, you may find that your filament is a little high or low relative to
the diameter sensor. From the alignment process, the nozzle sensor is positioned approximately
half way in its range of motion. Figure 17 shows ideal light sensor positioning. Notice the two
troughs (representing the shadow of the filament) are relatively centered without falling off to
either side. Whereas in Figure 18 we see the filament is too far off one side of the sensor for the
nozzle sensor. If you find that your filament shadow is too far off one side that the sensor can no
longer see the full “width” (diameter) of the filament’s shadow, we can fix this by adjusting the
height of the light sensor. Using the thumb screw in the UI (Figure 11 for reference), loosen and
adjust the height of the photoresistor so the shadow is centered within the range of
measurement similar to Figure 18. When you have achieved this positioning, tighten the
thumbscrew to fix position.

26
 Figure 17: Nozzle Diameter Sensor raw data ideal reading example.

Figure 18: Nozzle Diameter Sensor raw data misaligned reading. Notice the rid vertical line
indicating the shadow of the filament has completely fallen outside the bounds of the sensor
reading range.

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4.4 Manual Extrusion

For greater control and the ability to experiment with extrusion settings and materials, we have
enabled a manual mode control. This is excellent for discovering new materials or adjusting
existing plastics processing settings based on your ambient conditions. A lot of these
instructions are going to be similar if not identical to the Automatic Mode instructions. We copied
a few of them here for ease of reference.

4.4.1 Manual Extrusion Steps

1. Once you’ve clicked “Begin Extrusion” (see “Initial Extrusion Steps”, above)...nothing will
happen. ProtoCycler+ is now awaiting your commands to do pretty much anything. You’ll
have to heat up and begin the extrusion process, well, manually!
2. Note that there are a lot of different things happening in automatic extrusion, and you
have to set and control all of them in manual mode. It is not easy! Please ensure you
have fully read and understood the ProtoCycler+ Command Center Overview -
particularly the sections and appendices on how to extrude manually, and what all the
commands do - before attempting manual extrusion on your own. Note as well that this
guide is very brief, but should at least get you up and running.
3. Begin the thermalization process by sliding the temperature sensor to the desired
setting. A safe starting point is whatever the data sheet for your plastic says, minus ~30
C. Do NOT use the settings that you would 3D print with! For instance, PLA usually 3D
prints around 190-220 C, and the datasheet suggests 200 C for processing. However,
ProtoCycler+’s patented MixFlow system requires a temperature of only ~180 C for PLA,
so we would want to thermalize around 170 C.
4. Before turning on your auger feed, we need to disable the lower pressure bound by
entering in the command line: “pl000000”, no quotes, and clicking “send command”. This
will prevent stalling during the preheat and priming phase.
5. Now set your auger speed via the slider, somewhere in the lower half of the range until
the system has fully preheated.
6. Allow the melt section to thermalize for 100 seconds once up to temperature (set in step
4).
7. Following thermalization, you may begin the extrusion temperature preheat. Using the
slider set to the desired temperature - As in step 3, you want to set the temperature
notably lower than the datasheet or 3D printing knowledge would suggest. For PLA, a
temperature of 180 C is a good starting point. Always start low and increase as
needed, not the other way around!
8. Once the plastic has reached its correct temperature and is correctly flowing out of the
nozzle, we can now set the lower pressure bound back to its default. Enter “pl000025” in
the command line, no quotes, and click “Send command”. For more information on the
PL term, consult the extrusion theory guide.
9. Turn on your fan using the slider. This may vary depending on what material you are
processing. Essentially, we want the plastic to be soft enough to start spooling easily. If
the plastic is too cool then it will be very stiff and difficult to begin spooling with. Similar to

28
 3D printing, you want the fan on max for plastics like PLA. However, unlike 3D printing,
you ALWAYS want the fan on at least a little bit - even for plastics like ABS. Never run
the unit without the cooling fan enabled.
10. Attach your puller wheel idler arm spring if you haven’t already. Set your pull speed slider
to ~30% of its range depending on material throughput. This will set the puller wheel to
spin at a constant speed that is easy to work with during setup.
11. Use tweezers or needle nose pliers to feed the plastic from the nozzle in between and
through the puller wheels. Be careful! - The nozzle is extremely hot at this point in the
startup sequence; follow safety guidelines to avoid personal injury or harm. Make sure
you have engaged the puller wheel idler wheel spring! See Figure 15 for reference.
12. If spooling is desired, follow the steps below. If not (because your filament isn’t usable),
skip this step. To begin spooling, reduce the filament speed and cooling as much as
possible (halving the auger, fan, and puller is a good starting point). Then follow steps 5
and 6 from the automatic instructions - feed the filament through the spreader, and
attach tightly to the spool. As soon as the filament has made one loop, send the
command “ss000000” to begin spooling, and re-increase the auger, puller, and fan
speeds back to their intended values.
13. Finally, enable diameter control. To do so, slide the diameter slider to the desired
filament size (measured in mm). Note that diameter control may fail irrecoverably if the
filament is too far away from the desired size, if the extrusion flow is too low (or too high),
or if any of the parameters are incorrectly set. It is always best to get the diameter as
close as possible to nominal before enabling diameter control!

As in Automatic operation, now is a good time to check how your diameter sensors are doing. In
particular, your nozzle sensor. Refer to section 4.3.2.

Note: For best results, close the door to the UI to avoid any cross-wind affecting your filament
output - i.e. if a cross-wind cools the filament at the nozzle too quickly, the puller wheel won’t be
able to draw-down the filament to its desired final diameter.

14. And there we have it! You are now off to the races and creating your very own filament!

29
5.0 Intro to the ProtoCycler+ Purge Procedure (PPP)

When purging your ProtoCycler+’s extrusion system there are two types of purging depending
on what you wish to achieve. They are:

1. Short Purge: Required when transitioning between wet and dry plastic or color changes.
Please see section 5.1.1 for instructions on how to conduct a Short Purge.
2. Disco Purge: Required when conducting a materials change. Please refer to section
5.1.2 for instructions on how to Disco Purge.

Please be sure to abide by all safety precautions outlined in the main user manual.

For further details on different purge conditions and temperature settings please refer to the
Appendix in section 7.0, Table 2 of this document.

5.1 Purging

The following steps will guide you through purging from a cold-powered-down-hopper empty
ProtoCycler+ state. Be sure to have a set of pliers or tweezers and nozzle wrench (if needed)
ready.

All temperature settings for purging are found in the Appendix, section 7.0 of this document.

5.1.1 Short Purge

1. Power on your ProtoCycler+ and connect to the PCC software. Pour the new plastic you
wish to extrude into your Extruder Hopper. While connected to the PCC begin manual
extrusion.
2. Enter the command “pl000000” in the command line and click “Enter Command”. This
will assure the lower auger speed limit has been disabled.
3. Manually set the temperature using the PCC slider to the preheat temperature (in
accordance with Table 1).
4. Set the auger speed to ~40% of its range using the PCC slider.
5. When the preheat temperature is achieved, wait 100 seconds for the melt section to
reach a uniform temperature and viscosity.
6. Once Step 5 is complete, increase the temperature slider to the appropriate purge
temperature.
7. When purge temperature is achieved, increase the auger speed to ~75% of its range on
the slider. Purge for ~10-15 minutes at the designated purge temperature and auger
speed until fully transitioned to new plastic. Purge time may take longer depending on
the material.
8. Material will start flowing and dump into the Garbage Shoot. Remove the side door to
clear the material inside. Be careful, the melted plastic is quite hot if it does not have

30
 time to cool. Take proper precaution with PPE and pliers when removing the plastic from
the Garbage Shoot to avoid injury.
9. From here you may proceed into regular manual extrusion operation or choose to
shutdown following manual mode shutdown procedure as outlined in the “Manual
Extrusion” section of this manual.

5.1.2 Disco Purge

Disco Purging means we are going to thermal cycle the ProtoCycler+ to help transition from one
material to another. It is strongly recommended to remove nozzles for the duration of a disco
purge and replace it only when purging is complete with a new nozzle. Removing the nozzle will
require preheating in order to soften the plastic inside to release the nozzle. Please refer to
Table 2 for nozzle removal temperatures.

Steps:

1. Remove nozzle and follow steps 1-8 of section 5.1.1 (Short Purge).
2. After your first 10 minute cycle, immediately set your temperature slider to 0 C. The
auger will limit its speed as the extruder cools and material melt resistance increases.
3. Once the extruder reaches the temperature of the “Lower Temperature” material’s nozzle
removal temperature (see Table 2 for reference), increase temperature back up to the
Purge Temperature.
4. Purge for 10 minutes.
5. Repeat steps 2-5 until completely transitioned to the new material.

5.2 Purge Tips

1. Purging plastic – especially from a warmer temperature plastic to a cooler temperature

plastic – can take a long time. It is recommended that you avoid or mitigate the need for
switching plastics as much as possible.
2. Use different colorants as an indicator when purging to distinguish between old and new
plastic.
3. When purging dissimilar materials, the general rule is to look at the MSDS
documentation to see where the extrusion (purge) temperatures overlap. Importantly, do
not increase temperature so high that you burn the old or new material inside of the
extruder. But what if there is no overlap in the two materials’ processing temperatures? If
this is the case, please contact Technical Support immediately for assistance, stating
what plastics you are transitioning from and to. ReDeTec will advise further.
4. Having an extra nozzle (with breaker plate and screen) is especially useful when
switching between materials to not contaminate the new material!

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6.0 Congratulations!

You are now ready to make your own filament! As with anything, there is an initial learning
curve, and longer path to mastery. But following this manual should set you up on the best path
forward.

If there is anything we can help with please contact our technical support email:
[email protected]

All the best and happy extruding,

Team ReDeTec

32
7.0 Appendix

Table 2: Below summarizes possible purge scenarios, their respective temperature settings, and what type of purge they require.

Old Material New Purge Type Nozzle Nozzle Preheat Purge Notes
to be Material to State Removal Temperatur Temperatur
Purged be Primed Temperatur e [C] e [C]
e [C]

1 Low High Disco Off Low Low Low Cross

Temperatur Temperatur Purge temperature temperature temperature reference
e Material e Material material material maximum materials
(eg. PLA) (eg. ABS) preheat extrusion extrusion extrusion
temperature temperature temperature temperature
minus 25C. minus specified in s when
Temperatur ~10C. manufacture purging
e can vary Temperatur r's MSDS dissimilar
depending e can vary document. materials. If
on material depending the
type and on material minimum
grade. type and extrusion
Special grade temperature
exception to for the high
ABS where temperature
the removal material is
temperature higher than
is the same the
as the maximum
preheat extrusion
temperature temperature
. of the low
temperature
material
then you will
risk burning

33
 the low
temperature
material and
clogging
your
extruder. If
there is no
overlap in
material
processing
temperature
s, you may
require an
intermediary
purge
material.

2 High Low Disco Purge Off High High High Cross

Temperatur Temperatur temperature temperature temperature reference
e Material e Material material material minimum materials
(eg. ABS) (eg. PLA) preheat extrusion extrusion extrusion
temperature temperature temperature temperature
minus 25C. minus specified s when
Temperatur ~10C. in purging
e can vary Temperatur manufacture dissimilar
depending e can vary r's materials. If
on material depending MSDS the
type and on material document. minimum
grade. type and extrusion
Special grade. temperature
exception to for the high
ABS where temperature
the removal material is
temperature higher than
is the same the
as the maximum

34
 preheat extrusion
temperature temperature
. of the low
temperature
material
then you will
risk burning
the low
temperature
material and
clogging
your
extruder. If
there is no
overlap in
material
processing
temperature
s, you may
require an
intermediary
purge
material.

3 Color 1 Color 2 Short Purge On Material Material Material Run

Dependent. Dependent. Dependent. extruder in
manual
mode until
purged of
previous
color and
fully
transitioned
to the new
color. Color
can also be

35
 switched at
any time
during
regular
extrusion.

4 Wet Plastic Dry Plastic Short Purge On Material Material Material Run
Dependent. Dependent. Dependent. extruder in
manual
mode until
purged.
Plastic may
be wet if
you notice
necking or
bubbles (or
pockets) in
extrusion.
You can
leave the
nozzle on
for wet to
dry plastic
conditions.

36