3D Printing

Filament By Filacycle Is 100% Recycled!

Recycled filament is becoming a more and more common feature among FDM 3D printer feedstock producers. A newer addition to the growing list of businesses that are retailing reycled filaments is Fila-cycle by Objectform. Fila-cycle is currently offering a number of recycled feedstock: 100% Recycled ABS Filament; 100% Recycled ABS Pellets; 100% Recycled HIPS Filament; and 100% Recycled HIPS pellets. And there are more sustainably sourced feedstock to come from the brand. Probably including the term ‘100%.’ And when it comes to recyling, that can surely only be a good thing!

Fila-cycle is a U.K.-based brand that offers a number of three-dimensional printing polymers for Fused deposition Modeling (FDM) printers. Currently the business offers Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) in both filament and pellet form, and High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS), also in both filament and pellet form. Fila-cycle’s choice to offer pellets also reflects the growing interest in personal 3D printer owners to process their own plastics for extrusion. Also, naturally, a want or willingness to create filaments from pellet form goes hand-in-hand with an interest in sustainable material input sources for prosumer 3D printing.

filacycle 3d printing

Both the ABS and HIPS feedstock are ‘originated from waste automotive components and landfill stock.’ In sight of the ever increasing number of ecologically friendly angles that are appearing in market for consumer / prosumer class printers (i.e. printers generally being used at home and in desktop businesses) this approach to producing plastics for printers is certainly not alone in the marketplace – but as that market is so nascent – the audience is there, and will surely continue to grow, for makers of recycled filaments such as these.

The printing specs are as follows for both the ABS and HIPS filaments: The operating range for your extruder’s nozzle temperature is 210 – 230°C and should you be using a heated bed, a platform temperature of 90 – 110°C. The recommended printing speed sits at 2000mm/min or less, whilst the recommended resolution stands at 200 microns. In the near future Fila-cycle promise us the addition of (High-density polyethylene) HDPE to their Earth-friendly product range, also in pellet form. It will be another welcome addition to the making-by-adding marketplace.