ReDeTec ProtoCycler User manual

Operations Manual
Rev. 1.3

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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:....................................................................................................................................4
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:.............................................................................................................................................6
2.2 Sorting Ground Material:..............................................................................................................................7
2.3 Regrind Size & Extruding Recycled Plastic......................................................................................................7
3.0 Important Things to Know Before Extruding......................................................................................................8
3.1 Puller Wheel Storage....................................................................................................................................8
3.2 Cleanliness ...................................................................................................................................................8
3.3 Plastic Care: Dry vs Wet - Clean vs Dirty ........................................................................................................9
3.4 Opaque vs Transparent Plastic.................................................................................................................... 10
3.5 Spooler Set Up............................................................................................................................................ 10
3.5.1 Spooler Assembly Instructions:............................................................................................................13
3.6 Light Guide Alignment ................................................................................................................................ 13
3.6.1 What you need to check Light Guide Alignment:..................................................................................14
3.6.2 Light Guide Alignment Overview:......................................................................................................... 14
3.6.3 Step 1 - Adjusting the sensor height..................................................................................................... 15
3.6.4 Step 2 - Evenly lighting the sensor........................................................................................................ 16
3.6.5 Step 3 - Calibrating the readings ..........................................................................................................17
4.0 Extrusion Operational Instructions..................................................................................................................18
4.1 Overview.................................................................................................................................................... 18
4.2 Initial Extrusion Steps for both Manual and Automatic:............................................................................... 18
4.3 Automatic Extrusion ................................................................................................................................... 19
4.3.1 Automatic Extrusion Steps................................................................................................................... 19
4.4 Manual Extrusion ....................................................................................................................................... 22
4.4.1 Manual Extrusion Steps: ...................................................................................................................... 22
5.0 Intro to the ProtoCycler Purge Procedure (PPP)............................................................................................... 24
5.1 Purging.......................................................................................................................................................24

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5.1.1 Short Purge .........................................................................................................................................24
5.1.2 Disco Purge ......................................................................................................................................... 25
5.3 Purge Tips .................................................................................................................................................. 25
6.0 Congratulations!............................................................................................................................................. 26
7.0 Appendix........................................................................................................................................................ 27

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1.0 Introduction to the ProtoCycler
Welcome and thank you for joining the ProtoCycler community! ProtoCycler is designed to provide an easy to use
experience and automatically take care of the extrusion process for you, using an advanced control system to
monitor and control operation.
This manual will guide you to unlocking the operations and extrusion potential of your ProtoCycler extrusion system.
Depending on what operating mode you become accustomed to, you may wish to have the “ProtoCycler Command
Center Overview” document handy or already open. This operations manual details basic setup and operation of
ProtoCycler, including key limitations such as constraints on the size of ground particles for extrusion, and safety
warnings. To avoid bodily harm or damage to your machine, it is recommended that you read this entire document
before proceeding with operation. For further troubleshooting and documentation, please check out
http://www.redetec.com/support.
This guide is intended as a comprehensive reference and is somewhat long - though we do encourage you to read it
fully. As a recycling business, we encourage you to keep a digital copy handy at all times on the computer on which
PCC is installed, rather than printing the full manual.
1.1 Safety
As always, safety first when operating equipment of this caliber. Please thoroughly review the safety precautions
before proceeding with ProtoCycler operation. Failure to do so may result in damage to your device or bodily
harm.
1.1.1 General Safety:

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1.1.2 Extrusion Safety:
Never extrude PVC or any plastic whose type is unknown. The fumes could be lethal! ProtoCycler currently
supports PLA and ABS. An exciting experience the ProtoCycler provides is the ability to experiment with new
materials and colours through our software. It is important that you understand the material you are extruding and
what is released when thermally broken down. If the material will release toxic fumes then you should not extrude
it. For instance PVC will release chlorine gas and under no circumstances should you try to extrude it with the
ProtoCycler. ABS on the other hand is commonly used in 3D printing –but, for safety reasons, still requires proper
ventilation to the outside.
1.2 ProtoCycler Layout
Before we go any further, let’s learn some key terminology that will be used throughout this guide. The following
images outline the key areas of importance. Many of the terms are intuitive in meaning.
Figure 1: Above shows a general overview of ProtoCycler’s anatomy (Front View).

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Figure 2: Above shows general overviews of the left and right sides, respectively, of the ProtoCycler
Figure 3: Above shows a general overview of the user interface (UI) of ProtoCycler. TODO FIX THIS
Figure 4: From left to right - Nozzle Screen, Nozzle Breaker Plate, Nozzle Cap.

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2.0 Grinding
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. Lastly, 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 proceeding with grinder operation. Failure to do so may
result in serious injury or irreparable damage to your device.
2.1.2 Grinder First Time Setup:
1. Remove the Crank Arm and Allen Key from the packaging.
2. Use the Allen Key to remove the screw and washer from the Grinder Crankshaft.
3. Place the support washer onto the crankshaft.
4. Install the Crank Arm over the hex on the Crankshaft with the handle facing outwards
oNote: the hex size is 5/16”.
5. Replace the screw with the washer under it, and tighten until snug.
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

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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 once.
5. When you are done grinding, remove the Grinder Drawer to retrieve the regrind. Sort the particulates and
re-grind the oversized bits. See the following section on sorting regrind for extrusion.
2.2 Sorting Ground Material:
When grinding, depending on the material type, density and shape, it may be necessary to sort the regrind using the
provided sorting mechanism, and re-grind the ground material that isn’t small enough. The sorting mechanism lives
inside of the grinder drawer. It is a liner comprised of two levels of offset holes used to sift through the ground
material and only allow ground material of appropriate extrusion size through.
1. Review section on desired regrind size, below.
2. Lift the sorting mechanism most of the way out of the drawer, and hold it so they are still overlapping.
3. 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.
4. 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”, it 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.
5. Remove the sorting mechanism and pour the large particles that remain in the sorter back into a container
for regrind 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.
6. You will want to collect regrind and dry it as a large batch before packaging or using it for extrusion. See
section on wet/dry plastic.
2.3 Regrind Size & Extruding Recycled Plastic
The size of pellets/regrind 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 regrind particles are small enough. See section on sorting
in the Grinder section, above.
2. Regrind must be mixed with virgin pellets. 50% recycled plastic is the recommended regrind ratio, though
up to 70% with well ground regrind has been successful. Extruding 100% regrind may jam your extruder!
High consistency in size of your regrind will improve filament quality.
3. Note that 50% is a statistically proven percentage and subject to vary depending on material and regrind
size.

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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 2 wheels. These 2 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 un use to avoid developing a flat. The following images clearly depict Puller
operation and Puller storage positions.
Figure 5: Shows the 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 make sure to thoroughly clean each ProtoCycler
before shipping, but over time dust can accumulate. 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 then 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 block 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
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.
Lastly, if other un-meltable materials or dissimilar materials with higher melting temperature than your plastic of
choice enter your system, youmay find over time that your nozzle becomes clogged. Referring to Fig 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 defence 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.

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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.
Extruding wet plastic will likely produce unusable filament! Depending on the grade, the plastic may absorb
moisture from the air very quickly. Thus 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 below shows the Drying Guide for ReDeTec Supported Plastics.
Plastic (grade)
Temperature
Time (hours)
PLA (4043D)
80oC (175oF)
4
ABS (250-X10)
80-90oC (175-194oF)
4
Make sure your drying system is already preheated before starting the timer for the drying times stated in Table 1.
Note, ReDeTec currently supports PLA and ABS. If you have a specific plastic type and grade that you would like us
to focus on next, please do not hesitate to reach out to us with requests.
After drying, plastic must immediately be stored in an air-tight container or bag with desiccants until extrusion,
otherwise it will quickly reabsorb moisture from the air again.
All pellets purchased from ReDeTec inc. come pre-dried with desiccants in a sealed bag. This ensures that the plastic
is dry and ready to extrude right away. However, while exposed to air the plastic will be absorbing moisture, and if
left out for too long will need to be re-dried. Absorption rate is fully dependent on the ambient humidity, so you can
slow this process by operating in a dry environment.
Ground plastic parts on the other hand, will have had plenty of time exposed to the environment, and must always
be dried for best results. Best practice is to collect sorted, ground bits in a bag or container until you have enough
to dry and extrude a full batch.
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-dry plastic will yield a smooth and
consistent output if all other conditions are correct as well.