ReDeTec ProtoCycler User manual

UserM
UserM
anual
RELEASE 1.0

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
2. PROTOCYCLER LAYOUT ............................................................................................................................................................................. 3
3. IMPORTANT LIMITATIONS ....................................................................................................................................................................... 2
3.1. P
ULLER
W
HEELS
S
QUISHING
............................................................................................................................................................... 2
3.2. C
OLORED
VS T
RANSPARENT
P
LASTIC
.................................................................................................................................................... 2
3.3. D
RY
VS W
ET
P
LASTIC
........................................................................................................................................................................ 3
3.4. R
EGRIND
S
IZE
& E
XTRUDING
R
ECYCLED
P
LASTIC
..................................................................................................................................... 4
3.5. A
MBIENT
T
EMPERATURE
.................................................................................................................................................................... 4
4. EXTRUSION ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
4.1. S
AFETY
O
VERVIEW
............................................................................................................................................................................ 5
4.2. S
POOLER
S
ETUP
............................................................................................................................................................................... 6
4.3. A
UTOMATIC
E
XTRUSION
.................................................................................................................................................................... 8
4.4. S
POOLER
C
LUTCH
T
ENSION
A
DJUSTMENT
............................................................................................................................................ 10
4.5. M
ANUAL
E
XTRUSION
(A
DVANCED
) .................................................................................................................................................... 10
4.6. E
XTRUDER
N
OZZLE
R
EMOVAL
/ R
EPLACEMENT
..................................................................................................................................... 14
5. GRINDER OPERATION ............................................................................................................................................................................... 15
5.1. S
AFETY
O
VERVIEW
.......................................................................................................................................................................... 15
5.2. F
IRST
T
IME
S
ETUP
........................................................................................................................................................................... 15
5.3. O
PERATION
................................................................................................................................................................................... 15
5.4. S
ORTING
G
ROUND
M
ATERIAL
........................................................................................................................................................... 16
6. TROUBLESHOOTING .................................................................................................................................................................................. 16

1. INTRODUCTION
Welcome to ProtoCycler, your all-in-one recycling system for 3D printing plastics! ProtoCycler has been 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. There are, however, several areas of the control and user experience that are still being
improved, and so certain limitations must be adhered to for smooth operation.
This user 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 .
2. PROTOCYCLER LAYOUT
Spooler
ControlArea
GrinderCrank
UserInterface
GrinderLid

ExtruderHopper
Figure 1.1 ProtoCycler Front Layout

1
Figure 1.3 Control Area Layout
GrinderDrawer Spreader WasteChute
Figure 1.2 ProtoCycler Sides Layouts. (Left) Left Side View, (Right)
Right Side View

2
3. IMPORTANT LIMITATIONS
3.1. Puller Wheels Squishing
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. It has recently come to our attention that leaving the spring engaged for
extended periods of time while ProtoCycler is not operating can lead to the silicone tires compressing, resulting in a flat
spot on the tire that can effect extrusion consistency.
IMPORTANT: Leaving the spring attached while not extruding can cause a flat spot in your puller tire which may affect
extrusion! Always disengage the puller spring and flip the puller wheel over when finished extrusion to avoid this.
ProtoCycler ships with the spring disengaged and the idler arm flipped over so that the weight is not compressing the
wheels. Before extrusion, the arm must be flipped and spring engaged, and after extrusion it must be returned to this
position. See Figure 3.1 and 3.2 for illustration of storage position vs operating position.
Note: If your puller wheels have been compressed and have a flat spot on them that is effecting extrusion, please refer to
the troubleshooting guide on how to mitigate this.
3.2. Colored VS Transparent Plastic
Due to the nature of the diameter sensors used for control, ProtoCycler does not currently support extruding
transparent filaments. For a naturally transparent plastic such as PLA, colorants must be added to make the filament
opaque.
The diameter measurement is performed through shining an LED across the filament and using an array of photo resistors
to measure the shadow. Transparent filament acts as a lens rather than blocking the light, and as the position of the
filament changes relative to the light the angle of the lensing also changes. As of this release we have plans for improving
this but have not yet implemented a solution.
Included with ProtoCycler is a sample of colorants to use with the included plastic, and additional colorants may be
purchased from ReDeTec along with plastic pellets.
Figure 3.1 Puller Storage Position Figure 3.2 Puller Operating Position

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3.3. Dry VS Wet Plastic
All plastic is inherently hygroscopic, meaning it readily absorbs moisture from the air into it's 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
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.
Plastic Temp Time (hrs)
PLA (4043D) 80°C (175°F) 4
ABS (250-X10) 80-90°C (175-194°F) 4
Table 1. Drying Guide for ReDeTec Supported Plastics
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, but do not forget that 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.

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3.4. Regrind Size & Extruding Recycled Plastic
VERY IMPORTANT: The size of pellets/regrind particles entering your extruder is very important. If 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 Grinder
section.
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
3.5. Ambient Temperature
The ambient temperature of ProtoCycler's surrounding environment has a large effect on its ability to cool filament. Too
high of ambient temperature and the filament will not be cooled enough and may be stretched by the spooler. Too low of
ambient temperature may cause overcooling, making the filament too rigid to be spooled properly.
22C-26C is ProtoCycler's ideal ambient temperature range. Operation outside of this range may cause problems with
spooling.
If you are unable to operate in this temperature range, you will likely have to tune cooling/spooling for the conditions in
which you are operating. Refer to the troubleshooting guide on tuning spooling/cooling. It is important that you then try to
keep the ambient temperature as constant as possible, or you may need to re-tune again.

5
4. EXTRUSION
4.1. Safety Overview
Please thoroughly review the safety precautions before proceeding with extruder operation. Failure to do so may result
in serious injury or irreparable damage to your device!
Figure 4.1 ProtoCycler General Safety Practices
Figure 4.2 Extrusion Safety Practices

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4.2. Spooler Setup
Please follow the images in Figure 4.4 on the next page for an illustration of these instructions.
3. Pull out the Spooler base from the side of your ProtoCycler and retrieve the spooler parts from the packaging
(parts shown in Figure 4.3).
Figure 4.3 Spooler Parts
4. Slide the spooler shaft through the bearing in the motor mount bracket in the direction shown.
5. Slide the Spacer onto the shaft so it rests against the bearing and is clear of the pin hole in the shaft.
6. Slide the Pin into the hole in the shaft and hold it there.
7. Slide Spool Hub 1 onto the shaft as shown, ensure the pin seats properly into its groove.
NOTE: Spool Hub 1 does NOT have a nut in it!
8. Place a spool over the shaft so it rests against the tapered face of Hub 1.
9. Thread Hub 2 onto the shaft and spin until it is contacting the spool. Now tighten until the hubs are tightly holding
the spool, while ensuring that the spool is being held straight.
10. Slide the shaft into the bushing in the Support Bracket.
11. Ensure the thumb screws in the Spooler Base are as loose as possible, then place the assembly into the base as
shown. Tighten the screws so they are nice and snug.
12. Insert the Spooler Base back into the side of the ProtoCycler and plug the stepper motor into its receptacle, also
located on the left side of the unit.
13. Set the spool geometry settings in ProtoCycler's User Interface.
Failure to correctly set spool geometry may result in improper spreading of filament onto the spool.
 Plug ProtoCycler's power cord into a grounded outlet and turn on the main power switch.
 From the UI Home, select "Settings" and then "Spool size".
 In the SPOOL SIZE window, you may now set the width and diameter of the spool. The width figure is the
width contained inside the spool (ie the width filament will be spread over) and the diameter is the inner
diameter that filament will be spooled on. Change these values by using the left and right buttons.
 Return to the top and push the right button to save the spool geometry settings.
The spooler is now set up and ready for extrusion.

Figure 4
Figure 4.4 Spooler Assembly Block Diagram
7

8
4.3. Automatic Extrusion
Automatic functionality allows you to use pre-saved settings to extrude without connection to a computer. Once the plastic
is selected, the machine will automatically pre-heat, and then gradually start increasing pressure. Once heated, it will
prompt you to pull the filament from the nozzle an string it through the puller wheels. It will then take some time to
stabilize before prompting you to attach it to the spool. ProtoCycler then takes care of the rest.
Note: You may connect your ProtoCycler to a computer with the ProtoCycler Command Center desktop application to
monitor all extrusion parameters, adjust settings on the fly, and collect data for analysis and troubleshooting. Please refer
to the software manual at http://www.redetec.com/support/software/ for instructions on download, installation, and how
to use the desktop application. Familiarizing yourself with this page will help understand how to collect data, what each
parameter means, and how to adjust settings.
Startup
1. Load the Extruder hopper with dry plastic pellets (See Section 3.3). If you are using ground up plastic, please first
review the notes on particulate requirements and limitations Section 3.4.
2. Engage the puller spring as described in Section 3.1
3. Navigate to the Automatic Extrusion menu and select the plastic you have loaded in your device and wish to
extrude.
4. ProtoCycler will now pre-heat to the set pre-heating temperature, and then wait a set time. At this time plastic
should start slowly emerging out of the nozzle.
5. Grab the molten plastic with the included tweezers, and slowly pull it towards the puller wheels ensuring to keep
the line connected. Feed the plastic between the two guide dowels and in between the puller wheels so they begin
to pull the plastic from the nozzle.
6. As the plastic emerges from behind the wheels, guide the filament through the small spreader grommet on the far
left side of the unit. Now select >>Filament Ready.
Once prompted, you have 100 seconds to select >>Filament Ready. Failure to do so will trigger a time-
out, and ProtoCycler will enter cool down mode for safety purposes.
7. ProtoCycler will now take some time to stabilize the control system , showing Stabilizing... on the screen. During
this time ensure the filament is being pulled away from the output of the puller and through the spreader with
constant force, to ensure it doesn't bunch up after the puller.
8. Once the control has gotten within range of the desired diameter, it the screen will give you the option to select
>>Spooling Ready . Snip the filament short, and then tape it to the spool. Now select >>Spooling Ready .
Once prompted, you have 100 seconds to select >>Spooling Ready. Failure to do so will trigger a time-out,
and ProtoCycler will enter cool down mode for safety purposes.
9. ProtoCycler will take care of extrusion from here. Always keep an eye on the extruder hopper to ensure it does not
run out of pellets - ProtoCycler has not yet been programmed to automatically detect this, and prolonged dry-
running can permanently damage your machine!

9
NOTES:
 Once this procedure is complete, it may still take some time for ProtoCycler to reach steady state, ideal operation.
During this time you may see extra variance in the filament diameter.
 If you are connected to a computer with ProtoCycler Command Center you may now adjust any settings as you
like, including dragging any of the sliders, setting PID parameters through the command window, or running
scripts. BE CAREFUL!
 All plastics are different!!! Even different grades of the same plastic may extrude at wildly different parameters.
Parameters must be tuned for each specific grade of plastic. Using a different grade than tuned for may result in
burning the plastic which can cause excessive fumes, or at best produce unusable filament.
 If your plastic is not dry, you will have a very hard time producing usable filament! This may show up as bubbles in
the extrusion, or not be visible at all. Thus, it is important to follow a strict regimen of ensuring your plastic is, and
stays dry. See note on dry plastic for more information.
Shutdown
Improper shutdown will cause all sorts of bad things! Zero flow through a very hot area will cause plastic to be
overheated and heat to travel upstream. This can degrade the plastic in the melt section, and cause problems during
the next startup!
10. When you are done extrusion, select "Shut Down" to begin the shut down routine.
11. As your ProtoCycler shuts down it will continue to extrude filament. This is to allow the Extruder to cool down
without negatively affecting the plastic inside of it.
12. Your ProtoCycler will indicate when it has completed its Shutdown operation on the display. Any excess filament
that is out the side should be trimmed.
13. The remaining filament inside your Protocycler that is held by the Puller Wheel can be left alone. This reduces the
steps to Start-Up a new spool of plastic.
14. Disengage the puller spring and return to storage position as described in Section 3.1
IF for some reason you must abruptly shut down the machine, try to restart it as quickly as possible and resume
extruding before properly shutting it down. This will prevent plastic in the melt tube from being over melted.

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4.4. Spooler Clutch Tension Adjustment
The spooler tension relies on a slip-clutch, compressed by a spring. Tightening the clutch knob increases the force on the
spring, and thus the friction force. The ideal force must be set, such that the filament is taken up tightly onto the spool,
without over stretching the filament after the puller. For ABS and PLA we have found that a spring distance of 13.5mm is
ideal for an entire spool when running at ideal ambient temperature. If you think the spooler is causing issues in extrusion,
please refer to the troubleshooting guide.
4.5. Manual Extrusion (Advanced)
Manual extrusion gives the operator control over every extrusion parameter, and is used for changing nozzles,
troubleshooting and testing new plastics. Data may be collected during extrusion for future analysis.
To perform manual operation, the ProtoCycler Control Center desktop application and drivers must be installed on your
computer. Please refer to the software manual at http://www.redetec.com/support/software/ for instructions on
download, installation, and how to use the desktop application. PCC layout is included in the figure for reference, but it is
recommended that you read the entire software page to understand how to use the software.
Figure 4.5 ProtoCycler Command Center Layout
WARNING: Manual extrusion is just what the title implies; fully manual. ProtoCycler will not do anything that it is
not told to do. This means that it will not know what plastic you are extruding and will not set the correct control
parameters unless you tell it to! If you don't know what you are doing this can result in burning your plastic, or
giving inconsistent output, or doing nothing at all!

11
The possibilities in manual operation are endless and much of the options and controls are described in the software page
on our website. As such this manual only covers a basic use sequence to highlight the basic principles and precautions for
extruding with a plastic using manual mode. This will detail the need for gradually increasing temperature and pressure
during startup/shutdown, and order of commands for setting PID values and stabilizing extrusion.
All operating parameters used in manual mode are specific to each plastic grade and should be entered carefully.
Parameters for ReDeTec supported plastics are shown in Table 2 below. Be sure that you are entering the correct value for
the plastic you are extruding at all following steps!
Parameter
Description
PLA (4043D)
ABS (250-X10)
MltTmp
Plastic Melt Temperature
193
235
PreTmp
Pre-heat Temperature
150
200
PreAug
Auger Speed for Pre-heat
30
30
AugP
Auger PID 'P' Value
0000.5
0000.5
AugI
Auger PID 'I' Value
00.002
00.002
AugD
Auger PID 'D' Value
000001
000001
AugIMax
Auger PID 'Imax' Value
000035
000035
DiaP
Diameter PID 'P' Value
0000.5
0000.5
DiaD
Diameter PID 'I' Value
0000.3
0000.3
ExtAug
Auger Speed for Extrusion
80
80
StPull
Puller Start-up Speed
25
35
StFan
Fan Level for Start-up
40
40
ExtFan
Fan Level for Extrusion
80
70
Table 2: Manual Mode Operating Parameters
Startup sequence:
1. Connect ProtoCycler to a computer with ProtoCycler Command Center, and begin manual extrusion (See software
manual)
2. Load the extruder hopper with fresh pellets and ensure you have an empty spool on your spooler. Engage the
puller spring as described in Section 3.1.
3. If you wish to collect data during operation, set the save file now.
4. Set sliders:
 Melt Temp: MltTmp
 Auger Speed: PreAug
5. Set Auger and Puller PID values by entering into the command window (be sure to push "Send Command" for
each):
 kp(AugP) (no brackets, must be 6 figure number in table. ie for PLA enter kp0000.5)
 ki(AugI) (ie for PLA enter ki00.002)
 kd(AugD) (ie for PLA enter kd000001)
 km(AugIMax) (ie for PLA enter km000035)
 kP(DiaP) (ie for PLA enter kP0000.5)
 kD(DiaD) (ie for PLA enter kD0000.3)
All commands numbers must be 6 figures, including decimals. Enter the exact number shown in table, and make
sure they are properly recieved by checking the log area in PCC (see figure

12
6. Wait until current temperature (Tc) exceeds the PreTmp of the plastic, then set sliders:
 Auger Speed: ExtAug
 Puller Speed: StPull
 Fan Level: StFan
7. Wait for plastic to start flowing from the nozzle, then string it through the puller and spreader:
 Grab the molten plastic with the included tweezers, and slowly pull it towards the puller wheels ensuring
to keep the line connected.
 Feed the plastic between the two guide dowels and in between the puller wheels so they begin to pull the
plastic from the nozzle.
 As the plastic emerges from behind the wheels, guide the filament through the small spreader grommet
on the far left side of the unit.
 Keep gently pulling on the filament to ensure that it does not get bunched up between the puller and
spreader.
8. Extrusion likely will not yet be at steady state, and heat will still be distributing and stabilizing. This will give a
reduced flow rate which will increase over a few minutes. Wait for things to stabilize before proceeding, but keep a
close eye to make sure that filament does not bunch up between the puller and spreader, or wrap around the
puller wheels!
9. Once the filament diameter seems to have stabilized (it will be fluctuating, but mostly in a specific range around an
average point)
 Adjust the Puller Speed until the diameter is averaging the desired diameter (ie for 1.75mm filament it will
likely be ~1.55-2mm)
 Wait for the diameter to come close to the desired diameter, and then set the Diameter slider to the
desired set point.
10. At this point the diameter control will take over, adjusting puller speed to compensate for fluctuations in the
extruder output. Depending on the state when control is engaged, it may take some time to stabilize the diameter.
During this time it is important to maintain a constant force pulling the filament away from the puller through the
spreader so as not to effect the control. Once the diameter has stabilized:
 Trim the filament after the spreader and tape to the spool.
 Enter command: ss000000
This tells it to begin spreading the filament back and forth on the spool
 Set Fan Level: ExtFan
ProtoCycler should now be running independently, and con be monitored and adjusted for further improvements to the
particular plastic in question. This can include:
 Adjusting fan speed to get optimal cooling before the spooler
 Adjusting melt temp if the fan is not able to effectively cool for spooling
 Further tuning PID parameters to improve filament consistency
 Running scripts to assess system response or develop automatic routines
Much of this is covered in the troubleshooting guide for assessing issues with supported plastics.

13
As with Automatic mode, it is also very important to properly shut down the extruder. Failure to do so may result in
burning your plastic, or excessive heat in your drive section. This can complicate startup and even damage your
machine!
Shutdown:
1. Set Melt Temp to 0C and keep everything else running while the temperature drops. The flow rate will slowly
decrease, and eventually the diameter control will become unstable.
2. Trim the filament and tape it to the spool, then set:
 Puller Speed = StPull
 Fan Level = 100
 Auger Speed = 50
3. At this point you may snip the filament off completely so the plastic is falling into the waste chute. You may also
keep it pulling, but gradually lower the pull speed to match the flow rate so you end up with filament already
strung between the nozzle and puller for next time (This is what Automatic mode attempts to do in shutdown).
Keep an eye on it so the filament diameter doesn't get too small and wrap around the puller!
4. Wait for the Melt Temp to drop below 150°C, and then set all settings to 0. You may now disconnect from PCC and
power the device off.
The Auger must keep running until Melt Temp drops below 150°C!
5. Do not forget to return the puller to storage position as described in Section 3.1!

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4.6. Extruder Nozzle Removal / Replacement
The extruder nozzle contains a filter to prevent particulates in the filament that would clog your 3D printer nozzle. Over
time, this may become clogged and decrease the output flow from your extruder. Reduced flow can lead to excessive
variance in the filament diameter and should be avoided. It is recommended that you extrude in manual mode in order to
assess the flow rate and determine whether filter replacement is required.
Removal:
To remove the nozzle, the extruder must be heated to soften the plastic within. Currently this must be done through
manual control with connection to a computer.
1. Connect your ProtoCycler to a computer and begin manual extrusion. Refer to Section 4.5 on how to do this.
2. Set the temperature slider to the pre-heat temperature for the plastic in your extruder. For pre-heat
temperatures, use PreTmp as shown in Table 2 as with manual extrusion (PLA:150, ABS:200)
3. Ensure there is no plastic in the waste chute below the nozzle, as the hot nozzle will fall into that area and could
stick to any plastic that is in the way. Access the chute by removing the 2 thumb screws on the right side of your
device and removing the cover. Pull waste plastic out using the tweezers.
4. Once the unit has settled at the set temperature, use the
nozzle wrench to remove by turning the nozzle counter
clockwise as you would with a standard nut. This may take
considerable force to loosen it.
5. As it comes fully loose, allow the nozzle to drop into the
waste chute and leave it there to cool for 5 minutes. Touching
the nozzle while it is still hot can result in severe burns!
6. While the nozzle cools use the tweezers to completely
remove all plastic from the threads or face of the threaded
nozzle mount. This will allow for ease in installation.
7. If you are replacing the entire nozzle/filter assembly, you may now proceed with installation. It is recommended to
fully cool your extruder to below 50C before proceeding to minimize burn hazard. Do this by dragging the
temperature slider all the way to 0 (the bottom) and wait 15 mins for the extruder to cool.
To save time you may skip this step (cooling down the extruder), but this comes with additional risk. To begin
threading the nozzle it is necessary to hold and turn it by hand. As soon as the nozzle is touching the threaded mount
it will quickly heat up to being a burn hazard. Thus, it is recommended to wear thick, burn proof gloves if you would
like to proceed this way.
Installation
The nozzle must also be tightened at the pre-heat temperature to ensure that solid plastic is not interfering with the seal of
the nozzle.
1. With the extruder temperature below 50C, thread the new nozzle onto the threaded mount. If you have made
sure there was no plastic in the threads before cooling it should thread on easily, but likely not the entire way.
2. Heat the extruder up to the pre-heat temperature again and let it settle.
3. Use the nozzle wrench to tighten until you feel it bottom out. This should come as a hard stop.
4. You may now cool and shut off your ProtoCycler, or proceed with manual extrusion from here.
The Extruder Nozzle is an extreme
burn hazard!
Never touch the Extruder Nozzle
with bare skin!
Touching the nozzle while heated
can result in severe burns!

15
5. GRINDER OPERATION
ProtoCycler must be powered on to operate the Grinder!
The grinder relies on an electromagnet to power the interlock so it can be turned forward. If the unit is off, the
electromagnet will not get power. This electromagnet is also calibrated to disengage the interlock at the design torque to
prevent damage to the gear train.
5.1. Safety Overview
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!
Figure 5.1 Grinder Safety Practices
5.2. First Time Setup
1. Remove the Crank Arm, Allen Key, and Support Washer 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
5. Replace the screw with the washer under it, and tighten until snug
5.3. Operation
1. Power on your ProtoCycler
2. Remove the Grinder Lid and place the part you wish to grind into the hopper. Place the lid back in the hopper.
The lid and drawer must be in 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.
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.
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.

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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 once.
5. When you are done grinding, remove the Grinder Tray to retrieve the regrind. Sort the particulates and re-grind
the oversized bits. See the following section on sorting regrind for extrusion.
5.4. Sorting Ground Material
Unfortunately it is not possible to reduce all parts to the correct size on the first pass through the Grinder. Thus it is
necessary to sort the regrind using the provided sorting mechanism, and re-grind the regrind that isn't ground enough.
The sorting mechanism is kept within the Grinder Drawer.
1. Review Section 3.4 on desired regrind size
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 drawer are too large to fall
through.
4. Remove the sorting mechanism and pour the large particles back into a container for regrind or back into the
Grinder Hopper. Pour the small particles into a container or plastic bag to save for extrusion
You will want to collect regrind and dry it as a large batch before packaging or using for extrusion. See section on
wet/dry plastic.
6. TROUBLESHOOTING
Although ProtoCycler is designed to provide a seamless, easy to use experience, there are many systems and several things
that can go wrong if improperly setup. We do our best to make sure all systems are running smoothly before shipping, but
things may shift in transport which may effect extrusion and require troubleshooting. Many of these issues may be resolved
by following our troubleshooting guide.
If you are experiencing issues with any of the operations in this document not behaving as expected, please refer to the
troubleshooting guide at http://www.redetec.com/support/guides-and-manuals/ before contacting [email protected].