ProtoCycler V3 extruder with shredder

Redetec was born in 2010 with the mission to minimize the plastic waste generated by the 3D printing industry. In 2020 for the 18500 tons of plastic used in 3D printing, 5000 tons went to waste and a significant portion of that (81 %) came from failed prints. Redetec’s answer to that problem was the ProtoCycler V3 desktop extruder, a powerful, efficient and intelligent device with an integrated shredder and spooler with distributed spooling, made and tested in Canada. The ProtoCycler V3 is a fully integrated and fully automated device based on Redetec’s patented MixFlow technology that makes the ProtoCycler V3 over 3 times more efficient than similar devices on the market. ProtoCycler V3 is the only extruder of this kind certified to UL, ULc, CE, FCC and RoHS specifications.

Video 1: The ProtoCycler V3 filament extruder. Source: Redetec.

The ProtoCycler V3 gives the user the opportunity to make filament from pellets or 3D printing scraps, supports, raft material, obsolete prototypes, etc, at an even lower cost. This way the user contributes to lowering the footprint of 3D printing and obtains custom filament, spooled and ready to be used with any 3D printer. The ProtoCycler V3 allows for a 90-100 % saving of cost compared to buying new material and makes the purchase of the ProtoCycler V3 fully return over time.

Image 1: The shredder and hopper of the ProtoCycler V3 plastic extruder. Source: Redetec.

ProtoCycler V3 is one of the most advanced desktop extruders on the market. The proprietary MixFlow technology exposes the plastic to less energy for a shorter amount of time, which makes the ProtoCycler V3 3 times more efficient than similar devices on the market. The ProtoCycler V3, equipped with a stainless thermal insulating barrier, only consumes about 90-120 W, which makes it similar to what a ceiling fan or a 100-Watt bulb consumes on average. The fact that no viscous shear or thermal degradation takes place in the ProtoCycler results in improved surface finish and quality of the filament created.

Image 2: The extrusion system of the ProtoCycler V3 plastic extruder. Source: Redetec.

The shredder of the ProtoCycler V3 plastic extruder is made of CNC machined steel and has a high torque 32:1 gearing system and a safety interlock system. The revolutionary extrusion system has a brass nozzle and a digitally regulated filament diameter control system through twin optical diameter measurement sensors. The measurement precision reaches up to 0.01 mm and the tolerance of the extruded filament is +/- 0.05 mm. The ProtoCycler is equipped with a high power cooling fan and it can reach a maximum extrusion temperature of 250 ºC. This makes it suitable for processing materials such as PLA, ABS, PETG, HIPS, Nylon 12 and more. The ProtoCycler V3 is capable of extruding around 500 g/h, which means achieving a 1 kg spool of custom recycled filament in just a few hours for a fraction of the cost of a new spool.

Image 3: The ProtoCycler Command Center software. Source: Redetec.

To take advantage of ProtoCycler V3’s potential, it should be used with the advanced AI-powered extrusion software ProtoCycler Command Center. It makes the extrusion process fully automatic by allowing the user to control, monitor, record and analyze all extrusion parameters such as temperature, pressure, flow rate or sensitivity. This allows for controlled experiments with new polymers and additives, as well as improvements in the performance and consistency of existing materials. Thanks to the ProtoCycler Command Center, automatic extrusion profiles can be created and shared, and existing profiles can be downloaded and used or modified.

The ProtoCycler V3 is a powerful and sustainable desktop plastic extruder that can help the user to dramatically lower their ecological footprint as well as economize the 3D printing process. With ProtoCycler V3 filament can be made from 3D printing scraps in combination with pellets and additives in the exact quantities needed. Its high quality components, compact size and low consumption make the ProtoCycler a valuable and smart investment for anyone or any institution looking to make their 3D printing workflow more sustainable, efficient and affordable.