User:Bobmarley2345/sandbox

= 3devo =

3devo is a Dutch technology company that designs and manufactures filament makers and plastic recyclers for the 3D printing industry. Based in Utrecht, Netherlands, the company creates desktop-based products that create 3D printing filament from polymer pellets and recycled plastics. Their product line includes the NEXT filament maker, the all-in-one desktop filament extruder, and the SHR3D IT plastic recycler, which has the twin capabilities of a shredder and granulator. 3devo’s products are used for production, research and recycling, in industries such as aerospace, education, automotive, and polymer development, among others.

History
Tim Wesselink and Lucas van Leeuwen founded engineering firm Devoteq in 2013. Through its subsidiary 3devo, Devoteq ventured into the 3D printing industry, developing the 3devo NEXT filament extruder. The extruder aimed to improve the quality and accessibility of printing filament for 3D printer users and manufacturers. Following the launch of the extruder through a Kickstarter campaign, Tim Wesselink officially founded 3devo as a Utrecht-based high tech startup in June 2016. 3devo won the Rapid-Pro Award for most innovative startup in 2016, after which the NEXT filament maker went into production, and an advanced model was launched with additional features and material compatibilities. In 2017, 3devo announced the SHR3D IT, a desktop plastic shredder and recycler.

Company Milestones
2015 – 3devo founded as a 3D printing subsidiary of Dutch engineering firm Devoteq.

2015 (August) – Launch of Kickstarter campaign for the 3devo NEXT filament extruder.

2015 (December) – 3devo officially founded as a technology startup in Utrecht.

2016 (March) – 3devo wins the Rapid-Pro Award for most innovative startup.

2016 (April) – The NEXT filament maker goes into production.

2016-2017 – 3devo’s customer base grows regionally, to include clients all over Europe.

2017 – 3devo develops the SHR3D IT, a desktop plastic recycler.

2017-2018 – 3devo’s customer base expands internationally, to include clients outside Europe.

NEXT Filament Maker
The 3devo NEXT Filament Maker is a device that produces filament from plastic regrind and virgin pellets of thermoplastics. The desktop filament extruder lowers 3D printing costs by recycling plastic waste and failed 3D prints into printing filament. It can also be used to combine different polymers into custom materials with specific properties.

The NEXT is equipped with a nitride hardened extruder screw, automated filament diameter control, multi-zone heating system, control panel with material presets, and USB connectivity. It handles temperatures up to 450 °C, and offers a consistent filament production speed. 3devo produces two models of the filament maker, the NEXT Regular and the NEXT Advanced. The latter has additional capabilities including higher temperature tolerance, ceramic band heating, an additional heating zone, higher filament production speed, more material presets, a larger hopper, and a built-in material mixing zone.

SHR3D IT Plastic Recycler
The 3devo SHR3D IT is an advanced plastic recycler that combines the capabilities of a shredder and a granulator. It converts a wide range of used plastics and failed 3D prints into 3D printing granulate. This energy efficient device converts plastic into granulate in a single run, with a recycling speed of 5.1 kg/hr. Its design includes adjustable filters, accessible compartments, 3 pushbuttons control, and replaceable knives.

Desktop Filament Extrusion
Filament extrusion deploys the process of plastic extrusion, to convert raw plastic into 3D printing filament. Desktop filament extruders are devices that allow users to conduct the entire process of heating, extruding, cooling and spooling the finished product within a desktop-based setup. A desktop extruder typically consists of a barrel containing the extruder screw, which is connected to a heating chamber on one end. Plastic pellets are fed into the barrel through a hopper or feeding funnel, and a motor transports them towards the heating chamber. Heat softens the plastic and allows it to be pushed through a die, resulting in the formation of a continuous strand of filament which has the diameter of the die. A cooling system keeps temperatures within working limits.

Materials Tested
3devo’s NEXT filament maker can extrude filament from several types of materials. Both the Regular and the Advanced models have standard material presets for engineering plastics including PLA, ABS, and PA12. The NEXT Advanced also comes with 3 additional material presets for PEEK, PC, and PS. To date, 3devo has conducted tests with several other professional materials, including PETG, PEKK, PAEK, TPU, TPE, PPS, PVA, PEI, PA6,  and the renewable Bio PE.

Clients
3devo currently has clients across Europe and the rest of the world, consisting of compounders, innovators, researchers and additive manufacturing companies, among others. Fontys University of Applied Sciences added the NEXT filament maker to its Natural Science wing at Eindhoven. As part of the department’s 3D printing setup, the filament maker helps students research and develop new polymers for the additive manufacturing industry. The NEXT filament maker is also used by the European Space Agency (ESA). The Spaceship EAC initiative at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre in Cologne uses 3D printing to develop solutions for future spaceflight programs. Since 2017, they have been using the NEXT filament maker to develop custom filament for their prototypes.