[CF] ReKindle A Filament Refill System for Cube 3D Printers: CubePro, CubeX and Cube3

[bolsoncerrado]

ReKindle A Filament Refill System for Cube 3D Printers

The ReKindle system refills the electronic status of your
Cube 3 / Pro / CubeX filament cartridge allowing you to recycle the cartridge.

>> View it in action!

>> Back it NOW (currently listening to opinions!)

Overview

3Guys is an international association of three senior engineers having distinct engineering disciplines whose current mission is to enable the recycling of Cube 3D printer filament cartridges in order to save some of the world resources and money for the users. Every little bit counts when it comes to being green and lowering the worlds carbon footprint.

The members of 3Guys all use the Cube printer for their projects and we were all surprised with the waste associated with these filament cartridges. The cartridges are also not easily recycled as they contain non-recyclable electronic parts, metal parts and plastics that all needs to be unassembled first before correct recycling can take place. We wonder how many filament cartridges are just being thrown away in the trash rather than taking them apart.

3Guys has come up with a system that will allow you to refill your own used cartridge and use it again for 3D printing thus saving some worlds resource and lowering trash disposal amounts. In addition, the cost for the refill filament is much lower than purchasing a new one thus saving the user money as well. The spools used for filament refilling are comprised of just a single recyclable material, they weigh significantly less and are directly recyclable.

3Guys has designed and is currently in the final development stages of a module that connects to your computer or laptop via USB to the filament cartridge. A software application then communicates to the module that in turn refills the electrical status of the once empty cartridge. We also plan the design of special cartridge holders that will align the module to the filament cartridge for refilling. We expect that this would be 3D printed by the backers. 3Guys will also develop detailed instructions on how to correctly take apart a filament cartridge and show you how to wind new filament on to the spool so the same cartridge can be used once again in the printer.

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ReKindle System Specifications

• Software GUI platform Windows 7, 8 and 10; 32 and 64 bit
  
• Interface type Micro USB
  
• Module power From USB interface
  
• Number of PC boards Two
  
• Indicators Three, Tx, Rx and Suspend
  
• Board dimensions 16x20mm, each, typical
  
• Module volume less case 16x20x18mm, typical
  
• Signal interface to cart Dual spring loaded contacts

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We will deliver product to the Journeyman backers first in the April time frame, followed by the Tradesman backers and then the Apprentice backers in the June time frame. Actual delivery times should be earlier than June, but we need to make it our priority that all of the higher paying backers are completely serviced first.

Stretch Goals

10,000 USD Software will allow you to change filament color and filament type

15,000 USD Investigate changing filament temperature via the cartridge data and if successful, then allow the user to set material temperatures.

The longevity and availability of the USB PCB interface is subject to risk. To this extent, we have purposely limited the amount of backers who will receive this PCB and we already purchased all of the USB PCBs required for the rewards backers.

The connector we used for interfacing to the cartridge is subject to availability risk. This is similar as above and so we have again purchased all of the connectors required for the rewards backers.

All other aspects of the design are straightforward and use commonly available parts.

>> View it in action!

>> Back it NOW (currently listening to opinions!)

[fred_dot_u]

vertical video in a technical promotion? Surely, one can do better than that?

[bolsoncerrado]

Thats what technicians vs marketing is about lol

[TommyDee]

ReKindle A Filament Refill System for Cube 3D Printers

The ReKindle system refills the electronic status of your
Cube 3 / Pro / CubeX filament cartridge allowing you to recycle the cartridge.

>> View it in action!
<snip>

That video is blank on my Windows 7 system using IE11.
Also downloaded it and it is a green screen throughout.

[bolsoncerrado]

Works fine for me on Mac/FF

See if you have a codec conflict somewhere....

[TommyDee]

MP4 work fine otherwise.

[bolsoncerrado]

Perhaps missing a specific encoder codec then.

[TommyDee]

Well, that was kind of my point.

I have a Windows 7 professional computer because that is what my CAD SW requires.
This is a very common element in the world of CAD as Windows 8 and 10 just suck for this kind of data.
Microsoft is still offering a Windows 7 downgrade option for this very reason.

So my comment was toward ordinary people like me that cannot see the video.

It shouldn't be buried in a stupid little codec problem in the 21st century.
And this machine is as virgin as it gets in all other respects.

[bolsoncerrado]

Then perhaps THATs the issue, too much of a virgin lol

[MegaloDon]

You have to wear special anti-green screen glasses.