Intriguing… Different concept from regular filament … Pour Your Pellets Into The Sculptify David For Some 3D Printing
I like the idea, but I still question their product.
They avoid showing any complicated parts that require using retraction, which causes me to question this machine. I suspect ooze is going to be a core problem, and they didn’t show the kind of parts being made that would prove it has been addressed.
A machine shouldn’t be measured just by making simple parts, which is all they showed.
That I can tell, they have yet to say how much material is lost in a material changeover.
They talk about the cost of filament, but their pellets don’t save that much, and $2800 can buy a lot of filament. Or a filament extruder + winder and pellets from a less expensive source, and still have money for a very reputable metal-framed 3D printer.
As such, I don’t think they have made their case.
@Jeff_DeMaagd summarises all my concerns with this machine. Retraction can’t happen with non-contiguous pellets, flow control is poor with an auger, the volume of melted plastic is probably very high if an auger is used.
I micro auger with a piston like retraction, like the opposite of an IM screw machine would be cool. But the minimum size would be limited by the size of the pellets.
The price for filament will also plummet as it becomes more of a commodity. I paid $20 for my last roll of Natural PLA…at the Local Microcenter (so $20, shipping included)