The Extruder - Printing in Plastic: Build Your Own 3D Printer - page 239

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The Extruder
Of all the parts on your 3D Printer, the one that makes your machine an actual 3D printer versus just
some interesting looking device sitting on your desk is the Extruder. The Extruder is the business end of
the machine; without it, you won't be doing any plastic printing.
That's not to say that it's the most important part of your machine, but it is a fairly important
element. Although it has no moving parts, it's a component that you should take your time assembling
and handle carefully. It consists of a small collection of parts that come together to give your machine
the ability to heat up the filament and extrude it from a nozzle using controlled movements.
We're dedicating an entire chapter to just assembling the Extruder, so read over it carefully and
gather the required components. You'll purchase a complete kit from Makerbot.com that contains all
the parts you need to build the Extruder (plus some extra parts that aren't necessary for your DIY 3D
printer).
Required Hardware and Parts Summary
For Chapter 14, you will be using the following components and supplies:
• Mark-5 Extruder Kit from MakerBot
• Minimum 9” of ceramic tape
• Roll of Kapton tape
• Thermocouple
• Qty-2 20-gauge stranded wire, 12” (preferably in two colors)
• Shrink tubing
• Soldering iron (any type used for smaller, more delicate electronics will suffice)
• Solder