Preparing Filament Spools

It is recommended to remove stickers from the empty filament spools prior to granulation. This ensures there is less contamination in the granulate.

Use a heat gun to loosen the stickers so they'll peel nicely. Be careful as the spool will be hot to the touch.

For larger stickers, you may want to use a utility knife to divide it into smaller segments first.

Before granulating, the filament spools should be cut in half to prevent jamming in the machine. You will use the band saw for cutting the spools.

Adjust the blade guide to work with the height of the spool you are cutting.

Set the speed so it is somewhere between 60-80 M/min. Make sure you adjust the speed only while the saw is running!

When cutting, it is imperative that you keep a firm grip on the spool during this operation. Ask for help before cutting if you are unsure.

Hold the spool by the top disc and make sure you prevent the blade from pulling it down when cutting.

Also ensure that your fingers are never in line with the cutting path of the blade.

Begin by cutting through one side until you reach the center.

Then rotate the spool and take the blade through the path you just cut so you can remove the spool.

Now you can cut the other side of the spool the same way you did it before.

Now you should have two halves. These are now ready for the granulator.

You can repeat this process for the rest of the spools you'll be granulating including smaller spools too. Just remember to set the blade guide appropriately.