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Product Description
The 3D Printer Filament Extrusion Line by Chenxing Machinery is a compact, precision-engineered production system available in two models — CX-35A and CX-45A — built for manufacturing high-quality 3D printing filament. Both models are single screw extruders optimized for the tight diameter tolerances and consistent roundness that 3D printers demand. They process a wide range of materials including PLA, ABS, PETG, PVDF, PCL, PA, PC, TPE, TPU, WPC, and HIPS — making this one line capable of serving the entire consumer and professional filament market.
The complete plastic extrusion line setup occupies just 12–14 meters in length and includes the extruder, die head, cooling and calibration system, laser diameter gauge, haul-off unit, and automatic winder. It is our smallest-footprint extrusion system — ideal for startups entering the filament business, research labs developing new materials, and established filament brands adding in-house capacity to reduce outsourcing costs. Browse our full product catalog for complementary equipment.
| Parameter | CX-35A | CX-45A |
|---|
| Output Capacity | 10–15 kg/hr | 20–25 kg/hr |
| Motor Power | 7.5 kW | 15 kW |
| Total Length | 12 m | 14 m |
| Filament Quantity | 1 strand | 1 strand |
| Diameter Options | 1.75 / 2.85 / 3.00 mm | 1.75 / 2.85 / 3.00 mm |
| Diameter Tolerance | ±0.02 mm | ±0.02 mm |
| Max Heating Temperature | 280 °C | 280 °C |
| Control System | Button panel (standard) / PLC + closed-loop (optional) | Button panel (standard) / PLC + closed-loop (optional) |
Model selection: The CX-35A is the entry-level machine at 10–15 kg/hr — producing roughly 8–12 spools of 1 kg filament per hour depending on diameter, or approximately 80–120 spools per 10-hour shift. It is the right choice for new filament brands testing the market, university labs, and small-batch specialty filament producers. The CX-45A doubles output to 20–25 kg/hr with a larger 15 kW motor and extended 14-meter cooling path, supporting full-scale commercial production of 200–250 spools per shift. Both models share the same diameter tolerance of ±0.02 mm and both support the optional closed-loop PLC upgrade for fully automated production. If your operation requires raw material preparation upstream, our high speed mixer and hopper dryer integrate directly with the extruder.
| No. | Component | CX-35A | CX-45A | Function |
|---|
| 1 | Single Screw Extruder | ● | ● | Melts and pushes raw pellets through the die |
| 2 | Filament Die Head | ● | ● | Shapes molten plastic into a round strand |
| 3 | Cooling Water Trough | ● | ● | Cools filament to solid state before measurement |
| 4 | Laser Diameter Gauge | ● | ● | Measures diameter in real time |
| 5 | Caterpillar Haul-Off | ● | ● | Pulls filament at controlled speed |
| 6 | Automatic Winder | ● | ● | Spools finished filament onto reels |
● = Standard configuration
Most 3D filament manufacturers carry at least 5–8 material types in their catalog — PLA basic, PLA Plus, ABS, PETG, TPU flex, and specialty filaments like wood-filled or carbon-fiber blends. Buying a separate line for each material is not practical. The CX-35A and CX-45A are designed to process the full range of common filament materials from a single machine. The extruder barrel has four independently controlled heating zones (max 280°C), allowing the operator to set a different temperature profile for each material and save it as a preset. Switching from running PLA at 185°C to ABS at 230°C takes about 30 minutes — the time needed to purge the old material from the barrel and stabilize at the new temperature. Our plastic pelletizing line can process your production scrap back into reusable pellets to minimize material waste.
Filament diameter variation is the #1 cause of print failures — even a ±0.05 mm deviation causes visible banding on the printed part, and fluctuations beyond ±0.10 mm jam the extruder gears or cause under-extrusion. The CX series achieves ±0.02 mm by combining three elements: a precise melt pump at the die exit that delivers a constant volume of plastic regardless of minor hopper-level fluctuations, a laser diameter gauge that measures the filament 500 times per second as it passes through the cooling trough, and a haul-off unit whose pull speed adjusts in real time based on the gauge reading. If the laser detects the filament creeping to 1.77 mm (target 1.75 mm), the haul-off speeds up slightly, stretching the hot section thinner until the reading returns to target. This closed-loop speed control is standard even on the button-panel version, and the optional PLC upgrade adds data logging so each spool's diameter chart is recorded and traceable to a specific production batch. For material feeding before extrusion, our vacuum loader ensures consistent, dust-free pellet delivery to the hopper.
The standard button-panel version puts the operator in control: they manually set barrel temperatures, screw RPM, cooling water temperature, and haul-off speed using dials and buttons. This works well for experienced operators who understand how each parameter affects filament quality — but it means product consistency depends on operator skill and attention, and shift changes introduce variation.
The optional PLC closed-loop upgrade changes this entirely. Once the operator dials in the perfect settings for a specific material (say, PLA Plus at 195°C with a screw speed of 45 RPM and haul-off at 3.2 m/min), they save it as a named recipe and never adjust it again. The next time they run PLA Plus, they select the recipe from the touchscreen, and the PLC automatically ramps all parameters to the saved values and holds them there. The laser diameter gauge feed directly into the PLC, which adjusts haul-off speed to maintain the programmed diameter setpoint. If the diameter drifts beyond a user-defined alarm threshold (for example, ±0.03 mm), the PLC pauses the winder and alerts the operator — preventing a full spool of out-of-spec filament from reaching the customer. Production data — diameter charts, temperature logs, hourly output — is stored to USB for quality documentation. Supporting this setup, our industrial chiller provides stable cooling water temperature to the trough regardless of ambient factory conditions.
At 12–14 meters total length and approximately 1.2 meters of width, the 3D printer filament extrusion line fits into small factory units, research labs, and even large garages converted into production spaces. The entire line runs on standard 380V three-phase power with no special utility requirements. Setup takes 2–3 days from uncrating to first filament, and our engineers provide remote video guidance throughout installation. The automatic winder produces neatly spooled reels ready for vacuum packaging and retail sale — no secondary winding step required. Our pipe coiler uses similar winding technology adapted for larger-diameter products.
Filament quality starts with dry, properly mixed raw material. We recommend pairing the filament line with a vacuum conveyor for automated material loading and a hopper dryer to remove moisture from hygroscopic materials like PLA and PETG before extrusion. Wet pellets produce bubbly, brittle filament that snaps during printing — a common complaint from low-cost filament brands that skip the drying step. For producers using recycled content, our plastic recycling pelletizing system converts post-industrial filament waste and failed spools back into uniform pellets for re-extrusion, reducing raw material cost by 30–50% compared to 100% virgin pellet purchasing.
Material Drying — PLA and PETG pellets are dried at 60–80°C for 2–4 hours in a hopper dryer to remove surface moisture. Materials like ABS and PC require higher temperatures (80–100°C). Dry pellets flow better, melt uniformly, and produce bubble-free filament.
Extrusion — Dried pellets enter the single screw extruder hopper and travel through four heated barrel zones, melting into a homogeneous liquid. A melt pump at the barrel exit meters the exact volume of plastic into the die head, eliminating pulsation.
Die Forming — The molten plastic passes through a precision-ground die to form a round strand at the target diameter. The die is available in three bore sizes corresponding to 1.75 mm, 2.85 mm, and 3.00 mm finished filament.
Cooling & Measurement — The hot strand enters a water trough where it solidifies. Immediately after cooling, a laser diameter gauge measures the filament 500 times per second. The haul-off unit's speed adjusts automatically to maintain the programmed diameter.
Winding — The finished filament is wound onto standard 1 kg or 5 kg spools by the automatic winder. The winder maintains constant tension so each spool layer is even and the filament does not cross-wind or tangle.
For brands wanting to add visual texture, our plastic embossing machine can imprint brand logos or patterns on spool flanges.
| Material | Extrusion Temp | Drying Required | Difficulty | Typical Application |
|---|
| PLA | 180–210°C | Yes (60°C, 3 hrs) | Easy | General-purpose printing |
| ABS | 220–250°C | Yes (80°C, 3 hrs) | Medium | Functional parts |
| PETG | 220–250°C | Yes (65°C, 4 hrs) | Medium | Durable prints |
| TPU | 190–230°C | Yes (70°C, 3 hrs) | Medium | Flexible parts |
| PA (Nylon) | 240–270°C | Yes (80°C, 5 hrs) | Medium | Engineering parts |
| PC | 260–280°C | Yes (100°C, 5 hrs) | Hard | High-strength parts |
| PVDF | 230–260°C | Yes (80°C, 3 hrs) | Hard | Chemical-resistant parts |
| WPC | 170–200°C | Yes (60°C, 2 hrs) | Easy | Decorative wood-like prints |
At 10–15 kg/hr output, the CX-35A produces roughly 8–12 one-kilogram spools per hour for 1.75 mm filament — that is about 80–120 spools per 10-hour shift. The actual number depends on filament diameter (2.85 mm and 3.00 mm produce fewer spools per kg because the same weight yields shorter length) and material type (TPU flexible filament runs slower than rigid PLA). A single CX-35A operated one shift per day produces approximately 2,000–3,000 spools per month — enough to launch a brand on Amazon, serve a regional distributor network, or supply 10–15 retail stores. The CX-45A doubles this to 4,000–6,000 spools per month. Most filament startups begin with the CX-35A and add a second line once monthly orders exceed 3,000 spools. Browse our products catalog for the full auxiliary equipment range including spool packaging, labeling, and vacuum sealing.
A material changeover takes approximately 30–45 minutes. The process is: (1) stop pellet feed and run the extruder empty for 5–10 minutes to purge remaining material from the barrel; (2) set the four heating zones to the new material's temperature profile (for TPU typically 190–230°C); (3) feed the new material and extrude until the output runs clean with no contamination from the previous material; (4) adjust haul-off speed and winding tension for the new material's characteristics. TPU requires lower winding tension than PLA to avoid stretching the flexible filament. With the optional PLC system, each material's parameters are saved as a recipe, and switching is as simple as selecting the recipe from the touchscreen — the PLC handles the temperature ramp automatically.
Three common root causes: (a) inconsistent pellet feed rate — if the hopper runs low and the screw intake varies, melt output fluctuates. The melt pump at the die exit solves this by metering a fixed volume regardless of hopper level. (b) cooling water temperature drift — if the trough water warms up over an 8-hour shift, the filament solidifies further down the trough, changing the effective draw-down point. The closed-loop chiller maintains water temperature within ±1°C all day. (c) haul-off speed variation — an aging motor or slipping belt causes the pull speed to fluctuate. The laser gauge catches this immediately and adjusts the haul-off speed 500 times per second to compensate. Net result: diameter stays within ±0.02 mm for the entire production run.
Each line requires a flat concrete floor area of approximately 13 m × 1.5 m (CX-35A) or 15 m × 1.5 m (CX-45A), 380V three-phase power (7.5 kW for CX-35A, 15 kW for CX-45A), a freshwater supply for the cooling trough (approximately 200–300 liters per shift, recirculated), and compressed air at 0.6 MPa for the winder's pneumatic spool clamp. No specialized foundation, crane, or high-voltage connection is needed. Most customers install the line within an existing factory unit with no structural modifications. For full extrusion solutions including raw material storage, drying, production, QC station, and packaging, we provide a dimensioned CAD layout drawing specific to your available floor space.
Yes — many university labs and material science companies use the CX-35A for R&D. The small 10–15 kg/hr output means you can test a new material formulation with as little as 5 kg of raw pellets and produce enough filament for comprehensive print testing. The four independent heating zones provide precise temperature control for materials with narrow processing windows. The standard laser gauge records diameter data that you can use to validate whether a new formulation extrudes stably. Several industry news features on our site cover material innovations enabled by small-batch filament lines. For scaling up from R&D to production, the CX-45A uses the same screw geometry and control logic as the CX-35A, so parameters validated on the smaller machine transfer directly to the larger one — no re-optimization needed.
Precision by design — ±0.02 mm diameter tolerance is achieved through a melt pump + laser gauge + variable-speed haul-off combination, not through operator vigilance. The system self-corrects 500 times per second.
Material flexibility from day one — PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU, PA, PC, PVDF, WPC, PCL, HIPS — all on a single line. Add new materials to your catalog without adding new equipment.
Grow from startup to factory — start with one CX-35A producing 2,000–3,000 spools per month. When demand doubles, add a CX-45A and use the same recipes and operating procedures — no retraining, no process redevelopment.
Remote support, rapid startup — from uncrating to first saleable filament in 2–3 days with our video-guided installation. Our engineers dial in the initial parameters for your top three materials remotely.
Ready to bring filament production in-house — whether for a startup brand, a research lab, or a commercial facility scaling up from outsourced supply?
Step 1 — Tell Us About Your Production Goals: Email ceo@cxsljx.com with your target materials (list the top 3–5 filament types), preferred diameters (1.75 mm, 2.85 mm, 3.00 mm), your target monthly spool volume, and your available factory space dimensions. Response within 24 hours.
Step 2 — Receive Your Configured Proposal: Within 3 working days, receive a model recommendation with throughput projection for each material, a dimensioned factory layout drawing showing the complete line with operator walkways and utility connection points, and an itemized quotation including optional PLC upgrade pricing.
Step 3 — See Your Filament Before Shipment: We run a sample production of your top material at our factory. You receive spooled filament samples for your own print testing, plus a video of the full production run showing diameter stability throughout.
Step 4 — Commission to Print-Ready Quality: Our engineers guide installation, recipe setup for all your materials, and operator training via live video. The line is handed over for commercial production only after your first full spool meets diameter, roundness, and print-quality specifications at the contracted output rate.
Contact us now: ceo@cxsljx.com | +86 159 5118 7228 | Chenxing Machinery
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