The NEXT Next Layer
Filament Recycling Update! (I Made More Improvements)
updated
Join me on a 10-day whirlwind tour of Shenzhen's top 3D printing companies! In this episode, I share exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, meet with key figures from LDO Motors, Creality, Anycubic, and more, and even preview some never-before-seen cutting-edge products. With my family by my side, experience the innovation and manufacturing that positions Shenzhen as the epicenter of 3D printing. From showrooms to R&D offices, and even get exclusive insights into some of the latest advancements in the industry. Whether you’re a 3D printing enthusiast or simply curious about the technology, this deep dive is packed with revelations and exciting discoveries.
00:00 Introduction: Touring Shenzhen's 3D Printing Giants
00:27 Family Adventures in Shenzhen
01:44 Behind the Scenes at LDO Motors
05:02 Exploring BQ and BigTreeTech
07:34 A Day at Creality
11:52 Visiting FYSETC: Innovation and Challenges
14:24 Sovol's New Prototypes and Warehousing
16:45 Unexpected Stop at Comgrow
19:40 Siboor: Rising Competitor in 3D Printing
23:09 Formnext South China and Anycubic's New Releases
26:48 Touring Anycubic's Headquarters
34:41 PCB Factory Tour with PCBWay
42:11 Conclusions and Reflections
From collecting print failures to shredding, drying, and extruding plastic into fresh filament, I walk you through every step—warts and all. Along the way, I share the biggest challenges, mistakes, and lessons learned—including how I handled overheating issues, shredded plastic jams, and motor mishaps.
In this video, I take you behind the scenes of my journey to build a DIY filament recycling system—a practical, affordable solution for recycling failed 3D prints and wasted filament right from home.
⏯️ My 3D Printer Filament Recycling Series: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNAIMkOXd_V_o9dkTBbgP9_CMdNdmOdwv
🤫 Get my custom filament and printer profiles, buyers guides, and much, much more on Patreon: patreon.com/thenextlayer
💬 JOIN MY DISCORD: jle.vi/tnl-discord
🎥 IN THIS VIDEO: 🎥
00:00 Introduction
00:48 The Problem with 3D Printing Waste
01:21 Current Recycling Solutions and Their Limitations
03:29 Project Scope and Challenges
07:25 Starting with the Shredder
11:47 Sourcing Materials and Building the Frame
14:50 Motor Selection and Challenges
18:58 Welding and Frame Assembly
25:58 Extruder and Future Steps
44:27 High-Quality Components and Build Experience
46:57 Designing and Building the Shredder Hopper
50:02 Sorting and Preparing Plastic for Recycling
54:13 Major Setbacks and Lessons Learned
55:20 Rebuilding and Testing the Shredder
01:05:53 Extruding Filament and Final Adjustments
01:23:13 The Importance of Proper Washing
01:24:21 Drying the Filament
01:25:27 Extruding the Regrind
01:26:34 Evaluating the Filament Quality
01:28:30 The Cost Breakdown
01:32:20 Is It Worth It?
01:54:55 Lessons Learned
02:00:45 Final Thoughts
🔗 LINKS MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO: 🔗
👉 Recycling Fabrik: recyclingfabrik.com
👉 Precious Plastic: preciousplastic.com
👉 Precious Plastics filament recycler shredder kit: community.preciousplastic.com/how-to/shredder-21
👉 ARTME Complete Extruder Kit: https://artme-3d.shop/collections/complete-extruder-kit
👉 Plastics App - where I got my high performance PLA pellets: plastics-app.com
👉 My interview with Rudolf Leue of Recycling Fabrik: youtube.com/live/nccjE_7mqmE
👉 My interview with Dave Hakkens of Precious Plastic: youtube.com/live/3HuGQZwhf_c
🗳 STL FILES OF FEATURED 3D PRINTING MODELS: 🗳
🗿 Self feeding open source filament pelletizer by TeachingTech on Printables: printables.com/model/672486-self-feeding-open-source-filament-pelletizer
🛒 RECOMMENDED GEAR: 🛒
📍 Complete list of 3D Printing accessories: kit.co/jlevi/3d-printing
📍 Complete list of my videography gear: kit.co/jlevi/content-creation
📍My favorite thing to 3D Print: jle.vi/multiboard
📍My recommended electronics & control boards: jle.vi/bigtreetech
📍 My favorite 3D printing "accessory": jle.vi/magigoo | jle.vi/whambam
📍 My favorite 3D printing filament: jle.vi/polymaker
📍 Check out the official TNL merch: shop.thenextlayer.com
📍 PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE CHANNEL BY SHOPPING USING MY LINKS! FULL LIST CAN BE FOUND AT: jle.vi/links
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🛒 Use my affiliate links for your 3D printing or videography needs: jle.vi/links
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You guys loved our original video and livestreams on the topic, so this time, we’re giving you a step-by-step breakdown of the full build process, with added commentary and all the raw details that didn’t make the final cut of the original. If you're interested in the ERCF V2, or other Open Source AMS systems similar to the Bambu Lab AMS, you'll definitely want to check this project out. And Make sure you're subscribed to our main channel, too, because we have all kinds of 3D Printer Builds and multicolor 3d printing content coming down the pipeline!
🤫 Get my custom filament and printer profiles, buyers guides, and much, much more on Patreon: patreon.com/thenextlayer
💬 JOIN MY DISCORD: jle.vi/tnl-discord
🔗 LINKS MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO: 🔗
👉 Box Turtle Kit: jle.vi/boxturtle OR jle.vi/west3d (use coupon code "LESLIEBENAVIDES") or International: jle.vi/3djake
👉 Armored Turtle Website: http://armoredturtle.xyz
👉 Armored Turtle Patreon: patreon.com/Armored_Turtle
👉 Box Turtle AMS Github: github.com/ArmoredTurtle/BoxTurtle
👉 AFC Klipper Add-on Github: github.com/ArmoredTurtle/AFC-Klipper-Add-On/blob/main/config/mcu/AFC_Lite.cfg
👉 My full and polished video of this build. the Box Turtle Open Source AMS Build: youtu.be/priaWY5iQJE
👉 My Box Turtle Open Source AMS Build Live Stream Series: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNAIMkOXd_V_Qxg6mix0AGAQQTWbjeftV
🛒 RECOMMENDED GEAR: 🛒
📍 Complete list of 3D Printing accessories: kit.co/jlevi/3d-printing
📍 Complete list of my videography gear: kit.co/jlevi/content-creation
📍My favorite thing to 3D Print: jle.vi/multiboard
📍My recommended electronics & control boards: jle.vi/bigtreetech
📍 My favorite 3D printing "accessory": jle.vi/magigoo | jle.vi/whambam
📍 My favorite 3D printing filament: jle.vi/polymaker
📍 Check out the official TNL merch: shop.thenextlayer.com
📍 PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE CHANNEL BY SHOPPING USING MY LINKS! FULL LIST CAN BE FOUND AT: jle.vi/links
❤️ LOVED THIS VIDEO? ❤️
▶️ Subscribe to the channel
▶️ Watch my other videos:
🔔 Turn on Notifications
🎁 Support me on Patreon:
🎁 Send a “Super Thanks” (Tip)
🛒 Use my affiliate links for your 3D printing or videography needs:
💬 Join My Discord:
✍️ Write a comment below!
👍🏿 Like this video
#3dprinting #3dprinted #3dprinter


