With 3D printers finding their way onto the desktop and into the hands of consumers, it means that more hobbyists are trying out more and more materials. When switching between drastically different materials, compounds and even colors residue can be left behind that can gum up the printing machinery. To prevent this, 3D printers must be cleaned–in the industrial applications of extrusion and injection molding this is known as purging. Until recently, there was no 3D purging compound available in a trustworthy format for consumer-end 3D printers.

3Dom USA LLC, vendor of 3D printing materials, recently announced a partnership with Dyna-Purge 3D (Shuman Plastics, Inc.), makers of extrusion cleaning materials to deliver this purging material. Dyna-Purge 3D Clean is a non-chemical, non-abrasive thermoplastic purging compound that is safe for the machine and the operator. The compound comes in 8-inch segments (1.75mm and/or 2.85mm diameter) designed with desktop 3D printers in mind. The material is also designed for ease-of-use by consumers and provides a broad range of processing temperatures from 320° F to 575°F (160°C to 320°C).

“We are very excited to be teaming-up with a leading supplier like Dyna-Purge,” states Jake Clark, CEO of 3Dom USA. “As a full service distributor, we recognize that proper machine maintenance plays a critical role in the longevity of a 3D printer. Purging on a regular basis is a cost-effective method for cleaning and preserving your machine.”

The purging compound has been tested with numerous, popular 3D printers on the market including MakerBot, LulzBot, FlashForge, and more. Any reader in the market for the best of 3D desktop printers can read up on the best 3D printers of 2015.

The number of materials available on the market has continued to expand–including coffee-based 3D printing compounds–which means that consumers have a vast array of choices. More industrious 3D printer enthusiasts will want to use different materials and without proper cleaning this could lower the lifetime of the printer and its filament extruder. As a result, purging may be needed on a regular basis.

The purging compound filament, Dyna-Purge 3D, runs $10.95 for 135g–which appears to be approximately approximately 90 fialments of 3mm and 220 filaments of 1.75mm per tube.

Featured image credit: Dyna-Purge 3D Clean package photo