Not new but probably done for cost saving purposes.
Not just cost savings but also not having to throw a more big chunks of plastic in the garbage when you’re done. The waste from support material, rafts, and failed prints is already bad enough.
Nah been getting rolls like that for a while now.
I’m noticing more brands embracing cardboard spools and I’m for it
They’re easier to recycle
My only issue is when they’re full they squeak on my filament holder during printing, but I’m planning to fix that… Eventually.
https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-ender-3-ball-bearing-spool-holder-90265 This spool holder might be a good solution for that. I’m currently also looking to replace the terrible spool holder that came with my new printer.
this is cool, but kinda overkill. I just printed a super simple insert that fits snugly into the spole hole and the problem went away completely.
Been getting cardboard spools with Overture for some time. Honestly I like it much more than plastic.
It depends on the brand. The shop I get mine from still uses plastic for their in-house brand but apparently they’re looking into switching to cardboard.
The other solution I like is selling reusable spools that come in half so you can load new rolls of filament on them. Even less waste!
Some people get uneven extrusions with paper spools, since they can have higher friction against the spool holder compared to plastic spools. Usually only an issue with weak ungeared extruders, i.e. where the hobbed gear is attached directly to the motor’s shaft. But if you get this problem then you can try wrapping the spool holder with teflon tape, or printing a mod that puts a ball bearing in the spool holder.
You can update your roller with a spinning one to fix any issue.
Yep, and that was like… the second thing I did for my printer. Since then I’ve gone to printing out of a warming box, but I still use the roller occasionally and I’m still glad I did it, it solved problems.
I’ve been getting a ton of cardboard spools, but I prefer plastic - cardboard is incompatible with my Bambu AMS. To resolve I have to wrap the edge with electric tape, use a printed adapter, or in the worst cases (the cardboard is damaged) respool.
I like them. Only issue I’ve had was self made, dropped a spool and it dented the cardboard which caused it to hang in the Sunlu dryer. Probably print some rings for my next bout of clumsiness.
I mean why not. The spool is useless anyways after its empty, better to use cardboard
They’re not hard to reuse. I’m not a ravenous consumer of filament so the few empty rolls I have are great for Christmas lights, extension cords, etc.
I go through 3-4 spools a month so carboard has been huge for me.
It’s a trend, away from the plastic spools which were decidedly made from a non-recyclable plastic.
It’s always been curious to me that recyclable plastic was never even considered to be an option.
That said - cardboard is recyclable and biodegradable, so it’s good no matter how you dispose of it.
But - it does have environmental downsides. If not carefully sourced, the wood can come from places where deforestation is a problem. It’s also rather energy intensive to make, so depending on the energy source can contribute to CO2 emissions.
Nothing will be perfect, but cardboard is likely better than the alternatives.
“Save the rainforests, use plastic instead!” really didn’t age well.
If companies that still used plastic spools are starting to switch to cardboard, I think that’s a good thing. Not only is it easier to recycle, but probably also lighter (your typical 1kg filament spool weighs around 200-300g), so the bulk should save some fuel for transportation.
Though I personally prefer using no spool at all (during shipping) 😉 Wherever possible I buy Masterspool refills.
the spool is frequently included in the weight of the roll, so you’re getting 1kg either way. you get more plastic for printing, though.
Uh, that would be deceiving marketing, a 1kg spool should contain 1kg of filament…
But hey, maybe my view on this is a bit warped because I only buy filament from reputable brands (and usually from their own store) and not from marketplaces like “big A” where hundreds of sellers battle to be the cheapest.It’s not a “reputable” thing … it’s a process thing. Scales don’t get zeroed every time a fresh spool is loaded. Doing so adds complexity.
It’s pretty common for consumer goods to include the mass of packaging when the product is sold by mass across most industries.
I dug up filament rolls from almost ten years ago at work. Those were on paper as well, so definitely nothing new. It’s probably just becoming more common. I’m all for that, as it doesn’t really have any obvious downside to storing filament on a plastic spool and it just feels much less wasteful to me.
I usually get my filament without any spool and put it on Dasfilament’s little masterspool. That’s even less wasteful and also cheaper.
Like you, I’ve got a little assortment of spools I either printed or modified for this purpose - and in different sizes - and they work great. I’m at the point of getting spoolless filament when I can and I haven’t seen a downside yet.
But if I’m going to get a new spool with my filaments, I’d prefer it be cardboard.
Inland just started using cardboard spools as well.
As others have said those are good for recyclability If you have problems with them spinning on your filament holder, polymaker provided this file for their spools and it should be fairly easy to modify for others. Link
I started ordering polymaker coming from overture. Both brands had swapped to cardboard spools. But as mentioned polymaker has a file uploaded to printables to print a ring border so they can roll easier. Especially since the cardboard rolls can get dented if shipped haphazardly.
https://www.printables.com/model/495778-polymaker-cardboard-spool-adapter
But I’ve gotten lucky, and the spools I have received with cardboard haven’t been damaged. But I have considered printing a few of these just in case…
2 of 2 polymaker 1 kg spools I’ve purchased (from Amazon) arrived with dents along their outer lip. I bent them back and, although the result wasn’t perfect, didn’t have any problems. It does have rethinking my spool holder design so they rotate around their inner lip though.
Polymaker also makes PolyTerra filament. Cheaper, stronger, and environmentally friendly.
There’s a version for overture that works basically exactly the same. Highly recommend.
