As some of you may know, Fuselab has patented their rotary extruder in November 2019.

This is their extruder in action. They made it in order to better deal with brittle filament.

Grooved offset rollers are not a new invention and have been used since the 1950ties to cut threads and pull wires. What is new is using them to push filament.

Patents prohibit the manufacture, commercial use, store and sale. Offering the CAD files and making it yourself would be prohibited.

Fuselabs design leaves much to be desired, such as concave rollers, integration into a BLDC motor and miniaturization. And besides, they are not licensing their patent or produce extruders.

Here is a user which is innovating on that design. He is feeding the filament trough the center of a BLDC simplifying and miniaturizing the concept, making for an incredibly strong yet very lightweight and small extruder. Something Fuselabs isnt doing.

Sadly, for the next 18 years, because of Fuselabs patent, such innovation will be „illegitimate“ and nobody can legally touch such an extruder in any way.

I find that incredibly sad and a missed opportunity for 3D printing, that yet again some potential innovation is left to rot on some propietary printer with a niche userbase, of a company that will most likely fold in the next couple of years or be bought, with the end result that the patent lands in Stratysys hands…

😞🤦‍♂️

Anybody have some prior art reference that predates the patent filing date…?