Considering the smoldering state of my filament extruder, I view it best to work with a

third party as to continue my filament testing. Alternatively, I could continuing extruding on

campus, but I have already put so much strain on my extruder — due partly to the coarse

qualities of materials I am extruding, and partly because of my relatively amateur ability to

operate said machinery. Fortunately, Filabot, the same company from which I bought my

filament extruder and from which I continue to buy my PLA pellets, offers a new service called

“Plastic Extrusion Testing.” Such a service will allow me to send Z Spools materials away to the

Filabot facility in Vermont where they would not only extrude my filament for me, but would

also provide information regarding the ideal extrusion speed and temperature range for my

filament. The fee is just $180 for which I can pay with my Avinger funds.

Before I send my materials away to Filabot for testing, I must first draft a Non-Disclousre

Agreement and a Material Safety Data Sheet. The first document is necessary so to ensure the

protection of my intellectual property during my service engagement with Filabot. The second

document is necessary so that the Filabot technician who will make my filament is aware of any

safety regulations they mast adhere to while handling my materials. In the upcoming week, I will

speak with Nathaniel Lucek — an attorney with which I have worked with in the past — and

Allen Stowe — the Environmental Health and Safety Manager here on campus — regarding a

Non-Disclosure Agreement and a Material Safety Data Sheet (respectively).

Until then, as I look back on the steps I have taken with Z Spools, I see that, if Z Spools

had offered this “Plastic Extrusion Testing Service” earlier on my path with Z Spools, I probably

would have used the service to test my filament instead of investing in a filament extruder. This

would have saved me time and money; however, I would have been more hesitant to experiment

with my own extrusion abilities. By working with a filament extruder on my own, I have learned

through trial and error how to work with the machinery on which the Z Spools business premise

is based; so for this reason, while I may wonder “what if ,” I realize that I have gained unique

skills through this file trial and error method of filament extrusion. But thanks to Filabot’s

“Plastic Extrusion Testing Service,” Z Spools persists!