Hopper

The pellet container mounted directly above the extruder. Pellets enter from the corrugated tube (vacuum-fed) and fall by gravity through the feed throat into the screw.

Function

Buffers pellets between the bucket and the extruder
Maintains a steady supply during printing
Houses the level sensor that triggers the vacuum cycle

Location

Top of the extruder assembly. The corrugated tube enters from the top through a sealed clamp + gasket joint.

Components

Part	Purpose
Hopper body	Plastic / metal container, holds 300–500 g of pellets
Top cover	Sealed lid with the corrugated tube fitting
Gasket	Air seal between corrugated tube and hopper
Clamp	Holds the tube firmly in place
Level sensor	Detects when pellets drop below threshold and triggers vacuum
Feed throat	Bottom outlet feeding the screw

Specifications

Capacity: ~300–500 g (varies by version)
Sealed against air (required for vacuum to work)
Gasket: replaceable when worn

Maintenance

Weekly: inspect the gasket and clamp tightness
Monthly: empty and clean the inside (dust and fines accumulate)
As needed: replace gasket if it shows compression set or cracks
Between materials: empty fully and wipe clean to avoid cross-contamination

Assembly — mounting the hopper (step 2.2)

The hopper is placed on the extruder inlet (step 2.2.1) and secured with 2 black knobs K01 (Knob M5) (step 2.2.2). 1 operator, 5 min.

Feeding setup — critical reminders (from assembly manual step 5.2)

The feeding circuit (step 5.2 of assembly manual) — 2 operators, 15 min:

Screw the tube outlets onto the hopper (V08 M5x25 CIL, x4)
Accommodate the tubes and secure with clamps (11.1)
Insert tubes into VACUUM and TANK ports — the auto-feeding activates automatically when launching a print, or can be manually activated via the FEEDER toggle in the “Extrude” menu
Two flexi pipes (07.1 x2) connect the vacuum pump and pellet tank

Known issues

Hopper suction problems — the #1 customer issue, often a gasket or clamp problem
Crunching sound from non-uniform pellets — usually normal, see suction note
Melt creeping up from the feed throat — feeding zone too hot, see Multi-Heating Zones

Versions

A redesigned hopper was rolled out post-April 2026 to improve handling of recycled and irregular pellets (reference document DOC-20260404-WA0005). Customers with recurring suction issues can request the new design from Ginger Additive.

Accessories

Hopper extender — optional 3D-printed accessory for manual pellet refill from above. Useful when diagnosing the vacuum or doing frequent material changes. STL file available on request.