Importance

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Abstract

A 3D printer has a gantry configured to move in a plane substantially parallel to a build plane, and a platen configured to support a part being built. The platen is configured to move in a direction substantially normal to the build plane. A head carriage is carried by the gantry, and a print head is carried by and retained in the head carriage. A material container has a material container body and a material container cover configured to allow loading of a spool containing a supply of a consumable filament for printing with the 3D printer, the spool mounted on an axle containing a spool chip and electrical contacts. The material container body includes a first and second axle channels configured to accept first and second ends of the axle. The first axle channel has a number of electrical contacts and is tapered to orient the axle to align the axle contacts with the first axle channel contacts. A material well has first and second well edge landings at a first radius from the central longitudinal axis, the well edge landings extending toward each other from inner edges of the material well inwardly toward a center of the material well. An extension well extends laterally from the first and second well edge landings to a second radius larger than the first radius.

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First Claim