What it does
It repurposes fail and support printing materials into new material.
Your inspiration
High price of printing filament and the excessive plastic waste.
How it works
Users are to insert grinded printing waste into the pellet silo. Then, using 3D printer inspired hotend and extrusion screw, the shredded waste will be repurposed into new filament.
Design process
Conceptualisation: The process begins with defining the purpose of the extruder — whether it is for 3D printing or recycling filament. Component Selection: The core components of an extruder include the motor, heating elements, nozzles, and the extrusion barrel. The motor needs to provide enough torque to push the material through the barrel, and the heating element must maintain consistent temperature control. Designing the Barrel and Screw: The screw is a critical part as it drives the material forward and melts it. The barrel has to be designed to accommodate the material flow, with specific geometry to optimise the extrusion process via the compression ratio. Thermal Management: Since filament extruders rely on melting materials, proper temperature control is essential. This means designing the heating elements, temperature sensors, and cooling mechanisms. Material Handling: The extruder needs a hopper for feeding raw material into the barrel. The design needs to ensure the material feeds in smoothly, without clogging or jamming. Testing and Calibration: Extensive testing is done to ensure the extruder operates within the desired specifications. Parameters like extrusion speed, temperature uniformity, and filament consistency are measured and adjusted.
How it is different
Significantly cheaper than the market.
Future plans
Adoption in schools and maker community.
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