3D Re-Printer Concept – All-in-one Plastic Recycling 3D Printer

IMTS

Share this Article

reprint-4The ability to 3D print objects of all shapes, and many sizes, has enabled individuals to take at least some control of their lives away from the large manufacturers and corporations out there. We can now become the makers of what we consumer. 3D printing has been touted as a way to cut back on waste. Additive manufacturing is clearly a much better fabrication method than that of subtractive manufacturing. These new processes are certainly saving materials for the large manufacturers out there who may be printing in metals, or other materials instead of using milling techniques. For those of us who use ordinary FDM-based desktop 3D printers to make trinkets and little doo-dads, let’s be honest, we are probably causing more plastic waste than we were prior to purchasing these machines. How many 3D prints have you had which have failed and you simply end up throwing away? Half of the stuff you print, you likely would never have purchased anyway, right?

reprint

A group of designers are looking to change this wastefulness. Although it is only a concept right now, their concept certainly is intriguing. We have all seen the various plastic recycling extruder systems out there, but what if this capability was built into your next 3D printer?

Yangzi Qin, Yingting Wang, Luckas Fischer & Hanying Xie have teamed up to conceptualize the 3D Re-Printer, all-in-one 3D printer/plastic recycling system. Basically the 3D Re-Printer allows its user to feed used plastic items, which they would normally discard as trash, into the top of the machine. They machine will then grind the plastic up into a powder like material. At this point, the printer melts that powder, and extrudes it in molten form, just like an ordinary FDM printer would do with filament, to build an item up layer-by-layer.

reprint-2

“Plastic products and waste material are part of our daily lives, be it at home, in school, or the office,” explained the team on their conceptual drawings. “We don’t know where to put most of these products, or feel that it is such a waste. The quantity of plastic waste is constantly rising and thus affecting our lives in the future and causing damage to the environment due to huge landfills and the long time it takes to degrade. 3D Re-Printer is a device design that allows the user to recycle the home waste plastic bottles into new products.”

As you can see in the images provided, the team has certainly planned out many of the details, at least in terms of aesthetics. With that said, the internal design is what’s important. It would be incredibly difficult for a machine built like this to be printing at the same time that plastic is being shoved in and ground up. The vibrations caused by the grinder would certainly affect the quality of the print. Despite this, such a system may work if the user was to grind their plastic prior to a print being commenced.

I have no doubt that as the technology progresses, behind both extrusion systems and 3D printing, we will see products like the 3D Re-Printer come to market in the years to come. What do you think? Let’s hear your thoughts on this concept in the 3D Re-Printer forum thread on 3DPB.com.

reprint-3

Share this Article


Recent News

Liquid Metal 3D Printing Sector Emerges with Fluent Metal’s $5.5M Investment

3DPOD Episode 191: Amy Alexander, 3D Printing at the Mayo Clinic



Categories

3D Design

3D Printed Art

3D Printed Food

3D Printed Guns


You May Also Like

3DPOD Episode 190: Generative Design for 3D Printing with Novineer CEO Ali Tamijani

Ali Tamijani, a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, has an extensive background in composites, tool pathing, and the development of functional 3D printed parts,...

Featured

3DPOD Episode 189: AMUG President Shannon VanDeren

Shannon VanDeren is a consultant in the 3D printing industry, focusing on implementation and integration for her company, Layered Manufacturing and Consulting. For nearly ten years, she has been involved...

3DPOD Episode 188: Clare Difazio of E3D – Growing the Industry, and Growing With the Industry

Clare DiFazio’s journey into the 3D printing industry was serendipitous, yet her involvement at critical moments has significantly influenced the sector. Her position as Head of Marketing & Product Strategy...

Featured

Printing Money Episode 15: 3D Printing Markets & Deals, with AM Research and AMPOWER

Printing Money returns with Episode 15! This month, NewCap Partners‘ Danny Piper is joined by Scott Dunham, Executive Vice President of Research at Additive Manufacturing (AM) Research, and Matthias Schmidt-Lehr,...