As the saying goes, 100 people have 100 Hamlet in their eyes. In the eyes of the makers, 3D printing is the wing of angels that allows them to sway creatively; in the eyes of environmental enthusiasts Jennifer Gadient and Fabian Wyss, 3D printing gives them hope to save the planet.
This couple from Switzerland believes that 3D printing not only stimulates innovation, but also helps people clean the planet, reduce beach waste, and help recycle waste. To this end, the couple has converted a small multi-purpose van into a laboratory. The lab will be equipped with an Ultimaker 3D printer, a plastic shredder and a wire drawing machine for 3D printed wire, as well as other tools needed to turn a waste plastic into a useful product.
“Ultimaker (3D printer manufacturer) gave us a 3D printer. In exchange, we will provide feedback on the use of this machine,†Gadient said. “I think they are very interested in this idea of ​​liquidity recycling. If everyone is carrying such a set of equipment while driving, what does that mean?†Wyss added.
Currently, the couple are driving this mobile eco-friendly factory in Morocco, their destinations are France and Spain. They collect and collect waste plastic bottles and caps, shampoo bottles and all wastes using polyethylene and polypropylene materials along the way. They then smashed it with a plastic shredder and turned it into a 3D printed plastic wire with a wire puller. According to China's 3D printing network, they will print their 3D into any design they like. So far they have printed the waxing combs, trinkets, sunglasses and so on. They called this project ProjectSeafood and said that the project provided an interesting learning experience and also showed the potential of 3D printing in the recycling field.
Finding plastic materials has never been a problem for couples. Obviously, the planet's beach is full of raw materials for their 3D printers. “We will soon be able to fill a full bag of plastic caps,†Gadient said. “And the more we go south, the more we find these things.†These bottle caps are left by tourists, she Explain that more has been taken away by the current.
In order to be used in the car, the Ultimaker 3D printer they used has been slightly modified, and this 3D printer often needs to run in windy and cold outdoor. To do this, they installed windows on both sides of the printer and moved the engine to the outside of the machine, even using fabric to make a thermal shield for the printhead.
As for the 3D printed wires they made, they are colorful, because they collect all the colors of waste plastic. But overall, most of the wire is colored or taupe.
“In order to turn the plastic pellets into wires, we used a Noztek wire drawing machine and used it in conjunction with a laser winder. Since the recycled polyethylene material differs in melting point, quality and size, it is manufactured. Wires with the same diameter are quite difficult. Sometimes the wire we pull out has to be recycled again because the diameter has changed too much." The couple explained.
The printable materials they recycle are mainly HDPE (High Density Polyethylene). This material is not as easy to print as our common PLA and ABS wires. The biggest problem encountered by the couple was the adhesion problem when printing the first layer. HDPE is easy to warp and fall off, even when printed on a hot bed. In order to solve this problem, they found through groping that this material works well on a construction platform covered with cloth.
Although this effort or effort did not make the couple richer, they were enjoying the process, they met many interesting people along the way, and they also contributed to cleaning up our planet. In addition, they are demonstrating that 3D printing can play a greater role in the recycling of certain types of plastics.
“We never expected to make a lot of money,†Wyss said. “But we have seen hope for sustainable development. We are harvesting our own experiences, technical exchanges, and great people.â€
(Editor)
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