Idea: Open Hardware for High Value Recycling of PET Bottles
Use simple 3D printable+utility blade stripper (like this one) to turn PET bottles into strips, microweld them together and then make a 3D printer extruder/driver capable of printing with the strips automatically. This will cut down on the embodied energy of 3D printing with recycled materials even further - as you can cut out the filament forming step with the recyclebot used for normal cylindrical FFF printing.
- Initial 3D printed version of PET_Bottle_Shredder
Background on strippers
| Commendably awesome Russian instructional video of PET strip making and applications |
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| Uses heat gun to apply strips as binding for construction. |
| Even more awesome |
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| 6 washers, 2 wood screws, scrap wood and a razor blade. |
To do
Machine building
- automate stripping and spooling (consider simple single motor assembly for doing both
- create microwelder to butt weld the end of the strip to the beginning of the next one
- create a direct drive extruder capable of printing PET that can handle PET strips
- 3D print demonstration object from bottle
To be really awesome
- automate end detection and isolation (See MOST Quality Control on Recyclebot)
- solar power it
Data to collect
- measure total mass of bottle and percent recovered in strips
- measure energy use for all steps
- measure time for all steps