{"id":128753,"key":"Swetman_Makerspace_3D_filament_recycler","title":"Swetman Makerspace 3D filament recycler","latest":{"id":1263802,"timestamp":"2026-09-03T14:06:12Z"},"content_model":"wikitext","license":{"url":"https://www.appropedia.org/Appropedia:Copyrights","title":"CC-BY-SA-4.0"},"source":"[[File:EnviroMecs Final Display.png|thumb|Filament recycling solution in the Cal Poly Humboldt Swetman Makerspace]]\n\n{{Project data\n| uses = 3D Printing, Recycling, Education\n| status = Deployed\n| made = Yes\n| replicated = No\n| authors = User:Patrick Walsh, User:Logan Van Den Berg, User:Bella Fragoso, User: Devon McDonald\n| location = Arcata, California, United States\n| coordinates = 40° 51' 59.46\" N, 124° 4' 58.22\" W\n}}\n\n{{Engr205 notice}}\n\n'''Filament recycling solution with spooling system and nozzle attachment for Polyvora Extruder Pro. This project was created for the Cal Poly Humboldt Swetman Makerspace by Engineering 205 team, the EnvironMecs, during the Spring 2025 term. The main purpose of this project was to make the Swetman Makerspace more sustainable by recycling 3D printing scraps back into 3D filament. This project is intended to be used by students and faculty for a less wasteful approach to prototyping.'''\n\n== Background ==\n\nCal Poly Humboldt recently constructed the new Swetman Makerspace in the Fall 2024 term. The Swetman Makerspace is a place for students and faculty to use specialized equipment in order to design and build their own items.\n\nThe Spring 2025 term is the first time that this facility was open for classes, specifically ENGR 205 and ENGR 123. ENGR 205 is a class that introduces students to the engineering design process through a semester-long engineering project. ENGR 123 is a hands-on course that introduces students to 3D printing, woodworking, electronics, and power tools. Current and future engineering students will utilize the Swetman Makerspace for these courses.\n\n3D printers are one of the most used pieces of equipment in the Swetman Makerspace and they produce plastic waste with every print. This unavoidable fact has garnered criticism from faculty and community members because it conflicts with Cal Poly Humboldt's sustainability initiatives, as well as its status as a Certified Plastics Reduction Partner.\n\nThe client and director of Swetman Makerspace, Matt Kerwin, tasked the EnvironMecs with recycling 3D filament scraps into new filament. The team spent the Spring 2025 semester working with the client to design a solution, which brought lasting improvements to the Swetman Makerspace.\n\n== Problem Statement ==\n\nThe objective of this project was to design a solution that could recycle 3D printing scraps into 1.75mm filament and spool it into new rolls. The client also required this project to comply with reasonable safety regulations in the Swetman Makerspace. Some issues this project solved for the Swetman Makerspace were: heavy environmental footprint, negative public perception, and high expense of filament.\n\nCal Poly Humboldt champions environmental sustainability and the newly constructed Swetman Makerspace must reflect these ideals. Prior to this project, 3D printing projects were producing landfill-bound plastic waste daily. Support material, failed prints, or discarded prototypes are inevitable with 3D printing. This solution took those scraps and turned them into filament for prototyping or internal prints.\n\nTeam EnvironMecs interviewed members of the community and many reported a negative view of the 3D printing practices in the Swetman Makerspace. In an effort to improve public approval, this solution addresses growing concerns over the sustainability of the facility by reducing the environmental impact made by 3D printing.\n\nThe high expense of 3D filament is a burden for the Swetman Makerspace and its students. In ENGR 123, students complete a 3D printed flashlight project which uses Makerspace-funded filament. This project alone is a notable expense. Students are limited on what they can print for other projects and must provide their own filament in order to keep costs low. The client pointed out that 3D printing is used by many students to prototype before committing to a design. This solution reduced the use of brand new filament on prototyping and saved the Swetman Makerspace money. This solution also provided underprivileged students who could not afford an entire roll of filament with the material they needed to succeed.\n\n=== Criteria ===\n\nThe criteria listed below in '''''Table 1''''' presents the standards required for the project design as decided upon by the EnvironMecs and the client. These requirements are ranked from highest priority to lowest priority. Also included in this table are constraints for each criterion.\n\n{| class=\"wikitable\"\n! Criterion\n! Constraint\n! Weight (1-10)\n|-\n| Safety\n| Must meet fire code and cause no harm to user\n| 10\n|-\n| Reliability\n| Must consistently produce functional product\n| 9\n|-\n| Ease of Maintenance\n| Must be able to clean and continue use for a long time\n| 8\n|-\n| Size\n| Must be of reasonable size and easy to store\n| 7\n|-\n| Sustainability\n| Must be a long-term solution to 3D scrap waste\n| 7\n|-\n| Ease of Use\n| Must be usable by engineering professors and ISAs\n| 6\n|-\n| Aesthetics\n| Must have point-positive design element and look nice\n| 4\n|-\n| Cost\n| All costs must fall within $200\n| 1\n|}\n\n'''''Table 1.''' Criteria and respective constraints ranked from highest to lowest''\n\n== Prototyping ==\n\n[[File:Drawn prototype designs.png|thumb|'''''Figure 1.''' Drawn prototype designs from the team's brainstorming session (3/4/2025)'']]\n\n[[File:EnviroMecs Prototype 2.png|thumb|'''''Figure 2.''' Cardboard prototype of chest-style storage box with internal extruder'']]\n\nWhile the design process did not end up being the most influential part of this project, it is still a strong basis for understanding the extrusion process. The team started off with a brainstorming session and continued into the prototyping phase. The methods for brainstorming included: a traditional mind map, listing criteria and constraints, and drawing a design in under a minute. The team then constructed two prototypes out of cardboard.\n\nThe mind map consisted of a few key categories, which allowed the team to build off of these relevant topics. Also, there was a rule that \"every idea was a good idea\" so the team generated every idea they could think of at the time. This method produced more broad ideas for several aspects of the project.\n\nFollowing this, the team did a brainstorm of what their criteria and constraints should look like. This was because they weren't given a lot of direction other than \"it has to work\". The criteria are requirements that could be assessed on a spectrum, while constraints are more definitive. This method helped the team come up with many of the final criteria and constraints for this project. Later client meetings revealed additional ideas and helped modify ones from this session.\n\nThe final process was one that was invented by a team member. Each member of the team had a minute to draw a design off the top of their head. Then, the team had five minutes to interpret the design without the artist's help. All of these original drawings are shown in '''''Figure 1''.''' This method allowed each member to help the team visualize what they were envisioning and get the team on the same page.\n\nPrototyping brought these ideas to life in the form of cardboard models. The team's first prototype was a combination of ideas shown in '''''Figure 1''''' and was situated on a box for storage. This included a hopper, auger, piping, nozzle, conveyor belt, and a spool holder. After a client meeting, this idea was abandoned because the client wanted a more compact design. The team came up with their second prototype, which is shown in '''''Figure 2''''' and detailed a chest-style storage box with an internal extruder.\n\nThis was a promising solution up until the team decided to switch directions completely. Following a check up meeting with faculty, the team realized there was a more cost effective and achievable project considering the budget and time constraints. This is what prompted the team to revisit the idea of making modifications to the Polyvora Pro Extruder in Swetman. A particularly insightful meeting with metal expert, Colin Wingfield, led to the discovery of a second extruder available within the department. Colin had already built a smaller extruder which was almost identical to the team's original extruder design. With the help of Colin, the team developed a brass nozzle prototype, which could be screwed into the end of the large extruder in Swetman.\n\n== Final Product ==\n\n\n\n\n[[File:EnvironMecs Nozzle ENGR205.jpg|thumb|196x196px|'''''Figure 3.''' Final nozzle attachment'']]\n\n[[File:EnvironMecs SpoolingSystem ENGR205.png|thumb|300x300px|'''''Figure 4.''' Final spooling system'']]\n\nThe EnvironMecs were able to come up with a new solution featuring a brass nozzle attachment and a modified spooling system for the extruder in Swetman. After reaching out to various engineering faculty and the MASA ENGR 205 team, the EnvironMecs decided on this design for their final solution. MASA was tasked with setting up the brand new Polyvora machinery in Swetman, including the extruder. Due to this, the EnvironMecs did not anticipate the Polyvora Pro Extruder to be a reliable resource for the majority of their design process. Luckily, MASA was able to get this machine running and this opened up an opportunity for the EnvironMecs to focus on modifications.\n\nThe nozzle attachment, as shown in '''''Figure 3''''', screws into the blank nozzle (grey piece) that came with the extruder. This allows for it to be conveniently detached from the machine for cleaning purposes, or to be replaced. This piece has a 1.75mm opening for filament extrusion and is made of brass. Also shown in '''''Figure 3''''' on the right side of the image is a replacement nozzle attachment in case the original one becomes unusable.\n\nThe spooling system, as shown in '''''Figure 4''''', is a 3D printed design that the team adapted from Diplomator's design on printables.com.[https://www.printables.com/model/515427-awesome-filament-spool-rewinder-upgraded] It is motorized and powered by a wall outlet with a speed controller, On/Off switch, and detachable spooling holder. The team attatched the entire system to a piece of sturdy plywood. This ensures that the system can be easily moved and stored, while remaining secure.\n\nThe spooling system is positioned on a stool in front of the extruder so that the newly extruded filament from the nozzle can be loaded into the filament guide. After this, the system will take over and spool automatically.\n\n== Construction ==\n\nThe extruder nozzle attachment was created with the help of metal expert, Colin Wingfield. The user needs to have an understanding of operating metal machinery and how to measure threads in order to create this piece. This is because the nozzle must screw on perfectly to the blank nozzle of the extruder. The spooling system is a modified version of the open source design by Diplomator on printables.com.