Project Objective:

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D Printers is a new cool thing that is seen in research labs, small start-ups and households for rapid prototyping. Subsequently, a lot of waste is generated in the form of supports, failed prints and used prototypes. To solve the problem of waste recycling, we as a team decided to "Design an economical machine that recycles ABS/PLA prints into a continuous filament of 1.75 mm diameter and is also modular, portable and sits in a small corner".

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My Role:

The project was divided into 3 stages: Shredder, Extruder, Spooler. I designed the entire Shredder Mechanism based on DFMA principles. The components were not only designed to handle the required stresses, but were also made symmetric and error-proof for ease of manufacturing and assembly. Self-aligning and locating features were used to reduce the number of fasteners in assembly. Ashby charts were used to help in material selection. Economic analysis was also performed to calculate the total manufacturing costs of 50000 such products. 3D CAD models and GD&T sheets were created for all parts.

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Results:

A $700 machine was developed which generated 1.75 mm of ABS/PLA filament at 30 inches/minute. It occupied a total volume of only 24x18x18 cubic inches. 

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Project Contributors:

Team Members: Daniel Kim, Sourabh Chikode, Swapnil Kumar

Project Mentor: Prof. Dan Riffell