This project initiated by Valentin Perruchoud is motivated both by the enormous current production of plastic waste and the possibilities offered by 3D printing such as FDM (fused deposition modeling). The aim is to transform ordinary plastic waste into a new object in the shape of our choice, modelled in CAD. For example, print a raspberry pi box with plastic from yogurt pots.The steps in the process are :
- Sorting, selection and cleaning of plastic waste
- Crushing
- Cast iron and extrusion to obtain the filament
- Installation of the filament on a 3D printer
- Print the CAD model
The first two stages of the project are critical for the smooth running of the process because the grinding product must have mechanical and thermal properties suitable for extrusion and printing. In addition, these properties must be continuous in the mixture because extrusion and printing must be carried out at a constant speed and temperature, and a case study will be carried out on the EPFL campus to test this process.