3D filament production unit using plastic waste and pellets
Open Access
- Author:
- Olamoyegun, Olusegun
- Graduate Program:
- Additive Manufacturing and Design
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- March 02, 2022
- Committee Members:
- Allison Beese, Program Head/Chair
John Gershenson, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Sanjay Joshi, Committee Member
Jesse Kane Mc Ternan, Committee Member - Keywords:
- Additive Manufacturing
3D Filament
Plastic waste
Pellets
PLA
ABS
Waste recycling
3D Printing
Filament Production - Abstract:
- The disruptive power of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology is spanning across all fields of endeavor. The impact is felt in the supply chain, product development, prototyping, etc. It is classified as the fastest-growing technology. Its cumulative annual growth rate is projected to reach 13.5% between 2019–2026 in Africa. Many African countries are rapidly adopting the technology in different end-user areas which will drive the market for the forecast period. Kenya located in East Africa is classified as a hub for innovation with several companies offering AM services with the support from the government and people to promote local production of parts. There are seven processes of additive manufacturing, for the purpose of this thesis, we will be considering the material extrusion process. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a major material extrusion process that involves the extrusion of material via a nozzle and deposited layer by layer. The materials are in a melted state, so layers are being fused together upon deposition until the part is fully created. Plastic materials are commonly used in additive manufacturing which has enabled rapid prototyping and part creation in some industries. These have gained huge traction and there is a growing concern about the negative impact on the environment due to the plastic waste generated. In order to reduce the impact, it is possible to consider recycling and reduction of plastics waste generated. The most used plastics material in FDM is polylactic acid (PLA) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), the quality of the material is a critical requirement for part quality. The PLA and ABS are produced as filament, which is an input for the material extrusion process. The need for PLA and ABS filament has increased greatly because of end-user activities and industries. Due to this demand, it is important to ensure the availability of the filament within the region. Supply chain and cost is a major driver of the availability of filament. This thesis is focused on locally producing PLA and ABS filament from plastics waste generated and production of pellets from local plastics industries in East Africa. There are important parameters to consider when producing the filaments which are the diameter of the filament and its uniformity over its entire length. In most cases, the acceptable filament diameter is 1.75 mm with a tolerance of ±50 mm. Any variation above the tolerance makes the filament not usable for additive manufacturing. The recycling of thermoplastic materials will enhance the circular economy and locally producing pellets will promote manufacturing. In this thesis, the framework, and equipment for the fabrication of quality filaments in Kenya are determined. It includes research on factors affecting the 3D printing hobbyist and enthusiast as well as the criteria required to set up a small-scale filament production unit locally. This framework can be replicated across various regions with low penetration of the technology to enhance and promote the use of FDM printers for prototyping. Further, investigations on identifying the ideal conditions for each region and how other recycled thermoplastic materials will enhance the choice of the materials for manufacturing and stimulates the circular economy.