Upgrade 3D Printer

Attached is the research and info have done during the FabAcademy Development.

Even if I did change the topic of my final project, I am still planning to work on this project after the FabAcademy ends using my new digital fabrication skills.

I save here all the info, which will be useful in the near future.

The Concept 📐

Upgrade Kit for 3D printers to print with Bioplastics

Why?

I do love designing and researching from a sustainable approach.

Due to the development of my thesis project: Tamaragua, within the Precious Plastic initiative, I have been researching recycled plastics for the past two years.

Inspired by the infinitive possibilities offered by the biomaterials world, I recently moved to the Netherlands - probably one of the countries which are mostly focusing on researching and developing biomaterials nowadays in Europe.

I enrolled in Fab Academy knowing since the beginning that I would like to develop a final project involving materials and machines.

When looking for possibilities to work from home with biomaterials, I found a lack of possibilities to research the product design field. In fact, most of the recipes which I could find on the internet were meant to use for developing fabrics.

Designing a “Bioplastics 3d printer” or a “Biomaterial filament machine”, seemed to be good ideas in the first place. After a few weeks of learning more about digital fabrication, and understanding that I was not the only designer having the same lack of resources to work with bioplastics from home. I decided that it could be much more appropriate to make something that would also permit other designers to replicate easily from their homes, using their own machines.

This is how an “Upgrade for the 3d printer to work with bioplastics” came up to my mind!

What kind of Bioplastics will I try to print?

Since the Fabacademy works within the distributive economy terms, so make local projects using global knowledge, I want to develop materials made from local leftovers.

The Netherlands is known because of its love for cheese, milk, and butter, so I found in this field an opportunity to look for a material to develop.

I decided to experiment with the cheese crust leftovers since they are normally made both of plastics and natural fonts. The plastic component will play as the plastifier needed in the mix to work.

Project Management 🔢

add project management table

Inspiration

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Projects:

Research 🔍

FabAcademy Student’s references

FabriAcademy Student’s references

Upgrade for 3d printers

How to make home-made bioplastics:

3d printing Materials Recipe - Materiom

Bio-Materials made from Milk / Cheese:

Design

Sketch

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What my design should have?

What should my design not have?

Components

Attached is a table with the components, process and material in use for the development of each component for the upgrade bio kit.

Component Process Material
Tube Buy internet Plastic
Bio-Material’s Deposit Buy internet Plastic, transparent
Structure for the deposit 3d printed PLA, orange
Littlle Motor to push the material from the Deposit > Tube Buy at local shop
Electronics Milling and Soldering Cu plate
Extruder Header for Bio-Materials Buy internet / 3d printed
Adapter connection for the extruder 3d printed PLA, orange
New bed for the 3d priner CNC milling Wood

This project has 3 main lines of development: