Hello all.
Firstly I’m sorry if this isn’t the correct place to post this question. I’m not a full SLMS member as yet but I was wondering if there is any capability to recycle waste PLA from 3D printing processes. I have a machine at home and over time it’s produced a lot of waste from prints.
Thank you in advance.
Shaun.
Hopping on this, as I’m currently sitting on small caches of both black and white PLA!
I vaguely remember asking @scday94 about this on the 3D printer induction, and I think the upshot was that there isn’t a way to recycle PLA back into useable filament. I’m not sure that it entirely makes sense for the space’s waste - as much as I’d like to see it - as there’s a lot of people using some different materials across the printers, so you wouldn’t know that the contents of the collection bins are 100% PLA.
But I think there is a (seldom used) injection moulder in the space that would work for PLA if you can get the moulds to form with. This was several months - and several other inductions - ago, so my recollection is a bit fuzzy!
Just tagging @3dtechs for better visibility.
I’m happy to try out the injection machine providing it can handle PLA. Thank you.
A few things to note:
The injection molder is very small. Each half of the mold would need to be no more than 1 x 12 x 8 cm or so. This is about the size of a single caribeaner.
The injection molder feed hole is small and there is no hopper for shards or pellets.
You have to feed in some bits, then press it, then feed more and press it. It’s a manual lever not a power screw feed.
You would need to design and make, or purchase a mold.
There is no material shredder so you’d have to break down all of your prints first to 4mm pieces.
A shredder with no housing or hopper or base or collection tub will be roughly £200 new for a decent size c. 20x30 cm feed area.
Oh I see. Hmm it seems like I have some plastic to shred then first before I can even consider using any kind of injection system. Thank you for your reply.