Filabot. Credit Whitney Trudo Filabot
Plastic waste turned into material for 3D printers using new Filabot machine.
The Guardian reports that an American college student, Tyler McNaney, has invented a machine that could revolutionise the home 3D printing market, with the Filabot able to grind down “everyday plastic waste” and transform it into printing material.
The invention provides a cheaper alternative to purchasing the spools of plastic filament already used in 3D printing, which cost around $50 (€37.50) per kilogram, bringing the idea of 3D printing at home closer to reality.
Water pipes, drink bottles, plastic wrappers and even Lego bricks are among the plastic items that the Filabot is able to transform by grinding, melting and then extruding the plastic into a filament “of either 3mm or 1.75mm diameters”. The device is also able to “melt down failed or broken 3D prints, allowing for increased trial and error, or the ability to upgrade redundant parts”.
Launching the project on Kickstarter last year, McNaney has already raised “more than three times his initial $10,000 (€7,500) goal, with fans paying $350 (€260) for the first-run version of the machine. In response, McNaney is reportedly planning to launch “a range of machines, at different levels of completion, to allow users to adapt and develop their own kit”. However, no official price has been announced as the public model of the Filabot is currently under development.
Commenting on his invention, McNaney said: “Filabot will bring the real power of sustainability to 3D printing, allowing for a one-stop-shop to make anything.”