Imagine a world where your discarded plastic soft drink bottle can easily convert into the raw material for your next 3D printing project.
Meet PETFusion, an innovative machine from an Indian firm that converts waste plastic bottles into 3D printing filament.
This eco-friendly innovation is super simple to assemble and use.
Let’s take a detailed look at how the impressive machine is presented by its creator, who has put it on Kickstarter for crowdfunding (STL files only).
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In its demonstration video, the creator uses an empty Coca-Cola bottle to show how it works. After removing the label, he cleans the bottle and cuts off the bottom part. Then, a narrow strip from the bottle is trimmed to pass through the machine’s 1.75 mm nozzle.
The machine’s nozzle comes in various sizes, from 4 to 12 mm, adjustable based on the thickness of the bottle in use.
Next, the trimmed end is fed through the nozzle. Once the machine is turned on, it begins making high-quality 3D printing filament. The hot end of the machine prepares the 3D filament. Using a pair of pliers, the demonstrator pulls the strip through, threading it into the filament colorizer.
Finally, the filament is wound onto the spool. In no time, a steady stream of filament is ready for 3D printing.
According to the designer, the filament can be used to print a variety of items, from pen holders to vases, and some sample creations are also displayed in the video.
The product is not physically available for supporters, though. Only STL files are available, in two packages: regular files priced at $29 and commercial files priced at $49. As of this writing, almost 200 people have backed the project, allowing the creator to collect over USD 7000.
Check out the product’s Kickstarter page here.