Design and Development of a Lab-Scale Filament Shredder for Additive Manufacturing Waste Recycling
Faddoul, Yves Marie (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025053018624
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025053018624
Tiivistelmä
The automation laboratory at Satakunta University of Applied Sciences generates a steady stream of polylactic-acid (PLA) waste originating from failed prints, support structures, and filament changes. At present, these residues are discarded, contradicting institutional sustainability goals and losing material value. The objective of this thesis was therefore to design, fabricate, and evaluate a compact, maintainable shredder capable of converting laboratory PLA waste into uniform flakes suitable for re-extrusion.
The work was composed of four stages: (1) requirement definition from literature and laboratory interviews; (2) detailed computer-aided modelling in SolidWorks; (3) procurement and in-house fabrication of custom parts; and (4) a planned test program. Key design features include a single-shaft cutter stack with printed PETG spacers for rapid clearance adjustments, a modular mildsteel frame built from mitre-cut box tubing, and a low-cost control scheme centered on an ESP32 microcontroller and a recycled laboratory VFD.
Fabrication progressed to full plasma-cutting and deburring of all panels, blades and spacers, and welding of the base frame rectangle. Tool failures and material supply errors, namely an initial batch of stainless tubing that dulled saw blades and a 10 mm plate received in place of an intended 6 mm plate, consumed the build window, leaving the upper-frame welding, wiring, and motor integration outstanding. As a result, no powered trials could be conducted within the thesis schedule. However, hand-rotation checks confirmed concentric alignment of the blade-spacer stack, and redesigns completed during the delay (button box mount, reinforced electronics enclosure, and the addition of PETG-printed spacers for alignment control) position the prototype for rapid completion.
The project delivers a validated CAD package, complete cut parts, and a partially assembled frame, demonstrating the feasibility of an in-house, maintainable shredder tailored to AM waste. Immediate work should finish welding, install the drivetrain, and execute the planned no-load, light-load, and emergency stop tests. Once commissioned, the machine is expected to divert a significant amount of filament waste every year from the landfill and provided a closed-loop teaching platform for sustainable manufacturing practices.
The work was composed of four stages: (1) requirement definition from literature and laboratory interviews; (2) detailed computer-aided modelling in SolidWorks; (3) procurement and in-house fabrication of custom parts; and (4) a planned test program. Key design features include a single-shaft cutter stack with printed PETG spacers for rapid clearance adjustments, a modular mildsteel frame built from mitre-cut box tubing, and a low-cost control scheme centered on an ESP32 microcontroller and a recycled laboratory VFD.
Fabrication progressed to full plasma-cutting and deburring of all panels, blades and spacers, and welding of the base frame rectangle. Tool failures and material supply errors, namely an initial batch of stainless tubing that dulled saw blades and a 10 mm plate received in place of an intended 6 mm plate, consumed the build window, leaving the upper-frame welding, wiring, and motor integration outstanding. As a result, no powered trials could be conducted within the thesis schedule. However, hand-rotation checks confirmed concentric alignment of the blade-spacer stack, and redesigns completed during the delay (button box mount, reinforced electronics enclosure, and the addition of PETG-printed spacers for alignment control) position the prototype for rapid completion.
The project delivers a validated CAD package, complete cut parts, and a partially assembled frame, demonstrating the feasibility of an in-house, maintainable shredder tailored to AM waste. Immediate work should finish welding, install the drivetrain, and execute the planned no-load, light-load, and emergency stop tests. Once commissioned, the machine is expected to divert a significant amount of filament waste every year from the landfill and provided a closed-loop teaching platform for sustainable manufacturing practices.