Make–ReMake

Posted 07.06.2021

Model-making is central to our design process at Make. 3D-printed models in particular – from individual detail components to site models and 1:1 cladding mock-ups – form the bulk of the models we create. In 2019 our in-house modelshop printed thousands of models on our 14 Ultimaker printers, using nearly 500kg of filament.

How do we use that much filament while striving to be as sustainable as possible? It’s simple. All our filament is PLA, a plant-based bioplastic with a fraction of the carbon footprint of traditional plastics. Plus, the PLA we use – from sustainable 3D printing business Filamentive – is made from factory waste streams rather than virgin pellets, which goes even further to conserve natural resources. They’ve also recently shifted to using cardboard, instead of plastic, reels for their filament.

But we want to do more, so we’ve just invested in a SHR3D IT Recycler, Airid Polymer Dryer and Precision Filament Maker from 3devo. These machines allow us to recycle our 3D prints into new PLA filament for further printing and recycling – a fully closed-loop production process in the comfort of our London studio.

The process is straightforward. Once a print is no longer needed, we shred it. The resulting granulate is moved to the dryer, since polymers often have excess moisture. After that, the dried granulate goes into the filament maker, which can reach temperatures of 450C, for melting and forming new filament.

We’re excited about the potential of this technology, since PLA can be recycled more than once. The machines have the capacity to easily recycle all of our old 3D printed models. We’re currently still in testing mode, but our aim for 2021 is to close the loop and reduce our need for new filament.