Design and development of a 3D printer with recycling system

Abstract

This paper presents the design and development of the Cupcake 3D CNC printer, a special class of machines designed for the automated construction of physical objects using additive layer manufacturing technology. The printer system is great for fabricating parts and designs that are not available on the open market. It prints with Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), High- Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Polylactic Acid (PLA) plastics. To print a design, the printer platform moves in the X-Y plane and the extruder along the Z-axis with precision stepper motors while the extruder continually places a small stream of melted ABS. The recycler's addition to the printing system provides a way to reduce cost and make the system more environmentally friendly. A rotating auger bit inside an enclosure barrel forces the particulate down the tube. An electric motor turns the auger which grabs the material to move it down the barrel. Prototype of this design and the 3D printer were fabricated and tested to determine proper functionality. The 3D printer and the recycling system are currently being used to: teach additive layer manufacturing and rapid prototyping to students enrolled in manufacturing courses; print prototypes for new, difficult to find or expensive parts for research/design projects; and recycle the scrap ABS from the Cupcake 3D printer to a 3 mm filament and reuse it for printing new parts and prototypes. Samples printed using the 3D printer, the advantages of the recycling system, the difficulties encountered during the design and development, and recommendations for future recycling system design are presented and discussed. © 2011 American Society for Engineering Education.