As a hurricane ravaged the Solomon Islands, a man clutched a 3D printer to his chest to prevent it from being blown away by the fierce winds. The 3D printer continued to print parts for critical infrastructure, while his colleagues installed solar panels to power it.
This passionate man is Dr. Mazher Mohammed, a postgraduate student from Deakin University's School of Engineering, and the 3D printer is a LulzBot Mini.
"We figured if we could test everything in the worst and most undesirable environment besides underwater, then we'd be successful. That's great because these are the environmental conditions where the printer eventually works. If we can do it in cyclones, high humidity, and heavy rain, it means we can print almost anywhere," said Dr. Mazher.
．Environmental Innovation
The challenges of material sourcing and waste disposal are not uncommon for island communities. Residents of Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, also struggle with vast amounts of plastic waste, clogged waterways, and dying marine life. Furthermore, their access to clean drinking water is limited by infrastructure and the natural environment, with no spare parts available for repairs.
However, in Dr. Mazher's eyes, two seemingly disparate problems created a glimmer of hope.
He and his colleagues, in collaboration with Plan International and volunteers, set out to tackle both issues: transforming waste plastic into repair parts for infrastructure. Their engineering efforts included grinding waste plastic into rice-sized pellets, then using a portable filament extruder to convert it back into usable raw material for the 3D printer. They then produced fittings, pipes, gaskets, and seals as needed, printing them on a LulzBot Mini 3D printer. "This 3D printing technology can be used to quickly replace broken seals, pipes, and other equipment critical to water supply or sanitation facilities," said Dr. Mazher.
．"Naturally" Adaptable – Open-Source Equipment Creates Infinite Possibilities
"The ultimate goal of this endeavor is to provide 3D printing technology to people in disaster-stricken and developing countries, especially those areas without stable power supply. A significant part of this project is its sustainability; not only can the 3D printer use plastic waste found nearby, but it can also use solar cells," said Dr. Mazher. The open-source nature of LulzBot 3D printers allowed the team to modify their LulzBot Mini to operate directly on a 24-volt system and connect directly to solar cells.
Dr. Mazher praised the durability and ease of use of his beloved LulzBot Mini: "There were no print failures using recycled plastic filament in the cyclonic environment for 3D printing. I believe the LulzBot Mini is an excellent 3D printer capable of working in the harshest conditions! We are always ready to use it right out of the box!" he said, looking forward to LulzBot continuing to develop outstanding 3D printers.
In fact, LulzBot recently launched the second-generation LulzBot Mini 2, which is quieter than the original and offers a larger print volume, supporting more open-source materials. Best of all, it's now available on our website! If you want to learn more about 3D printing, we will continue to share new applications and technologies, so stay tuned.
Original article link: https://www.lulzbot.com/learn/case-studies/3d-printing-turns-plastic-problems-life-saving-solutions